I have a 2002 and 2004 Xtype 3.0

I guess it would be the airbag cover, Horn etc. On BOTH of my cars it is raised, since it’s on both cars exactly the same I figured it is supposed to be that way. A friend disputes this claim. I removed it and tried to switch out the cruise control switch, my 2004’s didn’t have an on/off toggle, I happened to have a an extra steering wheel that had the toggle and decided to swith it out because I liked the idea of having the toggle, oh and by the way at this time my cruise control wasn’t working due to the check engine light being on so I didn’t know if the original swith did work. When I fixed the check engine light, cruise control started working again, however, not correctly. The middle set buttons don’t work, in order to increase speed or set the speed I have to use the resume button. Kinda odd it looked like the same set up but is obviously not. I’ll have to swith it back. Unless someone knows something I don’t.

sorry got a little off my topic for this post. Lol.

so that cover doesn’t sit flush but is raised up, only a little on the top two sides where it sits and the bottom two pieces sit quite a bit up.

Any ideas on how to fix or maybe this is normal. It does. Look a little odd but doesn’t actuall harm or prevent anything from working correctly. Just thought I would toss it out and see if they are all like this or not. I have tried to include example pics.

Thanks Everyone!

Right Side view of raised middle cover

Full View

Right hand side of steering Wheel and Raised Part Cruise Control Switch that isn’t working like the Orginal(didn’t have on or off toggle)

 

That definitely is not “normal”. Having had 3 X-Types I can say that while the covers do not fit flush with the wheel surface, they do sit much closer than your photos show. But as I have never removed the central cover I can’t off any further comment, sorry.

 

I will have a closer look at my 2.5L, where the steering wheel protrudes similarly, tomorrow.
I would have said your configuration is normal, but it makes me think that Gregory thinks differently.

More about my X-Type, where the steering wheel stands off similarly: It is a 2004, 2.5L - but in regards of the steering wheel that says nothing at all, because the steering wheel, which was in there originally was not one, where it stood off, but the steering wheel look horribly worn out and was one of the ugly ones to start with. Hence, I found myself a lovely part-wooden X-Type steering wheel on facebook marketplace from an older X-Type and fitted that, and that one is one, where the wheel inner stands off a bit.
Also: on my other X-Type (2006, 2.1L), I don't believe it is standing off. And on my 2001 2.5: I don't know - will have a look - it is night here now.

At the moment I would say: Some do stand off, others do not. The older steering wheels seem to have more wood, but the inner stands off, while I think that they may have deleted the "stand-off"-issue possibly at the same time, when they deleted the wood.

Anyway: If the steering wheel is all functional, I would not worry about it.

 

Sorry, it took me a bit longer - delay mainly due to rain here.

So here are pictures of my steering wheels:

1. The early X-Type wooden steering I put into a 2004 X-Type:


Yes, here the cover is standing off, but it does not bother me at all - it's a nice wooden steering wheel - below the former steering wheel...

2. ...the steering wheel , which was in the 2004 2.5L - the cover is not standing off, but the steering wheel is plain ugly, hence, I threw it out.



3. And here the steering wheel in my 2006, 2.1L X-Type - it's basically in the design of the one above (in "2"), but it has wooden sections, as it should be.
Here, also, the cover is not standing off. Hence, I guess, there seems to be 2 different designs - the design in "1" above seems to have a cover that is
standing off, but as said, it does not bother me, and "2" and "3" don't have covers, which are standing off: