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New steering wheel is crooked

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4.3K views 2 replies 3 participants last post by  Jothro96  
#1 ·
I have an 09 Malibu LS and I bought a new leather steering wheel for it. I installed it and now the steering wheel is crooked. Did I install it wrong or is it something common and can it be fixed by getting an alignment? It's my first car and I'm still learning to work on it. Thanks in advance.
 
#3 ·
I had a similar issue recently when I swapped my steering wheels. If any of the steering sensors are moved, or if your wheels aren't totally straight when you change the steering wheel, it throws off the alignment between the two. Fortunately, its a very easy fix.

If you've got a long driveway somewhere, drive down it a bit and make sure the wheels and car are pointed directly forward. Take the steering wheel off, and re-attach it so it is oriented properly. Tighten it down a bit, drive forwards a bit more to make sure its properly oriented, and you should be good to go!

I'd disconnect the battery though before beginning any work, remove the center airbag, and then re-attach the battery and make all the changes you need to the steering wheel with the airbag detached. You'll get the alerts that it's disconnected, but it'll be fine so long as you're just putzing around on a driveway or private laneway or something, and it'll go away once you re-attach the airbag. Make sure to disconnect the battery again before re-attaching the center airbag to avoid any chance of an accidental deployment.