11-01-2013, 08:38 PM
There are many reasons why you would change your steering wheel on a 306. The standard wheel is four spoke and is plastic on the base models and then becomes leather on the higher spec models which more often than not is worn at the top.
I believe that most wheels are compatible between Citroen/Peugeot cars of the 90s and early 00s but here are what definitely fits. However there is a problem with air bag compatibility so even if the wheel fits you may not be able to connect the airbag.
Compatible Steering Wheels:
106, 205, 206, 306, 309, 406. (Clarification needed as to air bags).
Safety First - !IMPORTANT!
Nobody wants to end up with the below situation. Not just because youve blown your bag but because most likely its going to have gone off in your face which wont be very nice. This is not a lovely pillow that is going to be comfortable in a crash. This is a punch in the torso and face to keep you in your seat!
![[Image: IMG_20130102_100922-1.jpg]](http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z327/srowell3/Steering%20Wheel%20Guide/IMG_20130102_100922-1.jpg)
Im not too sure on this one but you should definitely have the battery disconnected and leave the car to discharge. I fiddled when it was still all connected without it going off however I would advise against it. This guide is followed entirely at your own risk!
Reasons not to remove your steering wheel.
A) You would be pretty mad for saying no to the stock air bag and going for a wheel without one however we all know how epic suede wheels and we are all amazing drivers who wont ever crash and need the air bag right? Up to you!
B) Peugeot love fitting connectors that have really bad contacts in them. The 306 airbag uses a two pin connector to deploy the air bag. I found that when I removed my air bag and put it back on the air bag light came on i.e. the connection was broken. No easy soldering here so its something I'm going to have to live with!
So you still want to swap it? Alright... here we go!
Steering Wheel & Air Bag Removal Guide
1. First of all you are going to need to remove the steering wheel cowling. There are three torx screws which are accessed from underneath. There are two at the front of the cowling (nearest the seat) and one at the back. Best to get on your hands and knees for the later.
![[Image: DSCF7744.jpg]](http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v159/cully/306oc/fogs%20on%20flash/DSCF7744.jpg)
Seeing as you have got this far you might want to look at Cullys fogs on high mod. This means that when you flash your high beams the fog lights come on too! Good for quickly getting the light out on country lanes and not properly flashing people when they are sitting in the fast lane.
2. The cowling should split apart into two sections. You should now disconnect your battery as we are going to begin on the air bag. Allow time (30 minutes?) for discharge.
3. To remove the air bag you will need to turn the wheel 90 degrees (left or right) and use a torx bit to remove two bolts behind the wheel. These are located in some quite deep holes so you will need quite a long torx bit to get to it.
![[Image: IMG_20121219_115329.jpg]](http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z327/srowell3/Steering%20Wheel%20Guide/IMG_20121219_115329.jpg)
![[Image: Untitled.jpg]](http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z327/srowell3/Steering%20Wheel%20Guide/Untitled.jpg)
4. Once those bolts are out keep them safe. There aren't any others like that in the car so you're unlikely to find any in your spares. They usually remain stuck in the wheel so just be careful they dont fall out.
5. Gently pull on the air bag to remove it
![[Image: IMG_20121219_115559.jpg]](http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z327/srowell3/Steering%20Wheel%20Guide/IMG_20121219_115559.jpg)
6. You should now find the two pin air bag connector that was discussed earlier. Make a note of which way round it is. I didn't and I am not sure if there is a correct way round. Give that a tug out. Now put the airbag somewhere safe.
![[Image: IMG_20121219_115717.jpg]](http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z327/srowell3/Steering%20Wheel%20Guide/IMG_20121219_115717.jpg)
7. Ok now for the steering wheel. You will need a larger torx bit to undo the main steering wheel bolt and its pretty tight so a big ratchet may be needed. The trick here is to put the steering wheel lock on. Do this by removing the key from the ignition (unlikely its in there seeing as we have removed the cowling) and turning the wheel. The wheel should click once its on. Do not remove the bolt all the way yet! This will stop you pulling the wheel off into your face in the next few steps!
