Time to start "steering" toward my next mod - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

uibalnme · 10-28-2009, 04:43 PM

I've had this thing sitting in storage for 2 years. It's time for me to just go for it.

The harness on the CC switch that came with the wheel didn't match my gen3.5's. However, I did notice that, other than the harness, it looked just like the CC switch in my gen3.5. So, I snaged a CC switch from another gen3.5 in a salvage yard. The switch mounting points are exactly the same, so the gen3.5 CC switch swapped right into the new wheel, no problem. Now I just have to figure out how to connect the new airbag wires to the gen3.5 clock spring.

***LynchburgCSI*** · 10-28-2009, 04:48 PM

^ I had a want ad for a wheel similar to that up for a longggggg time!

gonna look good man!

the_professional · 10-28-2009, 04:50 PM

looks great.
I'm sure you'll find away, btw what toyota is that off of?

I've seen Celica (i think theyre also matrix, corolla) wheels on gen. 3 camries, thats why i ask since this one looks similar.

uibalnme · 10-28-2009, 07:24 PM

IIRC it came from an '04 Corolla. It's been soo long since I've even laid eyes on this thing. It was turning a light gray from all the dust that had settled on it. lol

Anyway, I went back to the salvage yard where I go the CC switch, and picked up a gen3/3.5 airbag wire harness. Now I don't have to cut/splice into my clock spring harness.

***LynchburgCSI*** · 10-28-2009, 07:54 PM

You've made sure that the 2004 'rolla airbag is single stage, right?

uibalnme · 10-28-2009, 11:35 PM

Obviously it's a dual stage. Look at the pics. It has 2 ignitors. It fires one for low speed impact, and both for high speed impact. I posted a thread about this mod way back when I first got the wheel. From what I've gathered, I just need to wire in the high speed ignitor(I'm guessing the red one) to the clock spring. I suppose I could wire both ignitors in parallel into the clock spring, so they both fire during a front end impact low speed or high speed.

The only problem I've heard I would run into would be the diagnostic the airbag computer runs at startup, and setting off the airbag light. I don't think that will be a problem though. I had another gen3.5 that had the airbag light on constantly. I didn't have the money/time to fix the light, so I just removed the bulb. However, when it got totaled(long story) the airbags still deployed.

So here's my hypothesis, even if the airbag computer detects a problem with the airbag, during a front end impact, it will still send power to the ignitors to deploy the airbags.

Anyway, here's hoping this mod will go smoothly.

***LynchburgCSI*** · 10-29-2009, 12:19 PM

^ interesting... if this works out, that opens up options for me... i orginally thought i could only use single stage airbags... but i it works for you then...

PortugalFocus · 10-29-2009, 12:55 PM

Bro, that looks sick.... good luck man, I hope it works..... PICS OF INSTALL IS A MUST!

uibalnme · 10-29-2009, 03:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LynchburgCSI

^ interesting... if this works out, that opens up options for me... i orginally thought i could only use single stage airbags... but i it works for you then...

I had a look at the SRS wiring diagrams, and I was pretty much right. Both driver, and passenger airbags are connected in parallel to the airbag computer. So it does send power to both of the airbags during an impact even if it thinks one of the airbags is "malfunctioning."

Quote:

Originally Posted by PortugalFocus

Bro, that looks sick.... good luck man, I hope it works..... PICS OF INSTALL IS A MUST!

Thanks. I'll absolutly post pics. It'll be one of the few bragging rights my car has. I'll have to start painting some of my interior black to match it though. Thankfully my interior is gray, so it'll match up well with black.

abew330 · 10-29-2009, 08:10 PM

hey uibalnme thats a nice wheel

you got that from a 04 corolla?

and it bolts up to a gen 3 without any modification?

uibalnme · 10-29-2009, 11:35 PM

^ Well, as I said earlier, the harness on the '04 CC switch is different from the gen3/3.5 CC switch harness. So, I swapped a gen3/3.5 switch into the wheel.

The '04 Switch(top) has a dust boot, and a small clip. So I just transfered those to the gen3/3.5 switch.

Here's the gen 3/3.5 switch with the boot, and clip.

The wheel with the gen3/3.5 CC switch installed.

And the gen3/3.5 airbag wire harness(taken from a deployed airbag).
safety clip open

safety clip closed

I'll use this harness to wire the airbag ignitors in parallel into the clock spring.

Those are the biggest mods needed to fit the wheel in a gen3/3.5