1994 steering wheel horn short and removing air bag cover

[Joe L.]

Re: 1994 steering wheel horn short and removing air bag cover

Does anyone know the size of the nut holding on the steering wheel on a 1994 I am going to have to buy a socket. It looks like its 20mm or 21mm? I am assuming it is metric as none of my standard sockets fit it.

Jim------


It's definitely metric. C4's are all metric except for core small block engine components and some parts of the 4+3 transmission. The thread size is 14 x 1.5mm but I don't know what the across-the-flats size is. You can easily measure it with calipers.

Need a new nut? If so, GM #26056108.

[Jim P.]

Re: 1994 steering wheel horn short and removing air bag cover

I just thought I would give a wrap up on what I found out in replacing these horn buttons. First I pulled the air bag fuses, there was one 5 amp and one 15 amp, then I waited about an hour for the arming device to discharge. I then removed the 4 torx screws from the back of the steering wheel with a No. 30 driver, turning the wheel and using the tilt to get enough room to get the driver on the screws. After removing the air bag, you pull the green clip first depressing the sides and then unclip the yellow connector. After that was done I borrowed a steering wheel puller from the local auto parts store and used a 21 mm socket to loosen, but not remove the retaining nut. Then put a mark on the steering wheel and the shaft so I would know where to line it up when I put it back on. I then unscrewed the torx screw grounding the horn ground wires to the steering wheel and then pulled the steering wheel. I then couldn't figure out what to do to unhook the hot wire and the service manual does not really help. But if you have your new part already and look at it you will see that both hot wires end at a brass rivet looking connector - then run up the wires where there is a spring like a ball point pen spring, and then a black plastic sleeve about 3 inches long that both wires run through. On both ends of the sleeve there is a little boss or tit that protrudes. When you get the steering wheel off you see a yellow part that is what I call the clock spring but the service manual calls it the "SIR coil assembly". The hot wires actually pass through a hole in that part, so you don't need to remove it. All you do is push down on the black plastic sleeve and turn left or right (like a tail light bulb) and it should pull out. It is like a T on the end of the little channel that the boss goes down and then turns to lock it in place. Then obviously reverse the proceedure with the new part.

You may be able to actually do this with out removing the steering wheel but since I didn't know what I was doing I did already had the wheel removed and it was probably easier. In addition, I didn't recognize what was holding the hot wire in place and after protracted wiggling and starting to take off the SIR coil assembly it came out. In putting in the new part in I still didn't understand what held it in place and broke off the boss closest to the end which is the one that actually holds it in place. I ended up prying off the end from the old part and using the old sleeve (it seemed to be better plastic), since I had to cut off the end of the new part anyway to replace the sleeve with the broken tit (you could also turn it around since there is one on the other end as well. I then pushed the wires through the old sleeve, the spring, and the old end. After squeezing the old end shut, I tinned the wires in place with some soider and filed the end flat. By then I had learned my lesson on what kept the hot end of the wires in place and reassembly was a snap.

I hope this saves some other person out there some time on replacing these horn buttons.