Hi there,

This is a real novice question but I've got nowhere else to turn. I'm trying to replace my headlight switch on my Honda Civic but I can't even get the darn steering column cover off. I removed the three screws from the lower cover but the upper and lower covers will not detach. I spent an hour looking for any other screws. I also spent an hour searching on the internet. I finally looked up the slot from where the steering wheel tilt lever emerges from and noticed these plastic tabs (snaps?) that connect the upper and lower covers. I was successful in undoing one snap but couldn’t undo the others. Do I just try to pull the two covers as hard as I can to remove the snaps? I don’t know how anyone can access these snaps as they are on the inside of the cover. I looked on the internet and cannot find any guidance. Most of the how-to videos I found show plastic screws that attach the lower cover to the upper cover. There are no examples of these damn snaps. Any help would be appreciated!

 

 

After you get the three screws out the two pieces just come apart

 

Thanks for the clarification on the upper and lower column covers.

 

Hi habib,

The upper and lower column covers do not come right off after removing the three screws. If you look at the diagrams RonJ@HT has included in this thread, you can see these plastic male tabs that protrude upwards from the top of the lower column cover. These tabs are inserted into female tabs of the upper column cover. The problem is I have no idea how to detach these plastic tabs. They are holding the upper and lower column covers together.

 

The covers should unsnap with some gentle pressing and prying.

 

In my experience the plastic clips on the column shroud snap off fairly easily. My best bet was carefully prying the corners of the shroud apart with my fingers. I have small hands. You might need someone with smaller hands to do it this way.

 

I press IN on the bottom cover at the tab and pull out and up slightly on the top cover. I start with the right side (towards the passenger) front one because I find it easiest. Once the first one is unclipped the rest are pretty easy.

 

I ended up buying new ones from Honda eventually. My original one was broken when the car was stolen, then the light gray (wrong color) one I got after that was broken when I got it. So later on I just ended up replacing it with a brand new one after I did anything that required removal of the shroud. I hope I never have to remove it again.

 

This info is probably too late to help bootchies, but maybe someone else visiting can get some use out of it.* I just now removed the lower steering column cover from my '97.* If you'll look at the diagram above, the clips on the lower cover are female, not male.* There are four of them.* The two rear ones have male clips right behind them, but they're minor and unsnap easily once the females are unsnapped.* I started with the left rear female(you can see it through the slot that the column angle adjustment lever is through when the lever is in its lowest position).* Find its rough location and push inward toward the column on the lower cover from the left side.* You might need to push in a few locations either side of it, but it should unsnap and push in (make sure you're only pushing on the bottom cover, not the top one as well).* Then move to the front on the left side, right behind the steering wheel.* I used a small screwdriver to push that one in, since I have fat fingers.* Once these two are done, you can pull the cover down a little way on the left side.* Then move to the right side, behind the ignition switch and push inward, and finally the right front behind the steering wheel. A little jiggling and the bottom cover should come off. The top cover should then come off easily.