Steering Wheel Pods.

**ash25** · 08-28-2009, 09:56 PM

My 98 T.A. had the left side steering wheel controls button not working. The seek button was stuck and would not allow it to to seek up. A few weeks after noticing that both sides of the control pods quit lighting up. So instead of buying new pods from GM at a cost of 200.00 bucks a pod I decided to buy a steering wheel from a wrecked 2000 Ta. for 30bucks. Like new I might add. I had my local garage change the whole steering wheel since they said it was easier than just changing the pods. The airbag had to be removed.to get to the pods anyways. Well it cost me 76.00 dollars to have the wheel removed and the new 1 installed, the good news is the controls all work fine BUT they do not lite up,neither side. Now my question is can these pods be checked before they are put in and the airbag removed and all the b.s. My mechanic says no but there has got to be a way. Dam I hate to go thru this again and not have the lights in the pods work again. Anyone else have this problem and what solutions are there? Thanks very much.

**cammed goat** · 08-30-2009, 10:41 AM

Originally Posted by ash25

My 98 T.A. had the left side steering wheel controls button not working. The seek button was stuck and would not allow it to to seek up. A few weeks after noticing that both sides of the control pods quit lighting up. So instead of buying new pods from GM at a cost of 200.00 bucks a pod I decided to buy a steering wheel from a wrecked 2000 Ta. for 30bucks. Like new I might add. I had my local garage change the whole steering wheel since they said it was easier than just changing the pods. The airbag had to be removed.to get to the pods anyways. Well it cost me 76.00 dollars to have the wheel removed and the new 1 installed, the good news is the controls all work fine BUT they do not lite up,neither side. Now my question is can these pods be checked before they are put in and the airbag removed and all the b.s. My mechanic says no but there has got to be a way. Dam I hate to go thru this again and not have the lights in the pods work again. Anyone else have this problem and what solutions are there? Thanks very much.

Maybe run some wires from a 9 volt battery to the steering wheel lighting harnesses to see if the lights power up? I borrowed a co-workers power probe to run power to my old third brake light to see if there was indeed a short. There was. So I bought a new third brake light assembly.

**bigrondownhiller** · 08-30-2009, 03:06 PM

People have switched the bulbs out to make them work again. Do a search.

**Smkn_TA** · 08-30-2009, 06:24 PM

Yeah my lights died on the pods and I just changed them with new ones. Like 18 cent bulb at radio shack. The only bitch is that the control pod had like a 1/4 inch long wire connecting it. So I just took the airbag out and it was a LOT easier. The HANES manual for our cars actually says how to take the airbag out, on all the other ones I've seen it said take it to a pro. It's not that hard to do.

**ash25** · 08-31-2009, 06:40 AM

Thanks guys. I know the bulbs are out but you do have to solder them in since I looked at the old steering wheel that came out. I think mit would be alot easier to remove the pod once the airbag is out coz that wire isnt very long to enable you to unclip the pod. I will research it.

**Spaz** · 08-31-2009, 06:55 AM

Originally Posted by Smkn_TA

Yeah my lights died on the pods and I just changed them with new ones. Like 18 cent bulb at radio shack. The only bitch is that the control pod had like a 1/4 inch long wire connecting it. So I just took the airbag out and it was a LOT easier. The HANES manual for our cars actually says how to take the airbag out, on all the other ones I've seen it said take it to a pro. It's not that hard to do.

3. PART B. "Walk around to the front of your car (becareful not to fall) and kick it as hard as you can to deploy the air bags."

**bigrondownhiller** · 08-31-2009, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by Spaz

3. PART B. "Walk around to the front of your car (becareful not to fall) and kick it as hard as you can to deploy the air bags."

If you were going to do that you trick a friend into sitting in the seat.

**ash25** · 08-31-2009, 12:34 PM

Yeah sometimes I would like to kick it, but that would only escalate the problem. SMKN TA, what bulb exactly did you get from radio shack? Did you have to take the original bulb to them and is there like a certain watt? After you got it back together, was it all working properly? Thanks.

**Smkn_TA** · 09-03-2009, 12:26 PM

Sorry, college has me whooped latley. First fun interneting time I've had in over a week.

http://www.stevendbrown.com/Steering...oControls.html

Complete tutorial how to change the led's. Says part number and linked to radio shacks website for the bulb.

**ash25** · 09-04-2009, 03:26 AM

Awesome! Thanks,I will give it shot.

**ash25** · 09-20-2009, 11:23 AM

OK, Smkn TA, I finally got around to taking the pods out and getting the bulbs soldered in. Smooth going until I went to put them back in the steering wheel. What a pain in the ass. T he wiring has hardly any room for you plug these back in. Much more room if the airbag were removed. Anyways, FINALLY got it plugged in after much bitching and it works flawlessly. So wanted to say thank you very much for the pics and info on the bulb size. Good job.