2005 s40 Air bag removal to check faulty horn

Ash1111 · Post by **Ash1111** » 28 Dec 2011, 23:54

Hi all - seasons greetings.
2005 s40 2.4i
I have an intermittent horn issue.
I have tried to remove the airbag to check horn connections.

After releasing the first retaining clip at the back of the steering wheel I have been unable to rotate the steering wheel (as it is locked) to access the second. I have been following the Haynes manual procedure to avoid this which is to disconnect negative battery terminal only after turning the wheel 90degrees... this has not worked for me.

Does any one know what I am doing wrong?
Should I be leaving the key in the ignition perhaps??

Post by **jimmy57** » 29 Dec 2011, 11:22

leave battery connected and key on and turn wheel both ways to access the holes for pushing release springs to the side. let steering wheel sit there and move the wheel straight ahead with wheels straight ahead. Now turn off ignition, remove key, wait 5 min for network modules to shut down and remove the batt neg cable.
DO not connect battery and turn ignition to on position with anything disconnected or you will have codes and SRS light lit. WHen you go back together with strg wheel and tires pointed ahead there will be a yellow indicator in a window on the contact reel the wires to airbags and steering wheel buttons comes out of. The yellow indicator should be in the window (there will be written instructions on the contact reel) before the strg wheel goes back on. During your checks the contact reel might get a turn off and it could be broken due to running out of travel before steering wheel goes fully in one of the directions if indicator does not show centered.

Ash1111 · Post by **Ash1111** » 30 Dec 2011, 01:25

Thanks jimmy57 the removal of airbag instructions were exactly what I needed.
Thankfully i didn't have to take the steering wheel off. What I did was clean up the horn connectors within the steering wheel and then traced the problem to the actual horns. I connected a light bulb to the horn wiring (to the one I could get to anyway) and it lit up perfectly.
Can you think of any reason why 2 horns would blow??? The fuse was fine.

Post by **jimmy57** » 30 Dec 2011, 07:50

I think Volvo had a load of faulty horns. I had to replace two on a neighbors '05 S60 because they both got laryngitis and would make no noise.

Ash1111 · Post by **Ash1111** » 02 Jan 2012, 17:57

Well please tell you neighbour that the faulty horns found there way to the Australian deliveries. Both replaced and working sweetly.