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- Camaro and Firebird How to Install Steering Wheel with Radio Contorls<br>Step by step instructions for do-it-yourself repairs.
00+ Steering Wheel with Controls into an older Camaro install.
02-14-2010, 05:57 PM
#1
00+ Steering Wheel with Controls into an older Camaro install. Ok, so I was looking around for information about swapping a 2000+ Steering wheel with radio controls into my 1999 Camaro and I found ZexGX's thread was extremely helpful and contains 99.9% of what you'll need to know to do the grunt work on physically swapping the wheels and such. (Let me say, hats off to you ZexGX for a well written thread! 
) The only thing is, his is about swapping Firebird wheels and our Camaro's (97-99) do not have the stock wiring provision in the harness to connect the plug from the SIR module into and make it work with the stereo. I had to take matters into my own hands and wire it up myself. For some perspective:
Harness from the SIR module
Special thanks to ZexGX for the image.
Harness from the controls fitted to the factory female connector (our 97-99 Camaros do not have this connector from the factory).
Another shot of the connector and the factory plug you can use to make it easier.
There are four wires in the male side of the harness shown above;
1.) A gray one that is for illumination.
2.) A yellow one that is for power.
3.) A black w/ gray stripe one that is for ground.
4.) A bluish-green one that is for the radio control.
On the female side the wires are as follows;
1.) A gray w/ black stripe one that is for illumination.
2.) A yellow one that is for power.
3.) A black one that is for ground.
4.) A dark blue one that is for the radio control.
I went ahead and looked up the monsoon wiring that WhiteBird00 posted in his thread and by scanning through some wiring diagrams I figured out where to wire in the radio controls. Now there are two ways to do this. One way is go to a junk yard and cut out the female connector for the controls and wire that in to the radio. The other way is to cut the male connector off and wire them into the radio harness.
Special thanks to WhiteBird00 for the images.
If you have the female connector then you can wire it up this way:
1.) Gray/Black wire from the radio controls to the Gray wire in pin #7 on the radio harness.
2.) Yellow wire from the radio controls to the Yellow wire in pin #9 on the radio harness.
3.) Black wire from the radio controls to the Black wire in pin #5 on the radio harness.
4.) Dark Blue wire from the radio controls to pin #14 in the radio harness.
If you don't have the female connector then you can wire it up this way:
1.) Gray wire from the radio controls to the Gray wire in pin #7 on the radio harness.
2.) Yellow wire from the radio controls to the Yellow wire in pin #9 on the radio harness.
3.) Black/Gray wire from the radio controls to the Black wire in pin #5 on the radio harness.
4.) Bluish-Green wire from the radio controls to pin #14 in the radio harness.
The Dark Blue or Bluish-Green (depending on which way you chose) wire is the part that will need to be paid attention to. The factory harness for the Camaro does not have a wire in this pin. I was lucky and had an old harness adapter for an aftermarket radio and just removed a section of wire/pin from that and popped it into place in pin #14 on my harness. If you don't have any extra pins like I had laying around, you could do it the ghetto way and strip a little extra off the length of wire you're using and pull it through and wrap it over. Then when you plug your harness back into the rear of your radio, it will keep it in place and make a connection. Once this is done you should be able to use your radio controls! Now I know this should work with a 99 monsoon CD player with the CD changer hook up (which is what mine has). Check the back of your stock CD player and look where pin #14 is, if there is a pin sticking out it should work just fine (but don't quote me, haha). If not then you'll probably have to invest in a newer model CD player to do this. I hope this helps!
) The only thing is, his is about swapping Firebird wheels and our Camaro's (97-99) do not have the stock wiring provision in the harness to connect the plug from the SIR module into and make it work with the stereo. I had to take matters into my own hands and wire it up myself. For some perspective: Harness from the SIR module
Special thanks to ZexGX for the image.
Harness from the controls fitted to the factory female connector (our 97-99 Camaros do not have this connector from the factory).
Another shot of the connector and the factory plug you can use to make it easier.
There are four wires in the male side of the harness shown above;
1.) A gray one that is for illumination.
2.) A yellow one that is for power.
3.) A black w/ gray stripe one that is for ground.
