Lower Steering Wheel Cover

[sheureka]

I've had my cruise on for a week now and have been driving around without the lower steering wheel cover on. The problem is I can't seem to get it on. I've been trying every time I get into the car, and I do seem to be able to get the front clips right but I can't get the rear clips in the right place, and eventually the whole thing just falls off in my lap so I just leave it off. The cruise works great, but it sure looks tacky. I'm going to be visiting friends tomorrow, and I know they'll want to see the car and I'm a little embarrassed.  I'm afraid to just pound on it, for fear I'll break something off. So there must be a trick, but I sure can't figure out what it is. Anybody have any advice? TIA - sheureka

[admin]

Don't pound!

Let's see if I can get some pictures and I'll illustrate in a few minutes.  Check back soon.

[admin]

OK, in this picture I attached.  I've highlighted the two "hooks" in red and also the ledge they have to go ABOVE in red as well.  That's trick #1.  Then, There are two pillars (I've highlighted one in yellow, the other you can't see in the picture) and it has to go BEHIND that plastic protrusion that the yellow arrow is pointing at.

Remember this is plastic, not metal. It isn't entirely rigid so you can, and have to, bend it a bit to go where you want.  So you probably have to bend the two far corners down to get them to go where they are supposed to.  Obviously don't force anything, but it does take a little... well... let's say physical manipulation.

Once everything is positioned properly, it is just a sandwich that you have to give a little squeeze to snap everything into place.  But the key is aligning everything correctly.

Does this help?

[sheureka]

Bummer - I just went out and messed with it some more, and now I've managed to break the two "yellow" tabs. I may try to super glue them but in the meantime I'll just have the thing attached at the front and put some tape on the back so it doesn't all flop around. I don't even want to think how much this stupid little part is going to cost. And even if the super glue works, I'm not going to try to put it back on again. I'm more than 4 hours away from the nearest dealer so it probably won't get fixed for a long time. Thanks for your help though. - sheureka

[sheureka]

I will be in Phoenix sometime in October - do you think I should call the dealer there and see if they can order the part? Should I tell them how I broke it? TIA - sheureka

[admin]

"It just fell off" 


It can't be that expensive of a part, but I've been surprised before.  Not sure how you broke it, but what is done is done.  I would like to THINK the dealer would charge you just for the part and nothing to put it on seeing as it is literally a 5 second job, but I tend to doubt that will be the case.  I'm growing into a skeptic the more I hear about dealer stories.

It is hard to explain in words, or pictures for that matter, exactly how to re-install the lower cover other than to say "the opposite way you took it off" but to those that know how, it is super quick and simple with zero tools so they really shouldn't charge you at all.

Can you take a photo of what is broken?  It might just hold without whatever broke off - there is a lot of extraneous plastic bits under there.

[sheureka]

I got it fixed! And on! I must have bent those two little pillars (yellow) in one of my many attempts, so they were no longer straight up and down - and the more I tried to put it back together the more I bent them. Since I finally actually managed to break them completely off, I superglued them back on last night. So today, since they were now straight up and down, they snapped right in!

Yeah me! (And yeah, you, for all your help!)

[admin]

That's great!  Good job!!