Technical Steering wheel buttons issue

[Yorkshire Pud]

Hi all. 2010 fiat 500 sport. The volume down button on the left of the steering wheel only works if you press it really hard (with two thumbs). I was wondering if the pod that houses the 4 buttons just pops out of the steering wheel ( I know I'm expecting too much) or is it an integral part of the steering wheel. Just hoping for a quick fix. Cheers.

 

[chris3234]

Hi all. 2010 fiat 500 sport. The volume down button on the left of the steering wheel only works if you press it really hard (with two thumbs). I was wondering if the pod that houses the 4 buttons just pops out of the steering wheel ( I know I'm expecting too much) or is it an integral part of the steering wheel. Just hoping for a quick fix. Cheers.

typecastboy will probably be known allthough I'm sure I've seen the parts for sale separate

 

[typecastboy]

You have to take the airbag off and with some force, they pull out. I have a cream set for sale on eBay at the moment.

 

[Yorkshire Pud]

Thanks for the info.

 

[Rocco Reviews]

Hi all. 2010 fiat 500 sport. The volume down button on the left of the steering wheel only works if you press it really hard (with two thumbs). I was wondering if the pod that houses the 4 buttons just pops out of the steering wheel ( I know I'm expecting too much) or is it an integral part of the steering wheel. Just hoping for a quick fix. Cheers.

Make sure you didn’t accidentally put the radio on mute on the back of the steering wheel on the right hand side there are three buttons the top button raise the volume the middle button put it on mute and the bottom button lower the volume The same layout of buttons on the left-hand side controls the tuner.

 

[Yorkshire Pud]

Finally got round to sorting this issue.didn't fancy taking the airbag off so I sprayed the buttons with electrical contact spray and worked it behind the buttons by repeatedly pushing them for ten minutes with ignition off. Left it overnight to dry out. All buttons now work. It must have been ten years of dust / spilled coffee, etc, stopping them working.

 

[robinma2000]

Finally got round to sorting this issue.didn't fancy taking the airbag off so I sprayed the buttons with electrical contact spray and worked it behind the buttons by repeatedly pushing them for ten minutes with ignition off. Left it overnight to dry out. All buttons now work. It must have been ten years of dust / spilled coffee, etc, stopping them working.

Similar issue here I will follow your lead, good tip

 

[Yorkshire Pud]

Similar issue here I will follow your lead, good tip

If you do, don't switch the ignition on at all once you have sprayed it or you could short circuit something creating more problems. Leave it a few hours or overnight.

 

[typecastboy]

Same happened to me in my 500X when I got it, button used to stick down completely. I dread to think what was in there.

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

I've had a similar issue with the left hand buttons. The volume up button either doesn't do anything, pauses the playback, calls up voice activation or somehow makes the system 'forget' the Blue&Me playback (until I switch off and then on again). Sometimes it just works properly but not often. I've tried the switch cleaner trick and that seems to work at the time but not for long. All the other buttons work properly...

Anyone know where I can get a replacement switch unit without breaking the bank?

 

[A3jeroen]

Take it out (top can be removed without airbagremoval) and clean again with the switch apart. Mine had a nasty problem because the previous owner wrapped the surroundings in fake carbon leaving so much on the backside so the switches wouldn't work properly.
Afterwards carefully place rubber, buttons and surrounding back and you've saved a bundle. When I looked for replacement switches they were expensive. I used an old bankcard to pry the surroundings off.

gr J

 

[chris3234]

I've had a similar issue with the left hand buttons. The volume up button either doesn't do anything, pauses the playback, calls up voice activation or somehow makes the system 'forget' the Blue&Me playback (until I switch off and then on again). Sometimes it just works properly but not often. I've tried the switch cleaner trick and that seems to work at the time but not for long. All the other buttons work properly...

Anyone know where I can get a replacement switch unit without breaking the bank?

ebay or one of the people breaking a car on the fiat 500 owner club group on facebook

 

[A3jeroen]

Remember he's in Oz

gr J

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

Take it out (top can be removed without airbagremoval) and clean again with the switch apart. Mine had a nasty problem because the previous owner wrapped the surroundings in fake carbon leaving so much on the backside so the switches wouldn't work properly.
Afterwards carefully place rubber, buttons and surrounding back and you've saved a bundle. When I looked for replacement switches they were expensive. I used an old bankcard to pry the surroundings off.

gr J

Thanks for the advice! I tried to remove the top today but it seems that the whole module started to unclip from the wheel. I found a video on YT that shows the module being removed and then dismantled for cleaning which seems the way to go. As far as I can tell the module is held in by two clips on the back but mine only came away at the bottom and I was nervous about trying to force it further - has anybody done this?

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

ebay or one of the people breaking a car on the fiat 500 owner club group on facebook

Thanks. Can't find anything on ebay right now and I don't use FB. I'll try the idea of removing the top before I look into that further.

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

Take it out (top can be removed without airbagremoval) and clean again with the switch apart. Mine had a nasty problem because the previous owner wrapped the surroundings in fake carbon leaving so much on the backside so the switches wouldn't work properly.
Afterwards carefully place rubber, buttons and surrounding back and you've saved a bundle. When I looked for replacement switches they were expensive. I used an old bankcard to pry the surroundings off.

gr J

Resurrecting an older thread here.

I finally tried this today as my V+ button has been acting up for a very long time and recently has often refused to work at all! It's weird that the V- button has never been a problem, nor the other two buttons on the left side. After a lot of trial and error the top cover finally gave up the struggle to stay in place and I was able to remove it and the rubber liner and treat the latter and the circuit board with switch cleaner. Once dry it was a fiddly job to get everything back in, mainly because of the flange that goes behind the horn switch, but it finally snapped into place and now the V+ button functions with the lightest touch (as opposed to trying to force it through the back of the wheel!) right up to Heavy Metal volume level '40'....

Thanks gr J and a Happy New Year to everybody!