4.) A bluish-green one that is for the radio control.
On the female side the wires are as follows;
1.) A gray w/ black stripe one that is for illumination.
2.) A yellow one that is for power.
3.) A black one that is for ground.
4.) A dark blue one that is for the radio control.
I went ahead and looked up the monsoon wiring that WhiteBird00 posted in his thread and by scanning through some wiring diagrams I figured out where to wire in the radio controls. Now there are two ways to do this. One way is go to a junk yard and cut out the female connector for the controls and wire that in to the radio. The other way is to cut the male connector off and wire them into the radio harness.
Special thanks to WhiteBird00 for the images.
If you have the female connector then you can wire it up this way:
1.) Gray/Black wire from the radio controls to the Gray wire in pin #7 on the radio harness.
2.) Yellow wire from the radio controls to the Yellow wire in pin #9 on the radio harness.
3.) Black wire from the radio controls to the Black wire in pin #5 on the radio harness.
4.) Dark Blue wire from the radio controls to pin #14 in the radio harness.
If you don't have the female connector then you can wire it up this way:
1.) Gray wire from the radio controls to the Gray wire in pin #7 on the radio harness.
2.) Yellow wire from the radio controls to the Yellow wire in pin #9 on the radio harness.
3.) Black/Gray wire from the radio controls to the Black wire in pin #5 on the radio harness.
4.) Bluish-Green wire from the radio controls to pin #14 in the radio harness.
The Dark Blue or Bluish-Green (depending on which way you chose) wire is the part that will need to be paid attention to. The factory harness for the Camaro does not have a wire in this pin. I was lucky and had an old harness adapter for an aftermarket radio and just removed a section of wire/pin from that and popped it into place in pin #14 on my harness. If you don't have any extra pins like I had laying around, you could do it the ghetto way and strip a little extra off the length of wire you're using and pull it through and wrap it over. Then when you plug your harness back into the rear of your radio, it will keep it in place and make a connection. Once this is done you should be able to use your radio controls! Now I know this should work with a 99 monsoon CD player with the CD changer hook up (which is what mine has). Check the back of your stock CD player and look where pin #14 is, if there is a pin sticking out it should work just fine (but don't quote me, haha). If not then you'll probably have to invest in a newer model CD player to do this. I hope this helps!
Last edited by TechCam97; 02-15-2010 at 08:36 AM.
02-14-2010, 06:13 PM
#2
Here are a few hints for those wondering about these steering wheel swaps.
Airbags from certain year Lumina / Monte Carlo cars will fit. I believe from around 95-99 or so, make sure you see a picture before you purchase. Here are some pictures to show what I'm talking about:
Here is an airbag from a 2000 Camaro. It may look Gray but it's actually much darker.
Here is a black airbag from a 1999 Monte Carlo.
Here is a gray airbag from a 1995 Lumina.
The nice thing about these airbags is that they come in many different colors. If you could find a dark charcoal or dark gray airbag from a Monte Carlo or Lumina then you could take a dark gray steering wheel from a 95-99 Firebird with the radio controls and have it match your charcoal gray dash just like your factory one does. Speaking of Firebirds, ya'll aren't left out either Pontiac guys! There are cheaper alternatives for airbags for you as well! Certain year Grand Prix and Trans Sport (yes, the minivan
) airbags will fit.
Here is a Gray airbag from a 1995 Grand Prix.
Here is a Gray airbag from a 1995 Trans Sport.
The only thing with using one of these other airbags is that you may need to modify the SIR module wiring to make it work. There are two types of airbag connectors:
Type 1. This type has a connector up towards the top of the rear portion of the airbag.
Type 2. This type has a connector that plugs directly into the center of the airbag.
I had an airbag from a Monte Carlo with a Type 1 connector and my SIR module wiring was a Type 2 connector. I just cut the wires as close to the connectors as possible and crimped on a set of male - female bullet connectors like these:
These worked perfectly and my airbag light is not on or anything. These are just some hints, if there are any questions then post em up!
Airbags from certain year Lumina / Monte Carlo cars will fit. I believe from around 95-99 or so, make sure you see a picture before you purchase. Here are some pictures to show what I'm talking about:
Here is an airbag from a 2000 Camaro. It may look Gray but it's actually much darker.
