I have a problem that I can't figure out. I recently just swapped out my old busted steering wheel with a much better looking factory steering wheel. I reinstalled everything in reverse order and used the old airbag but now my airbag light wont stop flashing and the steering wheel will not lock when parked. I have tried trouble shooting this myself and think I may have screwed up my clock spring somehow. The weird thing is my cruise control still works and my volume buttons havent worked since installing my new radio and opting not to get the new wiring for it installed so I am not sure if that was affected.

I have tried the airbag reset procedure to no avail and the steering wheel still wont lock when its parked. Any idea what I screwed up? Fairly new to working on vehicles in general and im just trying to figure out what I did wrong here.

 

Did you remove the clock spring or something? Steering wheel removal is literally just removing the airbag and using a puller on the steering wheel, you don't touch the clock spring at all?

Did you get the two color coded plugs reinserted properly into the airbag module? Make sure the retention snap got pushed completely flush.

If you didn't use a puller but rather just rocked the steering wheel back and forth until it finally came off then you probably damaged something deep inside the steering column and you're going to end up tearing the entire steering apart and replacing a very large expensive component. Either way just pop the torx screws off for the airbag and take it off to inspect the connection, yellow to yellow, orange to orange, verify you didn't bend any of the pins inside the connection, make sure the grey harness behind the airbag module is plugged in.

Also possible you pinched the airbag wiring between the clock spring and the steering wheel, possibly damaging the clockspring in the process, either way you're going to need to take it apart again to troubleshoot the issue.

 

I used a steering wheel puller and it popped right off. I am thinking it has to do with those wires. I did spin the clock spring ever so slightly but spun it right back into postion. I will pull it off tonight and see if its just a connection issue. IF I damaged the yellow or orange connectors can they be replaced? Or am I looking at a shiny new clock spring?

 

I've had a flashing air bag for like 2 years now. I just try and ignore the darn thing.

 

If I am not mistaken if that light is flashing the airbags wont deploy in the even of an accident correct?

 

Thats scary stuff.. but it happend when they installed an aux cable to the factory xm radio.

 

If the SRS lamp is flashing it means some component is disabled, that doesn't necessarily mean the ENTIRE SYSTEM is disabled though, the diagnosis sensor unit will make the determination about deploying the airbag.

As for the aux cable install, something likely got pinched behind the stereo face that needs to be fixed.

Adidona I'd just take the airbag module out (after removing the battery and waiting 3min obviously) and check the harness, unplug the airbag module and look at the pins, if they're bent then straighten them with a pair of needle nose pliars. You definitely should NOT be turning the clock spring or the steering shaft with the steering wheel removed but a tiny bit of movement isn't going to hurt it as long as you get the alignment pin to match up with the steering wheel properly and know you didn't accidentally make an extra rotation of the clock spring because it only turns so many rotations.

Next to the horn harness (grey plug) there are two alignment match marks, they look like little triangles stamped into the plastic, align those first, then put the steering wheel back on according to ITS alignment marks on the steering shaft and wheel. Then plug in the horn switch, then plug in the orange/yellow ones for the airbag, reinstall the airbag.

Final step is to put the system in diagnostic mode to check for problems, if there's a problem then refer to the FSM for steps the user can take without Consult-II to determine what the fault is ,there's a flashing code for most systems similar to how OBD1 used to work. If there's no problems take it out of diagnostic mode and put it back into self-diagnostic mode.

Going from self-diagnostic to diagnostic to self-diagnostic again is sometimes wrongly referred to as the "airbag reset" for the vehicle. While it does work to make the system initialize itself again it's true purpose is to allow the user to diagnose WHY THE LIGHT IS FLASHING either via Consult-II or without. Consult-II gives much more detailed information about the actual problem where as the code flash will simply tell you WHICH component is having the problem not things like "open ground, open hot, shorted circuit, etc".

http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/inf...e-manuals.html

Section SRS

 

Thanks for the info Cleric. After further inspection I somehow broke one of the black plastic clips off the yellow airbag connector. I think that is the issue. I ordered a clock spring 30 bucks shipped. I will install the new clock spring and go from there.

 

Yep that's probably the issue, glad it was something obvious.

 

When I switched out my clock spring the engine light came on and I had to reset the steering angle sensor. Just a heads up so you're not alarmed. Not sure if it happens on every install

 

How did you reset the steerring angle sensor