New Premium wheel
 

Ordered a new Premium Steering wheel off Ebay for $89 last Friday and it came yesterday. In reading other posts on this and other sites, it appears to be a fairly simple swap....I hope so as my dealer wanted $180 for what some have said is a 15 to 30 minute project.

My question...there are 2 connections on the wheel...when I take off the base "rubbermade" wheel, will I find the exact same 2 connections and be able to just snap these together or are modifications needed? I love this wheel compared to the base wheel and I couldn't find anything else close, the cheapest Boss wheel was $252 plus shipping...

On my 2011 premium package, I have the cruise buttons on the left, and the radio buttons on the right. What did your original steering wheel have? This might be an indication of what is pre-wired in your steering column. Then again, maybe Ford used one standard wiring harness to the wheel for all models.

On a F150 forum I frequent, we have discovered that Ford had several harnesses for the several models they sold (I.E. XL, STX, FX, Lariat, Platinum, King Ranch). Seemed that the standard and extended cabs were different within the models as well. Hopefully someone that has removed a late model Mustang wheel will be able to identify your plug(s) and say yes (or no).

Are the two "connections" you mention like the one pictured? I'd think the cruise buttons would be one connector (as seen in your photo) and the radio controls would have another. It doesn't look like there's enough pins on the one connector in your photo to handle all the cruise and radio buttons.

My base wheel has the cruise buttons on each side of the center hub...this is a picture I took of the new wheel showing the 2 connections it has. I am hoping to just connect one or both of these and then the air bag connections and be done...I realize the radio buttons will not work unless I get Ford to do some programming, which I am assuming they would ask a ton for if they want $180 just to swap the wheels.

Programming? This should be a dirrect connect from the steering wheel to the radio. My experience with the late model F150's showed that the radios had more than one plug. One was the power/speakers, another was for steering wheel controls, and a third (rare) was for the radios that also played DVD's on the overhead console in the extend cab models. These radios were easily swapped into other models and would work; you just perhaps lost the steering wheel radio controls if the harness was not there.

If Ford has now made this a "programmable" feature, then they have gotten persnickity about it! Then again, they all have the "SYNC" feature; maybe that changes everything.

Based on posts to this forum and others, since the base wheel does not have radio buttons, this new wheel will not control my radio without some programming on something called an ACM (Audio Control Module) to activate it...I can live with that...just can't live with that base wheel...this new one will really dress up the interior...

Audio Control Module...I just learned something. Thanks for that update. It's always a good day when something is learned.

Post a pic when it's installed.

let us know how everthing goes!!!

I also just purchased one of these premium steering wheels off eBay, but I'm just swapping one premium wheel for another because the leather got scuffed on mine and it was really bugging me, being a new car and all. I have not yet installed it though.

The small connector is just a ground wire. It should attach to a post in the center of the wheel in the upper right quadrant (IIRC it's in a northwest-southeast orientation). I'm surprised that it didn't come attached already, there is no apparent reason for unhooking it unless the entire harness was swapped out. The large connector will plug into the clockspring on the steering column. The connections should therefore be the same, but as has been mentioned, the audio controls will not do anything without reprogramming the head unit.

Correction, the small connector I think is for the horn. It attached to the floating metal portion that rides on springs for the horn button.

That would be it.

I upgraded to the GT500 wheel and love it! Yes, the controls are plug and play and unless you upgrade the stereo like I did (picked up a Shaker 500 off ebay for $125) the audio control will not work unless you reprogram a specific line in the ACM. With the Shaker 500 HU, I did not need to do the reprogram and that became functional immediately after I plugged it in. While the system is not the best, at least I got a 6 CD changer and Sirius capability out of the deal making the wheel that much more worth it! Enjoy!

Oh yeah, your dealer is ripping you off on the price. My install was $80 and that was overpriced.