Here is a black airbag from a 1999 Monte Carlo.
Here is a gray airbag from a 1995 Lumina.
The nice thing about these airbags is that they come in many different colors. If you could find a dark charcoal or dark gray airbag from a Monte Carlo or Lumina then you could take a dark gray steering wheel from a 95-99 Firebird with the radio controls and have it match your charcoal gray dash just like your factory one does. Speaking of Firebirds, ya'll aren't left out either Pontiac guys! There are cheaper alternatives for airbags for you as well! Certain year Grand Prix and Trans Sport (yes, the minivan
) airbags will fit.Here is a Gray airbag from a 1995 Grand Prix.
Here is a Gray airbag from a 1995 Trans Sport.
The only thing with using one of these other airbags is that you may need to modify the SIR module wiring to make it work. There are two types of airbag connectors:
Type 1. This type has a connector up towards the top of the rear portion of the airbag.
Type 2. This type has a connector that plugs directly into the center of the airbag.
I had an airbag from a Monte Carlo with a Type 1 connector and my SIR module wiring was a Type 2 connector. I just cut the wires as close to the connectors as possible and crimped on a set of male - female bullet connectors like these:
These worked perfectly and my airbag light is not on or anything. These are just some hints, if there are any questions then post em up!
Last edited by TechCam97; 02-15-2010 at 08:52 AM.
02-14-2010, 07:27 PM
#3
Yes very Good. I am going to replace my steering column in my 1998 with one from a 2000 w/ steering wheel controls as soon as Sony releases their new CDX-GT700Hd radio. If you look at the picture in your post there is no dark blue wire, it is light green on the steering wheel side of the plug and is dark blue on the radio side of the connection. I am thinking of going to the junk yard to get the female plug from a car so I wont have to cut this plug off and try to splice these wires.
02-14-2010, 07:36 PM
#4
Yes very Good. I am going to replace my steering column in my 1998 with one from a 2000 w/ steering wheel controls as soon as Sony releases their new CDX-GT700Hd radio. If you look at the picture in your post there is no dark blue wire, it is light green on the steering wheel side of the plug and is dark blue on the radio side of the connection. I am thinking of going to the junk yard to get the female plug from a car so I wont have to cut this plug off and try to splice these wires.
All in all it wasn't that bad though. I would say just throwing in a new column would be easier but if you take your time and follow Zex's guide then rewiring it isn't too bad either.
Last edited by TechCam97; 02-14-2010 at 08:55 PM.
02-14-2010, 10:30 PM
#5
This is just a thought, I haven't been able to verify without being able to see a 93-96 radio, but the wiring looks to be the same. I once used the harness adapter from my 93 to get my 97 to work with an aftermarket radio, so I'm guessing they are similar. If so, check pin #14 on the radio and see if a pin is sticking out. If there is then you may be able to control the radio's functions via the radio controls in the steering wheel by doing what I mentioned above with the harness. That is for the stock radio though.
If you have an aftermarket deck that supports a remote control there should be no reason this will not work with it in your 93-96 Camaro!
There should be a provision in the harness adapter (in the pin 14 location) to hook up the Dark Blue / Bluish Green wire that I mentioned in my first post. You will have to use something like the PAC SWI-X to make it work, but that is not very hard.
If you have an aftermarket deck that supports a remote control there should be no reason this will not work with it in your 93-96 Camaro!
There should be a provision in the harness adapter (in the pin 14 location) to hook up the Dark Blue / Bluish Green wire that I mentioned in my first post. You will have to use something like the PAC SWI-X to make it work, but that is not very hard.
Last edited by TechCam97; 02-15-2010 at 12:28 PM.
02-15-2010, 08:19 AM
#7
On the male side that comes from the column it's black with a gray stripe and plain gray. On the female side it's like you said, completely backwards! I had to double check myself after LS1121 mentioned it and he was right. I can try and take clearer pictures of both ends of the wiring if it will help clear anything up, the ones I took were in the dark last night and they did not turn out very clear.
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08-09-2010, 08:09 PM
#10
Do you know what year cars had the type 1 and type 2 connectors or is it determined by if it had steering wheel controls or not? Pontiac or Chevrolet?
If it helps at all, I have a 98 Camaro and I am installing a 00-02 Camaro wheel with radio controls? Do you know if I have the type 1 or type 2 SIR connector?
The only thing with using one of these other airbags is that you may need to modify the SIR module wiring to make it work. There are two types of airbag connectors:
Type 1. This type has a connector up towards the top of the rear portion of the airbag.
Type 2. This type has a connector that plugs directly into the center of the airbag.
I had an airbag from a Monte Carlo with a Type 1 connector and my SIR module wiring was a Type 2 connector. I just cut the wires as close to the connectors as possible and crimped on a set of male - female bullet connectors like these:
If it helps at all, I have a 98 Camaro and I am installing a 00-02 Camaro wheel with radio controls? Do you know if I have the type 1 or type 2 SIR connector?
The only thing with using one of these other airbags is that you may need to modify the SIR module wiring to make it work. There are two types of airbag connectors:
Type 1. This type has a connector up towards the top of the rear portion of the airbag.
Type 2. This type has a connector that plugs directly into the center of the airbag.
I had an airbag from a Monte Carlo with a Type 1 connector and my SIR module wiring was a Type 2 connector. I just cut the wires as close to the connectors as possible and crimped on a set of male - female bullet connectors like these:
08-09-2010, 11:28 PM
#11
The easiest way to check is to just pop off the airbag. Turn the wheel some and then you can access the torx screws on the back. Then just pull out the airbag and you should be able to see it. I'm thinking that it's going to be a type 2, mine is a 99 and that's what I had on my stock one.
08-10-2010, 09:30 AM
#12
The easiest way to check is to just pop off the airbag. Turn the wheel some and then you can access the torx screws on the back. Then just pull out the airbag and you should be able to see it. I'm thinking that it's going to be a type 2, mine is a 99 and that's what I had on my stock one.
I also noticed that the later wheel is about 1" larger in diameter. Should make it a little easier to drive with my knees! lol
I just picked up a really nice BLACK 95 Lumina airbag for $30 shipped and it has the correct TYPE 1 connector!
Thanks for doing the research!
08-10-2010, 10:17 AM
#13
Yup, I just checked it and my 98 has a TYPE 1 connector. I am going to check my 97 and see what type it has just to add to the extensive info you have already gave us.
I also noticed that the later wheel is about 1" larger in diameter. Should make it a little easier to drive with my knees! lol
I just picked up a really nice BLACK 95 Lumina airbag for $30 shipped and it has the correct TYPE 1 connector!
Thanks for doing the research!
I also noticed that the later wheel is about 1" larger in diameter. Should make it a little easier to drive with my knees! lol
I just picked up a really nice BLACK 95 Lumina airbag for $30 shipped and it has the correct TYPE 1 connector!
Thanks for doing the research!
08-12-2010, 09:49 PM
#15
- Checked on eBay.
- Looked for people on Tech who were parting out their cars (making sure the airbags weren't deployed).
- Went by a few junk yards and looked for the same thing as I looked for on here, that the airbags were in tact.
Just make sure the bags didn't deploy on whatever car you get it off of and the SIR coil should be fine. I ended up getting lucky, a friend of mine was turning his Trans Am into a drag car so I ended up picking it up out of his trash pile, haha!
08-13-2010, 09:49 AM
#16
TechCam97, I just called GM and the part# on the coil in the other thread you posted (by ZexGX) is wrong or it is not the correct part# that is visible. They looked up the part# and the coil is $224 !!!! WOW! Good thing I got the wheel as a birthday present
06-07-2011, 08:06 PM
#17
Just saw this thread. Very nice work! I had always wondered what the hell I'd have to do if my car DIDN'T have the harness already there. Congrats.
What is the correct part number? You can see the two part numbers here that are similar to ones on eBay:
06-23-2011, 05:01 PM
#19
You said my part number was wrong. You said you got the correct part number. In my picture of both of the coils, it clearly shows both part numbers, which if you look up similar part numbers on eBay you can find SIR coils. So tell us, what is the correct part number for the $224 part?