![[Image: IMG_20121219_120103.jpg]](http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z327/srowell3/Steering%20Wheel%20Guide/IMG_20121219_120103.jpg)
8. Once you have almost removed the centre bolt comes an absolute classic problem. You need that when you remove the wheel it is dead centre otherwise when you fit the replacement it will be off by either a small amount or a lot depending on how badly you aligned it. You will need to out the key in the ignition and remove the steering lock in order to put the wheel straight. Make sure that the wheel is straight/memorable position as your new wheel wont be straight when you put it on!
9. Now to remove the wheel. Some times it comes straight off but more likely than not it will be stuck on the splines. In order to remove the wheel you need to hit it hard with the palm of your hand. After a few knocks it should be free to remove. Now remove the centre bolt.
10. BOOM. You should now have removed the steering wheel!
![[Image: IMG_20121219_120548.jpg]](http://i1184.photobucket.com/albums/z327/srowell3/Steering%20Wheel%20Guide/IMG_20121219_120548.jpg)
Standard Steering Wheel & Air Bag Fitting Guide
Well fitting is the reverse of removal. You knew I was going to say that
1. Put the new wheel on making sure it is properly aligned.
2. Put the bolt in and do it up but not tight.
3. You want to make sure that the wheel is straight before you fit everything else on as you're not going to get the chance to change this again. Making sure that the wheel is properly seated on the spines you could drive a hundred metres or so just to make sure it is aligned. Not the best idea in the world but its the best way to make sure its aligned. Remember to connect your battery if you're going for a drive and remember to disconnect it and leave it for a while to discharge.
4. Put the big bolt back in and do it up tight enough. This will make sure that the wheel is properly mounted into the splines too.
5. Reach for that airbag again and connect the orange 2 pin connector.
6. Still got those 2 airbag bolts? Do those back up again. You may need to wiggle the air bag around a bit to get them to line up properly.
7. Your wheel should now be back on. Make sure that everything is done up and there is no play in it.
8. Finally you need to refit the steering wheel cowling. This is a bit of a bastard and takes a while. First of all you need to work out how the third bolt at the back actually works. The metal mount on the steering frame goes inside the lower cowling section and then screws up. Once you've worked that one out the other two screws can be done up. There are little black foam discs on the indicator and light stalks so make sure those are tucked inside.
9. Reconnect the battery.
10. Done! Pat yourself on the back and admire your work!
Aftermarket Steering Wheel & Boss Fitting Guide
Chances are if you have actually bought a boss and steering wheel you know how to fit it. Not something Ive done myself but I know how it works so here is a brief guide from myself with the help of max power.
Which wheel should I buy?
Well apparently suede ones are lovely and warm on the hands and have the classic motorsport look. Thats probably what youre going for unless you have a styled one for a show car or a car where looks are more important. Deep dish wheels (90mm etc) may be closer to you but they are further away from the stalks so for every day driving its going to be a bit of a stretch. Obviously its up to you!
If you're fitting an aftermarket wheel it is most likely that you aren't having an airbag. In order to stop the air bag light coming on you will need to put a resistor between the two holes of the orange airbag connector. I'm not sure what the value is but most likely you can buy it from the place you bought your wheel from!
1. First you need to refit the steering wheel cowling. This is a bit of a bastard and takes a while. First of all you need to work out how the third bolt at the back actually works. The metal mount on the steering frame goes inside the lower cowling section and then screws up. Once you've worked that one out the other two screws can be done up. There are little black foam discs on the indicator and light stalks so make sure those are tucked inside.
2. The boss is the part that fits onto the splines on the end of the steering column. it has a notch which should line up with the steering column. Hopefully the steering is still lined up from earlier. Fit the boss with two opposing holes at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock.
