A couple steering wheel/airbag removal questions

[RTW S4]

Does the ignition need to be ON (engine running?) or disconnect battery?
If disconnect battery, how is that done on this car? There are no standard battery terminals so not sure what to disconnect or unplug. Then of course, what, if anything has to be reprogrammed after disconnecting the battery? Fobs, windows, MMI, etc?

If the battery is supposed to be disconnected, then how do you turn the steering wheel? The wheel seems to lock if the car is not running...

The Audi repair guide I have says the ignition needs to be switched ON to prevent the Electronic Steering Column Lock Control Module.

So based on that, I attempted this with the ignition ON (car running) and as soon as I popped the first airbag clip, the horn started going off. Is this normal/expected? That being said, I'm not too comfortable doing this with the car running and would hate to end up with an airbag in my face.

I am waiting for my Audi rep to get back to me about possibly having the dealer do this but I am capable enough to do this myself. Im just not familiar with all the electronics on this thing. I hate not having service manuals.

[Beast]

NEVER disconnect the airbag CONNECTOR with the battery still connected. You need to unclip the airbag yes with the ignition on to access both clips. (to move the wheel) However once that is done, Remove the - Terminal of the battery before messing with the actual airbag connector. Not only do you risk deployment of the airbag, but also you will have an airbag error if the battery is not disconnected first.

[RTW S4]

Where the heck is the negative? All I see is the negative post terminal used for charging.

I didn't disconnect any of the connectors, just one side of the metal clip that holds the airbag in the wheel. That's when the horn went off. Is that normal/expected?

[jmy_oak]

Where the heck is the negative? All I see is the negative post terminal used for charging.

I didn't disconnect any of the connectors, just one side of the metal clip that holds the airbag in the wheel. That's when the horn went off. Is that normal/expected?

Battery is in the trunk. Passenger side access panel.


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[RTW S4]

Thanks. Didn't even think to look back there 😆

[pwdrskr]

Did you ever get the wheel swapped out? How did you get the smaller of the two electrical connectors to come out (pic attached)? I’ve tried everything and can’t get it to release.

[SHCKR]

Did you ever get the wheel swapped out? How did you get the smaller of the two electrical connectors to come out (pic attached)? I’ve tried everything and can’t get it to release.

That connector pulls straight up and out, there is no clip or anything like that, pure friction hold.

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/top...ink_source=app

[pwdrskr]

That connector pulls straight up and out, there is no clip or anything like that, pure friction hold.

https://r.tapatalk.com/shareLink/top...ink_source=app

Thanks. I’ll try again, however, I pulled as hard as I could given the tight spaces and couldn’t get it to budge. I don’t want to pull on the wires themselves so have been trying to pull by the connector only.

On another note, the erWin guide states the airbag can be removed without disconnecting the battery. I’ve also read that disconnecting the battery can cause all sorts of other faults in other control modules. and I’ve been given direct instructions that the battery doesn’t need to be disconnected provided I’m grounded. The upshot, there is a lot of conflicting information…

[SHCKR]

Thanks. I’ll try again, however, I pulled as hard as I could given the tight spaces and couldn’t get it to budge. I don’t want to pull on the wires themselves so have been trying to pull by the connector only.

On another note, the erWin guide states the airbag can be removed without disconnecting the battery. I’ve also read that disconnecting the battery can cause all sorts of other faults in other control modules. and I’ve been given direct instructions that the battery doesn’t need to be disconnected provided I’m grounded. The upshot, there is a lot of conflicting information…

You are correct. I personally did NOT disconnect the battery at least once or twice when swapping steering wheels... But people are not wrong when they say better safe than sorry.

And the last time I messed with mine, that connector was stuck in mine as well. I had to remove both sides of the connector and the wire from it's holding place (granted, note the C8/B9 differences), and disconnect in hand.

[pwdrskr]

You are correct. I personally did NOT disconnect the battery at least once or twice when swapping steering wheels... But people are not wrong when they say better safe than sorry.

And the last time I messed with mine, that connector was stuck in mine as well. I had to remove both sides of the connector and the wire from it's holding place (granted, note the C8/B9 differences), and disconnect in hand.

Thanks, again. That torx bolt/screw holding the connector in place is super tight. I tried to remove it and wasn’t able to get it to budge. I stopped for fear of stripping it. I did put a descent amount of force into it… I considered using a pair of pliers to grasp the connector and pull, but worry about triggering the airbag. Is this plug for the heating element or some other control, I wonder?

[SHCKR]

Thanks, again. That torx bolt/screw holding the connector in place is super tight. I tried to remove it and wasn’t able to get it to budge. I stopped for fear of stripping it. I did put a descent amount of force into it… I considered using a pair of pliers to grasp the connector and pull, but worry about triggering the airbag. Is this plug for the heating element or some other control, I wonder?

The heater plug is the oddly shaped one to the left of that torx bolt (I'm sure of this as that's what's currently vacant in my steering wheel when I swapped from heated to flat bottom). I think that tiny one is for all the steering wheel controls, as little sense as that makes, considering the massive airbag connector...
Could always go back to the safety of disconnecting the negative battery terminal in the trunk... The only errors you will get afterwards is you'll have to reset the auto function on all your windows.

[pwdrskr]

The heater plug is the oddly shaped one to the left of that torx bolt (I'm sure of this as that's what's currently vacant in my steering wheel when I swapped from heated to flat bottom). I think that tiny one is for all the steering wheel controls, as little sense as that makes, considering the massive airbag connector...
Could always go back to the safety of disconnecting the negative battery terminal in the trunk... The only errors you will get afterwards is you'll have to reset the auto function on all your windows.

OK, I’ll give it another go and try to exert more force….battery connected (don’t want to reset windows…). would it be safe to say that once the airbag connector is removed the airbag is no longer able to go off? I ask as the erWin guide says to remove the small connector first, then the airbag connector last. I assumed order mattered…but maybe not.

[SHCKR]

OK, I’ll give it another go and try to exert more force….battery connected (don’t want to reset windows…). would it be safe to say that once the airbag connector is removed the airbag is no longer able to go off? I ask as the erWin guide says to remove the small connector first, then the airbag connector last. I assumed order mattered…but maybe not.

I always removed the big yellow one first... And resetting the windows is super easy... Hold the switch until the window is all the way up, release, and hold up for another second or two.

[ooljima]

Hey folks, just replaced my airbag with the leather one and the airbag fault came on. Similar experience for you all? My ebay obdII won't let me clear it as it doesn't register.

And yes, when taking the airbag off... after I get one of the clips loose, the horn does go bonkers and it annoys people.