Missing something on the left side of the steering wheel?

[Neel]

Hi everybody. I bought a used 05 4runner maybe three years ago or so. Ever since I have had it, I have noticed that there is an opening on the left side of the steering wheel, as if there is a panel missing there or something. It does not affect ant important functions of the car, so I have not thought much about it. Now, however, I am getting curious. Is there just a panel that's supposed to be there, or was there an audio control stick or something?

My hypothesis has been that the previous owner (who upgraded a few things cosmetically) installed something there, and then uninstalled it before he sold it without replacing it.

I'll try to get some pictures in the near future.

 

[CJ3Flyr]

OEM steering wheel mounted audio controls are in the 8 o'clock position. Another way to say it is they hang off of the lower left corner of the airbag cover/horn pad.
:cheers:

 

[bulldogtaxi]

sounds like the jbl steering wheel controls

 

[Neel]

I'm fairly confident that I don't have a JBL system, but if the normal stereo has a control, that must be what's missing.

Is it possible to get another one of those?


edit: I might also be interested in getting a panel to just cover it up.

 

[wazzuFreddo]

I can feel a panel covering on mine. Previous owner must have done somthing to pull it off.

 

[Uneek]

Do you have a picture of it?

Steering wheel audio controls are between the two spokes at about 9 and 7 o'clock. There will be a complete blank plastic filler on the opposite side at 3 and 4 o'clock where the Bluetooth phone and audio command controls go for navi equipped 4Runners.

There are covers on the side/back of the steering wheel that for screws that hold the airbag assembly.

 

[moneypit]

Blank spots

I think he means on the dash left of the steering wheel. On my 2003 Limited there is a switch for the center differential lock and one for the AC inverter and also two blank covers. If this is what he means, they are available from Partznet. Maybe the previous owner had something installed and took it with him.