3. The boss is now in place so the main steering wheel bolt can be put in place and done up a little.
4. Now is a good time to put that airbag light resistor in!
5. Now you can fit your wheel. Yes that moment has arrived!
Some steering wheels may come with a horn in the middle but on the 306 the horn is on the end of the indicator stalk. Your wheel may have a few centres with it and different length bolts for them. Choose one and there should be 6 Allen key bolts which are used to bolt it on with. If its a complete centre with no hole in it then you will have do part 6 before fitting it!
6. Now tighten the main steering wheel bolt. Best done with the steering lock on.
7. Reconnect the battery.
8. You should now be all sorted! Hope it looks good!
/Guide
Right! Hopefully that helped people. If you follow this guide please post something below and tell me what you thought of it and how you got on. Everybody likes pictures!
Id like to say again that this is a guide and I hold no responsibility as to whether it is correct or if your air bag goes off!
I believe that most wheels are compatible between Citroen/Peugeot cars of the 90s and early 00s but here are what definitely fits. However there is a problem with air bag compatibility so even if the wheel fits you may not be able to connect the airbag.
Compatible Steering Wheels:
106, 205, 206, 306, 309, 406. (Clarification needed as to air bags).
Safety First - !IMPORTANT!
Nobody wants to end up with the below situation. Not just because youve blown your bag but because most likely its going to have gone off in your face which wont be very nice. This is not a lovely pillow that is going to be comfortable in a crash. This is a punch in the torso and face to keep you in your seat!
Im not too sure on this one but you should definitely have the battery disconnected and leave the car to discharge. I fiddled when it was still all connected without it going off however I would advise against it. This guide is followed entirely at your own risk!
Reasons not to remove your steering wheel.
A) You would be pretty mad for saying no to the stock air bag and going for a wheel without one however we all know how epic suede wheels and we are all amazing drivers who wont ever crash and need the air bag right? Up to you!
B) Peugeot love fitting connectors that have really bad contacts in them. The 306 airbag uses a two pin connector to deploy the air bag. I found that when I removed my air bag and put it back on the air bag light came on i.e. the connection was broken. No easy soldering here so its something I'm going to have to live with!
So you still want to swap it? Alright... here we go!
Steering Wheel & Air Bag Removal Guide
1. First of all you are going to need to remove the steering wheel cowling. There are three torx screws which are accessed from underneath. There are two at the front of the cowling (nearest the seat) and one at the back. Best to get on your hands and knees for the later.
Seeing as you have got this far you might want to look at Cullys fogs on high mod. This means that when you flash your high beams the fog lights come on too! Good for quickly getting the light out on country lanes and not properly flashing people when they are sitting in the fast lane.
2. The cowling should split apart into two sections. You should now disconnect your battery as we are going to begin on the air bag. Allow time (30 minutes?) for discharge.
3. To remove the air bag you will need to turn the wheel 90 degrees (left or right) and use a torx bit to remove two bolts behind the wheel. These are located in some quite deep holes so you will need quite a long torx bit to get to it.
4. Once those bolts are out keep them safe. There aren't any others like that in the car so you're unlikely to find any in your spares. They usually remain stuck in the wheel so just be careful they dont fall out.
5. Gently pull on the air bag to remove it
6. You should now find the two pin air bag connector that was discussed earlier. Make a note of which way round it is. I didn't and I am not sure if there is a correct way round. Give that a tug out. Now put the airbag somewhere safe.
7. Ok now for the steering wheel. You will need a larger torx bit to undo the main steering wheel bolt and its pretty tight so a big ratchet may be needed. The trick here is to put the steering wheel lock on. Do this by removing the key from the ignition (unlikely its in there seeing as we have removed the cowling) and turning the wheel. The wheel should click once its on. Do not remove the bolt all the way yet! This will stop you pulling the wheel off into your face in the next few steps!
8. Once you have almost removed the centre bolt comes an absolute classic problem. You need that when you remove the wheel it is dead centre otherwise when you fit the replacement it will be off by either a small amount or a lot depending on how badly you aligned it. You will need to out the key in the ignition and remove the steering lock in order to put the wheel straight. Make sure that the wheel is straight/memorable position as your new wheel wont be straight when you put it on!
