How to remove the KIA badge from the steering wheel

[Legendsk]

I kinda get replacing badges, particularly replacing ugly badges with better looking ones. Of course beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. But I don't understand 'E'. Why 'E'? Why not one of the other 25 letters? Is the 'E' for Emblem?

 

[eflyguy]

Because that is the badge Kia puts on this vehicle in Korea, and was on all the in-showroom pre-release models here.

The reason/meaning is well documented here and elsewhere.

 

[Stinger GT SS]

I kinda get replacing badges, particularly replacing ugly badges with better looking ones. Of course beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. But I don't understand 'E'. Why 'E'? Why not one of the other 25 letters? Is the 'E' for Emblem?

This may help to explain your question.
Kia E badge explained, debuts on Korean Stinger | CarAdvice

 

[twig2121]

Good info on the thread - here's mine

 

[Ozstung]

I kinda get replacing badges, particularly replacing ugly badges with better looking ones. Of course beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. But I don't understand 'E'. Why 'E'? Why not one of the other 25 letters? Is the 'E' for Emblem?

95 years old really? You don't look a day over 80

 

[AV8R]

I kinda get replacing badges, particularly replacing ugly badges with better looking ones. Of course beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder. But I don't understand 'E'. Why 'E'? Why not one of the other 25 letters? Is the 'E' for Emblem?

Engineering excellence is what it stands for

 

[Manaz]

Good info on the thread - here's mine

And mine!

 

[scar_007]

I just did this, found that there are 2 fuses for the horn, part of a main 60amp fuse and then it's own 20amp fuse, I pulled the 20 amp one. Both are in the engine compartment.

Some good pics/directions can be found by googling "Official_Kia_K_Badge_Tutorial_1.pdf"

I used steps similar to SKStinger's directions only on step 3, I started on the far right side where there are no prongs. I started with a very slim flathead screwdriver, then when I got a slight amount lifted, I inserted a slightly larger, but stronger screwdriver giving me more leverage. I used that to lift the edge even more, I then used a pair of pliers to begin pulling out the old badge.

There is no way you are going to save it, but you also don't want to mar the steering wheel so caution should be used, but with the pliers I was able to get a strong grip on the old badge pull without risking damage to the steering wheel. The original badge came out relatively nicely.

Sorry as a new member I cannot add pictures.​

 

[scar_007]

I just did this, found that there are 2 fuses for the horn, part of a main 60amp fuse and then it's own 20amp fuse, I pulled the 20 amp one. Both are in the engine compartment.

Some good pics/directions can be found by googling "Official_Kia_K_Badge_Tutorial_1.pdf"

I used steps similar to SKStinger's directions only on step 3, I started on the far right side where there are no prongs. I started with a very slim flathead screwdriver, then when I got a slight amount lifted, I inserted a slightly larger, but stronger screwdriver giving me more leverage. I used that to lift the edge even more, I then used a pair of pliers to begin pulling out the old badge.

There is no way you are going to save it, but you also don't want to mar the steering wheel so caution should be used, but with the pliers I was able to get a strong grip on the old badge pull without risking damage to the steering wheel. The original badge came out relatively nicely.

Sorry as a new member I cannot add pictures.​

Adding pictures.. You can see where I grabbed it from the right side.. I'm sure there is a way to take it off and potentially re-use it, but I did not plan on re-using it, so my concern was protecting the car not the badge.

 

[antonini311]

View attachment 22669 View attachment 22670

Top picture you can see where I cut the center slit and pried up. Bottom photo is new badge installed.

Did you bother to remove the horn fuse? I feel like you'd have to be pushing pretty hard to set off the horn anyways. And presume removing the fuse is just to prevent the annoyance of the sound, not for any mechanical reasons.

 

[SKStinger]

Did you bother to remove the horn fuse? I feel like you'd have to be pushing pretty hard to set off the horn anyways. And presume removing the fuse is just to prevent the annoyance of the sound, not for any mechanical reasons.

It doesn’t take a lot of pressure to engage the horn and it’s really easy to pull the fuse. I found it super annoying.

 

[Kimberly Lazarski]

FWIW when I buy my Stinger I'm planning on removing all Kia badges, leaving just "Stinger" on it. The intent is to get people intrigued by the car and google it rather than disregard it because of the Kia nameplate. Honestly even though I was aware of the car and looked at the specs when it first came out, I disregarded it, and when I first saw one on the road, it was one that had been completely debadged, I was directly behind it and wondered if it was a Giulia Quadrifoglio refresh (because I knew a refresh was coming but didn't know it was interior only) so I pulled to the side to get more of a view and realized what it was. It looked surprisingly upscale. I then disregarded it again for a while, knowing it was a Kia.

I think de-emphasizing the Kia badge in favor of the larger Stinger badge for 2020 is a very good thing for the model, but I'd like them to rebrand with the Korean logo. Kia has an image problem that doesn't reflect their current offerings.

