AirBag removal to fix Horn or OBC

[Gelbster]

2001 Boxster S, 3 spoke Steering Wheel.

I'm trying to remove the Airbag to fix a Horn problem. To do the OBC mod you might also need to remove the wheel for some methods.So this issue may have a broader appeal?

The removal Procedure seems simple - Bentley Sect 69-10 has details

I slackened the two T30 x m6, 10,5 ( # 99907318302 ) screws at the back of the Steering Wheel.They were very stiff to start with ,then became easier.I did not use a soldering iron to soften the Loctite on these two T30 screws(mistake?).
Despite many,many rotations, the screws are still firmly attached toboth the plate/Retaining Frame and the Airbag with no indication of "letting go".

According to Pelican and at least 1 video there is no need to totally remove either of the two screws - just slacken them. The 2 screws seem to be held captive in the Retaining Frame when they have disconnected from the Airbag assembly.

Both screws just spin endlessly and still seem firmly connected to the Retaining Plate. I assume they are cross threaded in the AirBag

I have tried a wedge between the airbag and the Steering wheel spokes while spinning the screw with a cordless drill. No result.

The remaining option to extract the 2 screws is to drill off the screw heads. This is very difficult because both are recessed and obstructed by the wheel and instrument binnacle !Does anyone have a less brutal method of removing the airbag with 2 cross-threaded screws ? It is too late to try softening the Loctite now !

Not only can't the screws be removed but they can not be tightened either. They just spin in both directions. So it must be the cross threading that is retaining them , not the rubber in the Steering Wheel.

This is also the problem with the proposal to drill the screw heads off. The screws will just spin when the drill bit starts to 'bite'.

I am reluctant to start excavating 2 large holes in the back of the Steering Wheel so that I can fit a small grinding wheel on a Dremel.

Worse, I am unsure if removing the heads of the screws would free the airbag.
The screws would still be retained on the plate(aka Retaining Frame- # 99334708801 ) by whatever makes them 'captive'.

The temporary solution is to fit a separate horn+button .The power source would be a piggy-back "Add a Circuit on the stock horn fuse location B3 and some simple wiring .

I hope someone comes up with a method of removing those 2 pesky screws.

The specific horn problem on my car has been discussed before. It works without the key in the ignition. It does not work with the engine running. Usual problem/csuse a broken wire on the flag connector behind the Airbag .

I checked lots of other Posts on the Airbag/Steering Wheel removal subject but did not find any other examples of this exact problem. Some have stripped the internal flutes of the Torx head but no cross-threading that I found.

A replacement Steering Wheel+Airbag on Ebay is $700 - 1000 - used !
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Porsche-986-Boxster-996-993-Carrera-911-Steering-Wheel-Air-Bag-3-Three-Spoke-OEM-/263011990856?fits=Year%3A2001%7CMake%3APorsche%7CM odel%3ABoxster%7CSubmodel%3ARoadster+S%7CEngine+-+Liter_Display%3A3.2L&hash=item3d3cbc7d48:g:8qYAAOSw4A5YyH2G&vxp=mtr

[particlewave]

I really doubt that the airbag is stripped. The threads are pretty stout.
I have had mine off a half dozen times and encountered the spinning screw a few times. Every time, it turned out that the bit wasn't actually in the head. I now use a mirror to ensure that the bit is fully seated in the head.

[SoloPierre]

I had my air bag out a couple of weeks ago when I was stripping everything behind the dash (evap, vents, and etc.). I had no issues with the screws, but I believe I used a T27 (not a T30) to remove the 2 air bag screws. After you remove the bag, they screws kind of stay wedged in the wheel unless you press them out.

Note - this was on a '02 Box with a three point steering wheel.

[Gelbster]

Originally Posted by particlewave

. I now use a mirror to ensure that the bit is fully seated in the head.

The mirror is a great idea.Thank you.
With a small LED flashlight +Dentist's mirror it is easy to confirm correct engagement of the tool in the screw head.Unfortunately ,that was not the cause of the problem.Pity. It would have been an easy fix.

[Gelbster]

Originally Posted by SoloPierre

I had my air bag out a couple of weeks ago when I was stripping everything behind the dash (evap, vents, and etc.). I had no issues with the screws, but I believe I used a T27 (not a T30) to remove the 2 air bag screws. After you remove the bag, they screws kind of stay wedged in the wheel unless you press them out.

Note - this was on a '02 Box with a three point steering wheel.

Same Steering Wheel as mine.3 spoke , not 4.
Parts Manual confirms T30 NOT T27. T27 will fit but is sloppy.T30 is snug and that makes it tedious to use perhaps.

[particlewave]

Originally Posted by Gelbster

The mirror is a great idea.Thank you.
With a small LED flashlight +Dentist's mirror it is easy to confirm correct engagement of the tool in the screw head.Unfortunately ,that was not the cause of the problem.Pity. It would have been an easy fix.

Crap...
I would try to wedge a long flat pry-bar (like the kind used for home trim removal) in between the airbag and frame and pry hard while turning the screw. It'll bite and back out eventually. That, or you'll bend the airbag frame enough to get in there. Airbag frames are a lot cheaper than steering wheels.

Just don't sit in front of the airbag while doing anything like that.

[Anker]

Don't do anything around airbags without disconnecting the battery and waiting several minutes! They are dangerous if accidentally triggered.

[Gelbster]

Originally Posted by Anker

Don't do anything around airbags without disconnecting the battery and waiting several minutes! They are dangerous if accidentally triggered.

Yes - all covered in the Pelican Instructions mentioned in Post 1-. My Post is certainly not a DIY or video on Steering Wheel removal - I wish it was :-).There are plenty of DIY Instructions elsewhere on this Forum and YouTube.
Speaking of precautions - don't let the Clockspring unravel either !