How to Remove the Steering Wheel of a BMW 3 Series?
2 Answers
Release the steering wheel fixing lever, which is the lever that locks the steering wheel in place after adjustment. Pull the steering wheel to its outermost position. Start from the innermost part of the steering column cover, where there is a dust cover (leather), lift the upper cover upwards to remove it. The upper cover is secured with clips, which are very sturdy. After removing the upper cover, you can see that the lower cover is also fixed with clips on both sides. Release the clips and remove the lower cover.
Removing a BMW steering wheel requires careful operation, as I've helped a friend with this issue before. Safety is paramount - the first step is always disconnecting the negative battery terminal, then waiting at least 30 minutes for the airbag to fully discharge. Next, locate the small holes on the back of the steering wheel (there's one on each side) securing the airbag module with T30 Torx screws. After removing these screws, carefully extract the airbag, being cautious not to damage the wiring harness that connects to the yellow airbag plug and multifunction button cables. Only after disconnecting all these can you remove the central 19mm large nut using the hook wrench from the onboard toolkit. Remember to mark alignment between the steering column and wheel for proper reinstallation. The process requires patience - if the nut is extremely tight, a breaker bar may be necessary. When reinstalling, reconnect all wiring and test multifunction buttons before finally reconnecting the battery.