Restraint Systems: CLOCKSPRING: Removal

WARNING: To avoid personal injury or death, on vehicles equipped with airbags, disable the supplemental restraint system before attempting any steering wheel, steering column, airbag, occupant classification system, seat belt tensioner, impact sensor, or instrument panel component diagnosis or service. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative (ground) cable, then wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge before performing further diagnosis or service. This is the only sure way to disable the supplemental restraint system. Failure to take the proper precautions could result in accidental airbag deployment.

NOTE: Before starting this procedure, be certain to turn the steering wheel until the front wheels are in the straight-ahead position.

Place the front wheels in the straight ahead position.
Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable.
Remove the driver airbag from the steering wheel. (Refer to ELECTRICAL/RESTRAINTS/DRIVER AIRBAG - REMOVAL) .
Disconnect the steering wheel wire harness connector from the upper clockspring connector receptacle.
Remove the steering wheel from the steering column. (Refer to STEERING/COLUMN/STEERING WHEEL - REMOVAL) .
If the vehicle is equipped with the optional tilt steering column, move the column to the fully lowered position and leave the tilt release lever in the released (down) position.

From below the steering column, remove the two screws that secure the lower shroud to the upper shroud. See Fig 1.

Fig 1: Clockspring Remove/Install

Courtesy of DAIMLERCHRYSLER CORP.

1 - UPPER SHROUD

2 - CLOCKSPRING

3 - LATCH (2)

4 - SCREW (2)

5 - LOWER SHROUD

6 - WIRE HARNESS CONNECTOR (2)

7 - MULTI-FUNCTION SWITCH

8 - STEERING COLUMN

Using hand pressure, push gently inward on both sides of the upper shroud above the parting line between the upper and lower shrouds to release the snap features that secure the two shroud halves to each other.
Remove both the upper and lower shrouds from the steering column.
Disconnect the two instrument panel wire harness connectors for the clockspring from the two connector receptacles located below the steering column on the back of the clockspring housing.
Using a small thin-bladed screwdriver, release the two integral plastic latches that secure the back of the clockspring housing to the steering column lock housing.
Remove the clockspring from the steering column lock housing. The clockspring cannot be repaired. It must be replaced if faulty or damaged, or if the driver airbag has been deployed.
If the removed clockspring is to be reused, be certain that the release button on the clockspring rotor is raised and latched to secure the rotor to the clockspring case to maintain clockspring centering until it is reinstalled on the steering column. If clockspring centering is not maintained, the clockspring must be centered again before it is reinstalled. (Refer to ELECTRICAL/RESTRAINTS/CLOCKSPRING - STANDARD PROCEDURE - CLOCKSPRING CENTERING) .