How to: Disable SIR system, remove Steering Wheel

[Aurora40]

The first step in many of the interior repairs or replacements is to disable the SIR system. The 2nd gen Aurora has four airbags that need to be disabled.

The first step is to remove the SIR fuse. It is located in the fuse block under the back seat. So pull up on the rear seat and remove it, then open the fuse block cover. On my car, it is fuse #8, a 15 amp fuse. The cover also has a map of the fuses. You can see which one it is here. Notice the fuse puller is already clipped over it. The fuse puller is located in the fuse block:



The next step is to unclip the connector for each airbag. There is one under each seat, and one under each side of the dash, for a total of four connectors.

From the backseat, look under the driver's side seat. There's a bright yellow connector. Pull the black connection retainer out, and then unclip the connector. Do the same for the passenger seat. This will disable both side airbags:

[Aurora40]

To get to the connectors on each side of the dash, you first need to remove the passenger and driver sound insulation panels. These are simply the bottom of the dash on each side. There are two 7mm screws that hold each panel in, plus a single plastic pushpin type clip. Then the panel slides out, though it requires a little finesse. Once you have it dropped a little, there are two connectors to remove. One is the air temp sensor, just twist it 1/4 turn counterclockwise and it will pull out. The other is a blue connector for each interior lamp. Just unclip it. Then the panel can be completely removed:



When you look up in the dash now, on each side you will see a yellow clip similar to the ones under the front seats. They will have an orange connection assurance retainer that needs to be removed first. It removes differently than the side airbag ones. Unconnect each one:



Once you have disconnected 4 yellow connectors and pulled the fuse, that's it. The SIR system is now disabled.

[Aurora40]

Now that the SIR system is disabled, we can remove the airbag and the steering wheel.

To remove the airbag, you simply need to unclip four wire clips from retainers on the airbag. There are cutouts in the back of the wheel to help you. I found it easiest to position the wheel such that the side I was unclipping was facing the bottom, i.e. the steering wheel turned 90 degrees right or left.

This is the GM recommended tool. Now that I've done it, I would probably save the $55 and just use a narrow screwdriver. You can do one clip at a time, you don't have to do two at a time like the tool enables. Even with the tool, I ended up doing one side one at a time because the tool wouldn't fit well otherwise:



Here are what the hooks on the airbag look like:





And the steering wheel hooks:



Unclip each hook and you will see the airbag start to pop away from the steering wheel. You will need to pop off the cruise-control switch cover to get to one set of hooks.

Once all are done, carefully pull the airbag back. There are two connectors to it that you need to remove. First, though, you have to pull out the center of each connector, then it will pull off the airbag. You'll see what I mean when you look at it. There is also a red wire for the horn ground. Simply twist the connector at the wheel 1/4 turn counterclockwise, and remove it.

Then take the airbag and set it somewhere safe, somewhere away from things. Somewhere where if it accidentally went off, it wouldn't kill you or damage anything else.

[Aurora40]

At this point, removing the wheel is easy. Simply remove the 21mm nut that holds the wheel on. Then use your steering wheel puller with the GM hooks to pull the wheel off.

You don't actually have to mark the wheel and teeth first as it happens to have a keyed tooth. Just verify that before you pull it, just in case.

Unhook the blue connector for the steering wheel controls, feed it and the airbag connectors through the wheel, and remove the wheel from the car. That's it.

[premiumV]

Nice write-up. That is one CLEAN interior you got there!

[bufo]

zappa said:

Nice write-up. That is one CLEAN interior you got there!

2nd'd. Could've saved me $80+!

[aurora2001tan]

I have been into the steering wheel twice now on two diff cars and only disconnected the battery. Just incase anyone else is lazy, i had no problems.