Steering Wheel Hacked Off!!

ProducerPJ (ProducerPJ ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

It wasn't the wheel they were after... It was the airbag.

That *IS* the steering column. It's wot attaches wheel to rack to wheels. Fairly important... Replacing it's going to involve a lot of stripping out of dash, and quite possibly engine bay.

And _that's_ what they were nicking... My best guess? Look for a local scrote with a bent 16v (or chavved-up- wannabe-16v) Clio...

Brutally honest? Don't bother. Throw it away. Insurance claim? Your choice. Not sure I'd bother. But I'd definitely let plod know - they may well know of the scrote & his bent motor.

Even after you've fannied about with trailering it back to wherever you can fix it, to strip it all down and replace the column is going to be a bugger of a job. Then there's the wiring to the windbag (and anything else on the wheel - horn?). Ignore the airbag, and you're going to have to put up with a nice bright light on the dash all the time (unless you pull the bulb while the dash's out) and you may find yourself on the losing end of any future accident injury claim from your insurance. Fix it but c*ck the wiring up even slightly, and you may find yourself with a face full of explosion at a rather inconvenient moment...

The scrote will be easy to find, just look for a Clio with exhaust clamps on it's springs.

But surely a few bolts would've been easier than 20 minutes with a hacksaw? What a very bizzare thing to do.

But I agree, it doesn't sound worth fixing.

John

John Greystrong (John Greystrong ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

You know that. I know that.

However, we both have IQs somewhat higher than those of the kind of scrote who'd nick a steering wheel in a station car park using a hacksaw.

I'm shocked. I would have thought that airbags (or at least airbag triggering mechanisms...) would have been in the MOT.

But a quick Google says apparently not.

Why? They are not even a legal requirement.

Chris

LOL!

Chris

There are many items that are not a legal requirement, yet if fitted must work for the MoT

Same as the SRS system in my Merc, which has now passed at least three MOTs with the SRS light on.

(FWIW there's no fault, just that someone triggered the light while performing a repair, and it's a main dealer job to reset)

Thanks for all the feedback guys

Calling the police in a bit, just for a crime number though, not that it's going to do me any good

I still can't believe it either.

I got the car home myself rather than paying a garage =A3140, by hammering a 12mm socket onto the 12.5mm hacked column and using a T Bar to steer with. DON'T try this at home kids. It was just 4 miles of slowish country roads, not the M25.

The AA weren't interested in helping me home, said it was vandalism not a breakdown so not covered. Very helpful at 9pm on a Friday night! So quite chuffed to have worked out a way to get the damn thing home without a steering wheel and without forking out. Had to move it as I had trhe feeling there'd be nothing left but a chasis by dawn.

Yeah, the same steering wheel with an airbag on Ebay from a breakers is =A325, half a tank of petrol! And for that they've practically written the car off, especially if I was just to take it to a garage and pay for new

As it is, I'm going to buy the bits from Ebay and attempt it myself but as has been mentioned I'm not very hopeful Going to strip it all out this morning and reason if I can take it apart then I should be able to put it back again.

On Ebay (yeah I know), there's a whole column with the ignition keys and all the bits for about =A330, which doesn't sound as bad as I thought

be 2 distinct halves have a joint halfway down. Is it on that joint that I could swap damaged to half for new? Or are you not supposed to break this joint and replace the whole column?

Once again thanks for taking an interest

ProducerPJ

Thanks for all the feedback guys

Calling the police in a bit, just for a crime number though, not that it's going to do me any good

I still can't believe it either.

I got the car home myself rather than paying a garage £140, by hammering a 12mm socket onto the 12.5mm hacked column and using a T Bar to steer with. DON'T try this at home kids. It was just 4 miles of slowish country roads, not the M25.

The AA weren't interested in helping me home, said it was vandalism not a breakdown so not covered. Very helpful at 9pm on a Friday night! So quite chuffed to have worked out a way to get the damn thing home without a steering wheel and without forking out. Had to move it as I had trhe feeling there'd be nothing left but a chasis by dawn.

Yeah, the same steering wheel with an airbag on Ebay from a breakers is £25, half a tank of petrol! And for that they've practically written the car off, especially if I was just to take it to a garage and pay for new

As it is, I'm going to buy the bits from Ebay and attempt it myself but as has been mentioned I'm not very hopeful Going to strip it all out this morning and reason if I can take it apart then I should be able to put it back again.

On Ebay (yeah I know), there's a whole column with the ignition keys and all the bits for about £30, which doesn't sound as bad as I thought

be 2 distinct halves have a joint halfway down. Is it on that joint that I could swap damaged to half for new? Or are you not supposed to break this joint and replace the whole column?

Once again thanks for taking an interest

ProducerPJ

if the joint is bolted up then split it there, many joints are welded on assemblies though

The AA are csnts like that, they wont recover you after an accident either, strictly breakdown only.

Depends on the joint, if it's a bolted on UJ then you're probably OK.

John

Removed the bottom half of the dash to look at the joint and it they don't look much like bolts to me Blind headed on both sides so I guess it's welded, in which case it's the whole column to replace and so it's not a job for me

:o(

PJ

Still, if you ever meet the scrote who did it, then I think you've found a new seat of leather seat covers. What a total bastard!

IMHO, I think it's new car time. Of course you could fix it, with a whole new steering column. However that's a horrible thing to have to swap, you don't sound as if you're keen to get stuck in there yourself and the garage bill will be crazy.

Years ago I'd have done it. But these days?.... For £300, I'd be looking at swapping cars.

I'd abandon the AA too, and tell them why.

================================== Look at the bottom of the steering column (under the car) where it joins the steering rack. There will probably be a pinch bolt there holding the column to the rack. If this is the case undo the pinchbolt / nut and remove. The column can then be lifted upwards BUT you will also have to disconnect several nuts / bolts inside the car which may be difficult to access under the dash etc.

You can check this procedure in your Haynes manual if you get one.

Cic.

Thanks for the advice Andy

Yeah it does look like a job with a fair amount of involuntary swearing going on

MOT's up at the end of November too, not that I suspect anything obvious to fail as it's in great nick, or at least it was until last night.

PJ

PJ

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OK thanks I'll go and have a try and see if I can undo it from the rack, in theory I can put a replacement back

Just a wild idea here, as I've got at least an inch and a half of bare column still sticking out of the dash is there anyway a new thread could be cut at the top of it or some other way might exist to safely fix a new steering wheel, not a even Renault one, just to make it drivable?

I did drive the car home last night with a hammered on socket and a T bar, although I don't think ROSPA (or the Police) would be very happy with me if they knew. Don't fear, it's not moving again until it's properly fixed

;o)

PJ

PC Paul (PC Paul ) gurgled happily, sounding much like they were saying:

Why? They're fail-safe. If the light's on, they're disabled. Ain't gonna go off. There's nothing else that can be checked.

Like ABS.