2005 Steering Wheel - Compatible with Marauder?

[Donny Carlson]

http://www.mercuryvehicles.com/media/vehicles/grand_marquis/gallery/photos/int_main_01.jpg

Keeping in mind that the charcoal interior on the GM is the same color as the Marauder charcoal... and the woodgrain is a dark greyish wood... I've been considering installing a GM steering wheel because (don't laugh) I rather like the feel of the wood part. I know I can order a 2003 style wheel, which would reuse the air bag. Question is this - the 2005 is redesigned with different buttons, which I also rather like. Is it compatible with the wiring in a 2003, and would it require buying a new air bag, since the design is somewhat different. Ray?

Negative opinions welcome.

[blackf0rk]

I'd like to know if the gauge cluster is comptible too...that's one of the things that I hate about the marauder; all this luxury and we get a drum based odometer? LOL

[MM2004]

Sorry Donny. . . I laughed.

http://www.mercuryvehicles.com/media/vehicles/grand_marquis/gallery/photos/int_main_01.jpg

Keeping in mind that the charcoal interior on the GM is the same color as the Marauder charcoal... and the woodgrain is a dark greyish wood... I've been considering installing a GM steering wheel because (don't laugh) I rather like the feel of the wood part. I know I can order a 2003 style wheel, which would reuse the air bag. Question is this - the 2005 is redesigned with different buttons, which I also rather like. Is it compatible with the wiring in a 2003, and would it require buying a new air bag, since the design is somewhat different. Ray?

Negative opinions welcome.

[Donny Carlson]

I went by my dealer today (closed, thankfully) and looked at some 2005's. Actually, I was there to scout some Montego's for a coworker, but it still gave me an opportunity to look at GM's.

The 05 wheel won't work. It's missing the "mode" button. And looking at the wood wheel in a Town Car with charcoal interior, well, it's nice but the wood grain looks out of place with the Marauder interior design scheme of black, dot matrix, greys and silver.

An interesting note - the Town Car I looked at had the Sirius/DVD navigation system, and the head unit was EXACTLY the same size as our head units, at two dimensionally because the "regular" head unit in the TC is the same as ours.
Before you get all excited, the sticker price for the DVD Navigation radio is a whopping $3,600, so you can imagine the price over the parts counter would be staggering.

[RoyLPita]

You could try it for $1000 +/-. That is how much the steering whell and airbag costs.

[MENINBLK]

Keeping in mind that the charcoal interior on the GM is the same color as the Marauder charcoal... and the woodgrain is a dark greyish wood... I've been considering installing a GM steering wheel because (don't laugh) I rather like the feel of the wood part.

If its made from FORD, the wood is taken from their plastic tree farms... :(

[wchain]

http://www.mercuryvehicles.com/media/vehicles/grand_marquis/gallery/photos/int_main_01.jpg

Keeping in mind that the charcoal interior on the GM is the same color as the Marauder charcoal... and the woodgrain is a dark greyish wood... I've been considering installing a GM steering wheel because (don't laugh) I rather like the feel of the wood part. I know I can order a 2003 style wheel, which would reuse the air bag. Question is this - the 2005 is redesigned with different buttons, which I also rather like. Is it compatible with the wiring in a 2003, and would it require buying a new air bag, since the design is somewhat different. Ray?

Negative opinions welcome.


You can take a towncar wheel (99-03) that has the redundant audio/climate controls and it should work, otherwise you would have to change the clockspring.

THe airbag will bolt right up on a 99-03 car, not sure about anything newer.

[bigslim]

Donny, look for a 2004 Marquis LS "Premium PKG" steering wheel. They had a wood streeting wheel in those cars that should work fine. There is a guy here in this city that has put a total wood pkg in his car with the steering wheel out of a 2004 Marquis LS "Premium".

[MENINBLK]

You can replace your steering wheel with anything you wanted, and just add one of these to it.

Jiffy Pop Air Bag (http://snltranscripts.jt.org/91/91mjiffypop.phtml)