Steering Wheel Swap

[PATHFINDER99NI]

I purchased a ‘03 QX4 steering wheel to replace my ‘99 LE’s steering wheel, but after I took my airbag off, I realized they are different. Do I just get a new clock spring?

[mdmellott]

Clock spring connector wiring is different. Seems kind of risky trying to switch out mismatched steering wheels and air bags, if it's even possible, but that's just me.

[VStar650CL]

It's possible, but Md is right, you have to be extremely careful to match up pin positions on the bags to pin positions on the bag brain. Nissan also uses a resistor-divider array for most of their s/w buttons, so if the arrangement is different or if there are more or less buttons, the analog voltages coming out of the array won't be correct. That will mean things like pushing the "dial phone" button in order to turn up the radio volume, etc. The first thing to do if you're serious is pull out the WD's and map the connectors for the clocksprings on both donor and recipient. Once you know whether the buttons are likely to match up, then you can start shuffling whatever pins need to be shuffled to make everything else work.

[PATHFINDER99NI]

Clock spring connector wiring is different. Seems kind of risky trying to switch out mismatched steering wheels and air bags, if it's even possible, but that's just me.

I tried swapping the steering wheels several months ago, so my memory is a bit foggy but I do remember the physical structure of the steering wheels being the same but that the connections were different. At the time, I thought that if the clock spring was replaced with the QX4 CS, the swap would be completed. I understand your concern, and I appreciate it, but Ive done it on another vehicle that had the same body for many years and only changed the interior. All that changed was bits of the interior. The Pathfinder seems the same. The only difference that I noticed, is that the CS connectors were different and the QX4 had radio controls, where my Pathfinder didnt. Thanks again for the reply!

[PATHFINDER99NI]

It's possible, but Md is right, you have to be extremely careful to match up pin positions on the bags to pin positions on the bag brain. Nissan also uses a resistor-divider array for most of their s/w buttons, so if the arrangement is different or if there are more or less buttons, the analog voltages coming out of the array won't be correct. That will mean things like pushing the "dial phone" button in order to turn up the radio volume, etc. The first thing to do if you're serious is pull out the WD's and map the connectors for the clocksprings on both donor and recipient. Once you know whether the buttons are likely to match up, then you can start shuffling whatever pins need to be shuffled to make everything else work.

Yes, this is what I was planning on doing. I just wanted to see if someone here had already done the same thing. It seems like it would be a popular swap. Thanks for the reply.