[OmahaTDI]

Need help with my '05 Beetle TDI.
I recently bought a steering wheel & airbag from an '03 GTI and have been trying to get it to work on my '05 Beetle equipped with ESP. Unfortunately, I found that connectors aren't the same. My NB has a 2-stage airbag (2 connections) & the GTI has a single stage and it looks like my only alternative is to get a ESP clockspring for an '03 GTI, GLI or even R32.

I was able to get the wheel off, but when trying to release the airbag's connection to the clockspring (I couldn't get it to release), it came apart.

Fortunately, I was able to wind it back up and get it reinstalled, but I think I may need a new clock spring anyway because my airbag light is on and my horn doesn't work.
Does anyone have any experience with this that could offer some advice/help?

 

[PRM502STREET]

Clock spring is toast. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but...
Unfortunately there is not much play when it comes to those things. They can only turn two and a half turns, one way, and two and a half turns the other way. That ribbon in there stretches out to about 6 feet long, but it has to go back in just perfect. When you install your new one, it will have a pin in it, like a hand grenade. Don't pull the pin until that sucker is already installed in the coloumn.

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[OmahaTDI]

Clock spring is toast. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but...
Unfortunately there is not much play when it comes to those things. They can only turn two and a half turns, one way, and two and a half turns the other way. That ribbon in there stretches out to about 6 feet long, but it has to go back in just perfect. When you install your new one, it will have a pin in it, like a hand grenade. Don't pull the pin until that sucker is already installed in the coloumn.

Sent from AutoGuide.com App

Yeah, that's what I figured. I had my shop test it for codes yesterday and the steering angle sensor is working and no other codes regarding ESP, just a high reading on the secondary airbag sensor which we couldn't clear (airbag light kept coming back on)
He's looking into a solution which will more than likely have me installing a ESP clockspring from an earlier GLI, GTI.
Last night, I test fitted the GTI steering wheel on and it fit with the current clockspring. Hopefully we can get this sorted.