Labor is fairly straightforward and should take 1-2 hours expect to pay up to $300 in labor. We recommend Parts Geek or Advance Auto Parts for the best prices and selection.Ĭlock springs are relatively inexpensive, running between $50 and $200 depending on the vehicle. A broken clock spring will leave these systems in a degraded state, if they continue to function at all. Some vehicles also use the angle of the steering wheel for traction or stability control calculations.
#Vida dice to calibrate clock spring driver#
In this situation, you would be unable to alert an inattentive driver and the airbag may not deploy in the event of a collision. You could be left without cruise control, a functioning horn, or most importantly, a functioning airbag. A bad clock spring can afflict you with more than broken volume controls. If you notice these symptoms it is best to address the issue as soon as possible. In some cases, a frayed or broken ribbon cable could get stuck between each half of the clock spring’s casing, which would make the steering wheel a bit harder to turn. You may also hear a rubbing, scraping, or grinding noise coming from inside the steering wheel if the ribbon has disconnected from the terminals and is rubbing against the side of the housing. An intermittent connection could manifest as a flickering warning light or sporadic, inconsistent functionality. Sometimes these components will work when the steering wheel is in one position, but stop working as soon as you touch or turn the steering wheel. You may notice several seemingly unrelated issues, such as steering wheel buttons that don’t work accompanied with an airbag warning light. Bad Clock Spring Symptomsĭiagnosing a bad clock spring can often be pretty straightforward, depending on the symptoms. However, if your vehicle has no airbag, steering wheel controls, or horn buttons, you may not have a clock spring. Almost every road going vehicle with a steering wheel has one of these devices. The clock spring is usually located on the steering column behind the steering wheel.
Besides, a real spring this small would likely not be able to overcome the inertia of most vehicles’ steering assemblies. Since the steering wheel is directly connected to the tires, the steering wheel is affected by this centering force. When the front wheels are turned, a positive caster angle puts force on the front tires that makes them want to return to their neutral position, pointed straight ahead. Most vehicles have a positive caster angle. The reason a steering wheel returns to its centered position when you let go of the wheel is because of the vehicle’s caster angle, not the clock spring. You may be thinking that the clock spring plays a role in returning the steering wheel to a neutral position, but this is not the case. Regardless of how much you turn the steering wheel and in what direction, you always keep a connection between the airbag control module and steering wheel airbag, the radio and its steering wheel controls, the horn button and the car horn, and any other buttons or controls on the steering wheel to what they operate. What Does a Clock Spring Do?Īs you turn the steering wheel, the coil of wires within the clock spring winds and unwinds, maintaining an electrical connection for the airbag and steering wheel controls. This coiled ribbon resembles the shape of a spiral torsion spring, but does not compress and release stored energy the way an actual spring would. The clock spring is not really a spring at all, but it gets its name from the look of the coiled ribbon inside the housing. This device is sometimes referred to as a spiral cable, airbag clock spring, steering wheel clock spring, clock spring assembly, cable reel, or contact reel, depending on the vehicle and where you live. One part of the outer assembly follows the steering wheel, and the other part attaches to the steering column. A clock spring is a coil of flat wires wound inside an assembly in the steering wheel.
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