removing steering wheel

[janko]

i did the search. could not find the answer. the car is a 79 240d. from what i understand one approach is to remove the 'center star' and then attack the big nut. another approach is to pry off the padded piece that serves as the horn button. i have been a pulling and a tugging. to no avail. don't want to bugger anything in the process. detailed suggestions please on how best to proceed. thank you.

I haven't attempted to remove the entire pad from my 240D's wheel, but the center star has been replaced with some kind wierd medallion. The star emblem is held in place only by a recess in the rubber pad. Gently prying and levering it with a small screwdriver should do the trick. Once removed the nut is clearly visible.

[janko]

bill, thank you. nice when the 'junior' members start helping each other.

[280CEBoy]

.....the center star is really the only way to go....Trying to take the whole horn pad off usually ends up badly. hehe But I have a couple spare steering wheels if ya need!

[Robert W. Roe]

Hmmm, my Chilton's book says that for the 126, I should take the pad off, then to remove the electrical connection for the horn, which, if memory serves, is along the bottom? Are they wrong? If I just take off the center star, how do I access the electrical contact? Thanks to all, junior members or otherwise. We all started at 0 posts, so, welcome, and thanks in advance, Bob

[invisik]

The 126 has a "one-piece" horn pad (at least in airbag equipped models). You'd probably have to pry the whole pad, as your manual describes. 300D/240D models have a seperate star badge in the middle of the horn pad which you can carefully pry out.

My 87 560 SEL and my 87 300 SDL had the one-piece horn cover. My 1980 300D had the seperate star badge in the middle....

Good luck.

-m

[Robert W. Roe]

Thanks for the reply, invisik. Hopefully the center horn pad will come off in one piece.