Miata Mailing List: June 1995, Message #143
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   From: fbro@innet.be (Frank Brochoven)
Subject: Re: steering wheel
   Date: Fri, 2 Jun 1995 15:35:45 -0400

>I have bought a miata leather wrapped steering to replace my base model
>unwrapped wheel. The dealer wants 160 dollar to swap them. He said it was
>complicated because of the air bag. Does this sound like a fair price?
>
Eddie, 

As I was just going through some archives that I'd downloaded some months
ago, I cae across this message, which I think answers your questions. 

------------beginning of included message-----------------

>From archive-owner Tue Jan 25 23:47:39 1994
From: jjnjw@clockwise.att.com
Subject: Installation MOMO wheel.....
Date: Tue, 25 Jan 1994 23:47:06 -0500

Well.. thanks to Bill Kim and a few others ..
 I am now the apparent expert on installing the MOM wheel in the MIATA.
 and the horn WORKS....I'll work on the blinkin AIR BAG light in the 
 next day or so...
========================
 Installing a MOMO steering wheel with Functioning HORN


tools:
#10 socket
#20 mm socket
ratchet wrench
short extention
wire strippers
needle nose pliers
soldering iron... yes that 's right
steering wheel puller

Let me preface this by stating, I did NOT have an air bag.. it had already 
been activated during a minor accident... THAT is another story  ...(;^(((((

 Anyway .. IF you do have an airbag intacked ,.. i would disconnnnect the 
battery to prevent accidental shorting of the wires and activating the bag ..
Its quite impressive when it deploys .. much more senational then in the 
commercials.

Position the steering wheel dead center .. wheels straight forward...

There are four #10 nuts in the back of the wheel which hold the air
bag module in place...remove them and the module can be lifted out.

Unplug both sections of the blue connector.  One section is for the horn and
the other 
is for the airbag. Untie the black nylon cord. I think the cord is just to hold
 the airbag mmodule up near the wheel while installation of the unit 
 is taking place. ( Sell the air bag module .. I have 2 quotes..
one at $570.. one at $710) ....

Remove the large nut holding the wheel in place .. ( #20mm)...
Utilizing the wheel puller .. remover the steering wheel
============================================
At this point .. you must make a serious decision ...

A) do I want to install this MOMO wheel and NEVER have an air bag again 

or

B) do I want to be able to reinstall the air bag at some point in the future.

IF you decide on option B.. then you will have some SERIOUS  drilling
 machining.. etc to do to the heavy MOMO hub to make an access
hole for the Mazda connector and wires... the connnector stick up
about 3/4" and you will need to get this 'into' the hub....
A couple other folks had warned me of this  when I initially posted
a query concerning the MOMO installation.

I chose option "A".... so I will continue in that mode....

============================================
Cut the blue connector off .. up close to the connector...
you will use the rest of the wire for the new horn connections ..

Cut the wire bundle .. down near the black connector in the hub....
SAVE The wire bundle...
 
Now comes the creative part .. not for the faint at heart .....

With the needle nose piers and the cutters, dissect and cut the black
connector and the surrounding  plastic unitl it is flush
with the backing plate and until the connector is 'free'/removed from the
flex-circiut board.

When you get to the flex-boared ....clean off a couple mm of the center runner
 this is the 'live runner for the horn..
 it is actually the  red/green wire.

Remove the red/green wire from the bundle and solder the end of it
to the center runner of the flex-board...

Once this is completed .. you are 15-20mins from  completion of the project.

Knock out the brass contact ring from the under side of the MOMO hub 
 this will make access to the hole in the  hub so that you can run the 
wire thru to the horn actuator button.

Install the MOMO hub.... and run the wire thru as i have just indicated and 
the rest can be done as in the directions fron MOMO ...

Connect the wire to the tab on the horn actualtor. (the ground will be made
from the metal to metal in the surrounding connections) .
=======================
As a side note ..
 I "packed" the soldered wire in epoxy... I wanted the epoxy to act as a 
'strain relief'. I didnt want  any stress on the small solder joint. The
epoxy is non-conductive so it will not short out the other runners.

With the experience I have now ..
I could do another installation in  30-45mins...

=====================
Any questions ..???
 call.... write .. or just come on over ...
James
908-753-7123 H
908-754-8636 H
908-582-32909W
jjnjw@clockwise.att.com

============= and NOW ==========
I have a beautiful .. black suede wrappped MOM wheel with functioning horn
in my MIATA ..
The wheel looks to be .75-1.0" less in dia. then the stock wheel.
I autocross my car in CSP .. so I am looking forward to the 
quicker turning....
============================
PEACE ..
 see ya

-----------------------end of included message-------------------------------


I hope this helps. 

I also think this proves that the archives are a valuable source of
information, but I don't think they're useful for searching a specific
topic. At least not in the for they are now. 

__________________________________________________________________
Frank and Bibi the '92 SE (no longer in line at Downing/Atlanta)
from Antwerp, Belgium

Flanders MX-5 Club, MCA , Team Voodoo, Team Brainstorm, Cyber-Miata Club
Soon  : Team Aerodyne, Team Brake-fluid
__________________________________________________________________