Perhaps a stupid question, but have run out of ideas!

Here's the quick part of the question. This is for an 03 S-Type 3.0 (UK)

How do you screw the air bag/horn back on the steering wheel using the supplied torx screws? I mean, yes, it was ME who removed them in the first place but now they don't seem to be long enough to reach the air bag assembly and they're inside the recessed hole as far as I can put them... but still not reaching!

The longer version is this.

I had to work on the lights/indicator switch and decided to remove the whole steering wheel.

I since realized that there was never a reason to do that as the stalk slides off once you remove the steering column cowling.

Needless to say, this was my very first time removing the steering wheel and now that I read relative posts, I think I've broken just about every safety recommendation in the book!

Still, no explosions (yet!) so I must've done something right I guess. I did (at least) unplug the battery before starting, but later connected it when reassembling the wheel as I had to turn the wheels and forgot to disconnect!

Not knowing any better, I even disassembled what I now know is the clockspring... and although I've put everything back together and without anything going off in my face, I've yet to drive the car, so I may still have some surprises coming - either that or I'm very lucky!!

Anyway, everything seems to be working and all parts have now been reassembled (though I have one extra screw - but not a major one, it's only a philips). So now am left with the last part of the job which is the 2 "shortish" torx screws that keep the air bag/horn in place on the steering wheel.

I'm not sure why I was able to remove the screws and now they seem so short and won't reach. Is it possible these screws have to be forced inside the very recessed holes so that it reaches further? Won't they break the plastic if I do? They don't seem to go any further in and am not sure how to push them... without using a hammer anyway.

Perhaps some clever mechanic here can shed some light on this!

Oh... the screws are silver and roughly 1.5" long. The head is sort of "apple shape" - if that makes sense. Looks like they're meant to go inside long recessed holes in fact, so they must be the right ones (not to mention that I have no other spare screws anyway - except for that one philips as mentioned).

Hope this isn't too long but wanted to make sure I gave as much details as possible.

Many thanks for you help!

Morris

 

OK, think I've cracked it - though have yet to put the theory to test...

Just looked at some photos I had taken before dismantling and it looks like the screws are not put in through those holes at all, but rather from inside the horn assembly inside the wheel.

Basically, the holes are used only for access to the screws, but the screws themselves don't go through our out of those holes (if that makes sense).

Like I said, I've not yet tried this but my "revelation" is the only possible explanation to this all - well, it's that and getting some clues from the photos (mostly!).

However, I have a new question which is not urgent but may come in handy at some future time.

Can someone explain how to get the two connectors off the air bag?

I have seen photos of these in another post, but although mine look different, that post doesn't actually explain whether his connectors pull or slide off.

My connectors have a yellow sliding thing, which I will assume is a lock. Once I slide it and try to either slide or pull the connector, nothing really happens and before breaking something that's not (yet!) broken, I thought I'd leave it alone.

Oh - one last bit of information which might be useful to someone.

The reason I decided to work on the light switch (stalk) is because all of a sudden my lights turned on by themselves and wouldn't turn off!

I randomly pulled fuse F1 (in trunk) and this made the lights turn off - permanently!

It's as if a relay was stuck closed and then once pulled the fuse, it reset!

After testing various relays (have no idea which one controls the lights), I decided to look into the stalk switch - out of desperation more than anything.

The problem found was one broken wire - basically "metal fatigue". The wire was not that short, but just short enough to finally break after all these years of (minor) movement. Imagine that... a wire snapping from the slight movement inside (when using the indicators I suspect).

So, the lesson to learn here is that if your lights go out (and everything else works, like flashers and high beams), then look into the switch!

All in all it's a relatively easy fix (if you know NOT to remove the steering wheel!!).

Many thanks for your help on removing those two connectors...