9. Now to remove the wheel. Some times it comes straight off but more likely than not it will be stuck on the splines. In order to remove the wheel you need to hit it hard with the palm of your hand. After a few knocks it should be free to remove. Now remove the centre bolt.
10. BOOM. You should now have removed the steering wheel!
Standard Steering Wheel & Air Bag Fitting Guide
Well fitting is the reverse of removal. You knew I was going to say that
1. Put the new wheel on making sure it is properly aligned.
2. Put the bolt in and do it up but not tight.
3. You want to make sure that the wheel is straight before you fit everything else on as you're not going to get the chance to change this again. Making sure that the wheel is properly seated on the spines you could drive a hundred metres or so just to make sure it is aligned. Not the best idea in the world but its the best way to make sure its aligned. Remember to connect your battery if you're going for a drive and remember to disconnect it and leave it for a while to discharge.
4. Put the big bolt back in and do it up tight enough. This will make sure that the wheel is properly mounted into the splines too.
5. Reach for that airbag again and connect the orange 2 pin connector.
6. Still got those 2 airbag bolts? Do those back up again. You may need to wiggle the air bag around a bit to get them to line up properly.
7. Your wheel should now be back on. Make sure that everything is done up and there is no play in it.
8. Finally you need to refit the steering wheel cowling. This is a bit of a bastard and takes a while. First of all you need to work out how the third bolt at the back actually works. The metal mount on the steering frame goes inside the lower cowling section and then screws up. Once you've worked that one out the other two screws can be done up. There are little black foam discs on the indicator and light stalks so make sure those are tucked inside.
9. Reconnect the battery.
10. Done! Pat yourself on the back and admire your work!
Aftermarket Steering Wheel & Boss Fitting Guide
Chances are if you have actually bought a boss and steering wheel you know how to fit it. Not something Ive done myself but I know how it works so here is a brief guide from myself with the help of max power.
Which wheel should I buy?
Well apparently suede ones are lovely and warm on the hands and have the classic motorsport look. Thats probably what youre going for unless you have a styled one for a show car or a car where looks are more important. Deep dish wheels (90mm etc) may be closer to you but they are further away from the stalks so for every day driving its going to be a bit of a stretch. Obviously its up to you!
If you're fitting an aftermarket wheel it is most likely that you aren't having an airbag. In order to stop the air bag light coming on you will need to put a resistor between the two holes of the orange airbag connector. I'm not sure what the value is but most likely you can buy it from the place you bought your wheel from!
1. First you need to refit the steering wheel cowling. This is a bit of a bastard and takes a while. First of all you need to work out how the third bolt at the back actually works. The metal mount on the steering frame goes inside the lower cowling section and then screws up. Once you've worked that one out the other two screws can be done up. There are little black foam discs on the indicator and light stalks so make sure those are tucked inside.
2. The boss is the part that fits onto the splines on the end of the steering column. it has a notch which should line up with the steering column. Hopefully the steering is still lined up from earlier. Fit the boss with two opposing holes at 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock.
3. The boss is now in place so the main steering wheel bolt can be put in place and done up a little.
4. Now is a good time to put that airbag light resistor in!
5. Now you can fit your wheel. Yes that moment has arrived!
Some steering wheels may come with a horn in the middle but on the 306 the horn is on the end of the indicator stalk. Your wheel may have a few centres with it and different length bolts for them. Choose one and there should be 6 Allen key bolts which are used to bolt it on with. If its a complete centre with no hole in it then you will have do part 6 before fitting it!6. Now tighten the main steering wheel bolt. Best done with the steering lock on.
7. Reconnect the battery.
8. You should now be all sorted! Hope it looks good!
/Guide
Right! Hopefully that helped people. If you follow this guide please post something below and tell me what you thought of it and how you got on. Everybody likes pictures!
Id like to say again that this is a guide and I hold no responsibility as to whether it is correct or if your air bag goes off!