 

[scar_007]

FWIW when I buy my Stinger I'm planning on removing all Kia badges, leaving just "Stinger" on it. The intent is to get people intrigued by the car and google it rather than disregard it because of the Kia nameplate. Honestly even though I was aware of the car and looked at the specs when it first came out, I disregarded it, and when I first saw one on the road, it was one that had been completely debadged, I was directly behind it and wondered if it was a Giulia Quadrifoglio refresh (because I knew a refresh was coming but didn't know it was interior only) so I pulled to the side to get more of a view and realized what it was. It looked surprisingly upscale. I then disregarded it again for a while, knowing it was a Kia.

I think de-emphasizing the Kia badge in favor of the larger Stinger badge for 2020 is a very good thing for the model, but I'd like them to rebrand with the Korean logo. Kia has an image problem that doesn't reflect their current offerings.

Kimberly,
I've had mine now for about 4 months, traded in a 2017 Mercedes C63 AMG S, while I thought I was downscaling, I find that I really upscaled, except for the fact that the Mercedes had 500+ horsepower. My GT2 has more features than the Mercedes and it is more fun to drive. My Stinger has also soured me on Mercedes knowing how much more Mercedes could have given me for what I paid, but didn't and chose to price gouge.

That said, I feel you are right, the Kia name brings different feelings to each person who hears it. For me, being 50, I initially thought lesser quality than Toyota\Honda but basically reliable as they must be doing something right to offer a 10 year / 100,000 mile warranty. Since buying one, a rumor I have heard is that the Stinger and Telluride were supposed to mark the beginning of a new line for Kia, creating a more luxury line, like Hyundai --> Genesis, Toyota --> Lexus, etc. When I got it, one of the first things I did was rebadge it. Since then, people have asked if it was a Maserati, Jaguar, Porsche, etc. It is kind of fun to say "No it's a KIA", most people are blown away when I say that.

 

[westcoastGT]

Kimberly,
I've had mine now for about 4 months, traded in a 2017 Mercedes C63 AMG S, while I thought I was downscaling, I find that I really upscaled, except for the fact that the Mercedes had 500+ horsepower. My GT2 has more features than the Mercedes and it is more fun to drive. My Stinger has also soured me on Mercedes knowing how much more Mercedes could have given me for what I paid, but didn't and chose to price gouge.

That said, I feel you are right, the Kia name brings different feelings to each person who hears it. For me, being 50, I initially thought lesser quality than Toyota\Honda but basically reliable as they must be doing something right to offer a 10 year / 100,000 mile warranty. Since buying one, a rumor I have heard is that the Stinger and Telluride were supposed to mark the beginning of a new line for Kia, creating a more luxury line, like Hyundai --> Genesis, Toyota --> Lexus, etc. When I got it, one of the first things I did was rebadge it. Since then, people have asked if it was a Maserati, Jaguar, Porsche, etc. It is kind of fun to say "No it's a KIA", most people are blown away when I say that.

......the funniest encounter I have had was coming out of a store to find a group of people taking pics of my car and one guy explaining to all of them that this was the new Fiskar ................Bawaaaa , you should have seen the look on their faces when I told them what is really was......................priceless !

 

[antonini311]

Here is what the Kia badge looks like after it is removed. You can see the metal prongs. It’s really maleable tin like material.

Also some photos of the new badge. Pretty happy with how this went. The new badge could be 1mm or 2 wider as it leaves a small gap on the upper corners that my OCD notices.

I will keep it this way for now but keep looking for a nice cost effective alternative. I like the Stinger badge above but with shipping and US currency exchange it’s too rich for me.

I see in your pics that you now have a slight crease above the emblem from prying off the old one. I changed mine this weekend and the same thing happened. I was annoyed, but I guess I have to live with that imperfection.

Also, the overlay is not shaped exactly the same (as far as the concave nature of the back) as the surface of the steer wheel behind the old badge. So as a result, my emblem got pressed on not completely flush (as it doesn't hug the underlying shape of the wheel perfectly). So the lower side is more flush to the edge than the upper side. I'm not happy about that. But again, I chose to do this, so I guess I have to live with it now. Unless I decide to one day remove the new emblem, and reinstall another and take more care to get it as perfect a fit as possible.

 

[Ig9]

Will the basic stinger steering wheel airbag be compatible with the E airbag? Love the original look...

 

[Hojae84]

Will the basic stinger steering wheel airbag be compatible with the E airbag? Love the original look...

Yes
If I remember correctly 2 or 3 holes you push in a long screwdriver until it
Unclips the airbag
And swap out w eom e badge airbag unit by pushing it in
That's it
Super quick

 

[DavidinGA]

Thread resurrection....

What is under the oem badge when you pry it off? Is there a hole left there? I don't see any replacement badges with the same oem design with metal clips on them...Thx!

 

[theoreck]

And mine!

Did you remove the original KIA emblem or is yours an overlay? It looks like it sits nice and flush unlike some of the overlays I've seen!

 

[theoreck]

Good info on the thread - here's mine

Did you remove the original KIA emblem or is yours an overlay? It looks like it sits nice and flush unlike some of the overlays I've seen!