satellite779

Hi everyone,
I bought a GT500 steering wheel to replace my horrid all-plastic base wheel.

Before I go to a shop, I'd like to know if buttons connector is compatible with the one in my car, in order to prevent dealerships from giving me 2.5hr or similar labor estimates I've been getting today and yesterday.

Here's the photo of the connector on the GT500 wheel:


Will it fit my 2012 Mustang V6 base?

Thanks

X3xMONGOOSEx3X

I installed the BOSS 302 wheel in my 06 and had to do a bit of wire work to swap out the 2012 connector head with the 06. If this is the base steering wheel you're talking about then you might have to do some splice work with the wires. As it looks a lot like the 05-09 base wheel and I'm not sure whether Ford bothered to upgrade the wire harness.


Easiest way to find out would be to remove your airbag and locate the wire harness connector.

If it looks like this then you need to swap the connectors.


If it looks like this then it's just plug and play.



In case you have the same connector on the 05-09. This is the thread I used to swap them over.
http://forums.themustangsource.com/f...501629/index3/

satellite779

Hey X3xMONGOOSEx3X, thanks for detailed reply!

My car is a 2012 base model (manufactured in February of this year) with a steering wheel like the one from your photo. I assumed steering wheel connectors where the same within one model year and that it has nothing to do with the exact steering wheel. E.g. I assumed base 2012 steering wheel has same connections as premium 2012 one as well as GT500 2012 one. Is this not the case? Makes me worried now.

X3xMONGOOSEx3X

I would assume so, but I couldn't be sure. Best way to find out is to disconnect your battery and remove your steering wheel airbag and unhook the connector to make sure its the same one as on your GT500 wheel. If it is the same connector then it's a simple plug and play.

X3xMONGOOSEx3X

Not trying to scare you. It's just your base steering wheel doesn't the radio controls on the steering wheel like I believe they do on the GT500 wheel. That being said the radio controls are a factory option so I believe it should just be plug an play.

satellite779

Yeah, my steering wheel doesn't have radio controls. However, since the same car could have been ordered with premium equipment, which includes steering wheel radio controls, it would make sense if receptacle on the car side is compatible with base, premium and boss 302/gt500.

Based on what I read on forums, it seems there was a change in steering wheel plugs for 2010+ models, maybe around 2011. This is not confirmed though. Whether this was for base ones or for all versions, I'm not sure.

I'd rather avoid doing anything around airbag on my own, but I'd also like to avoid dealership charging me $100+ just to say that steering wheels are not compatible.

If anyone else did a 2012 base wheel swap, please post your photos of connectors in your car.

Thanks

X3xMONGOOSEx3X

Sorry for the scer. You are correct, the connectors are the same. If you want the audio controls to work they have to be programmed to control the base model sterio.

satellite779

Thanks! You just remembered they are the same or you checked on your own car?

I don't care about audio control that much. I have the engine to listen to when driving around town. But, I want cruise control buttons to work, horn and, of course, airbag.

Antonio323

Please don't go to the dealer to get it installed unless you love wasting time and money. I swapped the same hideous base steering wheel for a GT500 steering wheel. I am by no means an expert in automotive, but even I installed it myself in like 10-15 minutes. Here's my thread about it: https://mustangforums.com/forum/2005...installed.html

And here's the how to I used (it shows it for an 05-09 Mustang, but it's the exact same thing for 10+ Mustangs): https://mustangforums.com/forum/2005...-for-s197.html

freyes

I got the 2011 V6, base model, so I didn't have any controls to my radio on my OEM plastic steering wheel. If you do not want the extra buttons, a 2009 SVT leather steering with either white, red or blue stitching is available that has the same number of buttons for cruise control. However, my connector was a double row female connector, and the SVT is a single row, so some soldering was necessary. This is made up for by the lower cost of the SVT steering wheel. I put together a how-to on v6mustangperformance.com. Search for steering wheel. I would also recommend doing it yourself. Gotta start somewhere. Its a good excuse to buy tools and gain new skills and you can say I did it myself! This is what the SVT steering wheel looks like just before I installed it.