My SRS light is on and no horn and I worked my way to testing the clockspring. I get the the airbag off and -lo!- no clockspring.

Here's the airbag, but I don't think anything is abnormal here:



I have a couple videos and tutorials but I was counting on using the old clockspring for reference. Does anybody have a picture of the clockspring installed? If no pictures I could use a description. Anything helps. Is there anything else that might be missing? If necessary I can take the wheel off to get a look behind there. Hopefully I can just slap a new one in, but who knows. This thing is rebuilt so for all I know there's a good reason there's no clockspring. FWIW the horn is working all the way up to the relay under the dashboard.

Thanks!

As a bonus, does anybody know what these straggling wires might be? I didn't see any open plugs. They're both two green wires.

 

Car information required. Civic, Accord, Chevy, Dodge.... What are we talkin' here.

And before you think I'm just some ***, I just approved your thread and attachments so you get the help you need, I'm just asking for the information that will help get you the best help possible.

 

Oh yeah, I suppose that would be useful. 2000 Civic HX. No cruise control.

 

Any yellow plug is SRS.

I believe your clock spring is under the plate of your steering wheel. I thought you had to undo the column bolt to get to it. As can be seen in the Honda diagram, the 2 plastic posts of it go up and through the metal plate in your picture to turn with the steering wheel. Or basically, your steering wheel goes over the clock spring and the posts stick into the bottom of the steering wheel. That's the holes you see in your picture.

 

Yes the clock spring is behind the steering wheel. 19mm and you can use the steering lock to break the nut loose.
Make sure your front wheels are straight when you take it off or else youll probably have a crooked steering wheel when you have it all back together.
Your horn and/or air bag could have been unplugged from the clock spring which could have been why you didn’t notice the wires go behind the steering wheel, and why your horn didn’t work.

 

thanks, that's what I needed to know. I suppose those posts will make positioning the clockspring correctly easy!

If you don't mind me asking, are you associated with the shop you linked to? If so I will purchase from them to thank you for your help. Though I might see if I can find one in a scrap yard just to make life a little harder.

I'm sorry, I don't quite understand you. I thought my clockspring was missing, I can't see it in the picture. The only wires I see are the ones coming out of the airbag (I didn't notice this until I dissembled the airbag) and a two bunches that are plugged into parts at the back of the column near the dash. I'd like to understand you in case I don't understand my situation correctly.

Also is there a way to make the steering wheel lock? It seems to only want to lock when I turn it all the way. And how hard should I tighten it? I think I read 30 pounds but I don't have enough experience to know what that feels like.

BTW, nice last name!

 

Maybe you both are suggesting that my clockspring may in fact be present but I just can't see it with the wheel still on because its wires may be tucked behind the steering wheel? After rereading the replies I realize that is likely what you're both suggestions.

 

I was looking at your picture and I'm not so sure it's there. Either it's there and they have it totally disconnected on both sides (not likely) or they took it out and put the car back together without it and sold it to you (more likely).

I was just providing you the information on where it's located so you knew how to replace it once you have one.

 

Yes, I was implying the it was back there and you didn’t realize. The wires for the clock spring should be coming out through the hole below the nut on the steering shaft, so yours is probably absent.
When you lock your steering wheel to break the nut loose, you don’t have to have the wheel straight. Once you break the nut loose put your keys in and unlock the wheel, straighten it up and then you can take it off. As for how tight I would just give her the beans lol. You probably won’t break the nut or snap the steering shaft but there’s no need to go super crazy with it, just get it tight.

Here is a really good video on it if you need it, should help you get the new clock spring on right

 

Don't reef the nut on as is suggested. It's 36 ft-lbs.

 

I mean, hasn’t given me any problems, but there is always a better way to do things.

It was implied they don’t have access to a torque wrench

 

Old school mechanics method. Once the nut goes tight, do a quarter turn.

 

I went to a scrap yard and found a clockspring. I took pictures and I'll document them here so that if someone in the future is installing a missing clock spring/cable reel they can hopefully find them.

The airbag connected to the clock spring:


A port that seems important:


This is the bit that would have been tricky without a reference.


There's a connector for the green and yellow wires coming from the dashboard fuse box area that's just like the connector to the airbag. Then the red wire connects to one up and to the right. The green and yellow wire with the yellow housing fits into the white clip and the red wires with the grey housing somehow connect to it but i ended up letting mine dangle.

I'm happy to say that everything is working now. I expect the clock spring to break when I make a decent turn however, because the steering wheel on the junk car seemed to have no end to its spinning so I really had no idea what the center of the clock spring was. It's alright though because I got to see how it goes together.

One thing I will add to my post is how to test the clock spring. I couldn't find an idiot's guide to testing it but I figured it out and it's simple enough. You want to test for resistance on the red wires. Stick the end of one probe in one of the ports and the other probe in the other. The red wire that goes back into the steering wheel I believe is only active on one of the pins, you can see what I mean by looking around. I had to brush around with my probe but if the clock spring is good you'll see your resistance go down from "1" to something much smaller. Sorry, I'm not an electrolocist. The main thing is you should get current through the RED WIRES.

Okay, good luck to the next guy. Overall this is very easy, even though it took me several hours because I am not good at this. Ah hell, I might as well mention that you'll need to reset your SRS light afterwards.

It's very satisfying to get a honk out of my horn and see that SRS light go off.

Thanks for the help, everybody!!

 

You didn't read the FSM page I posted then as it covers that.

It says spin the clock spring clockwise until it stops and spin it back (counter clockwise) 2 turns, the arrow should be up. Step one before installing steering wheel.

 

Oh crap, thanks for pointing that out! I did reference the page you posted but didn't read it thoroughly enough! Good thing I haven't driven yet so I can do this process and save myself some hassle/$$. Awesome, thanks.

 

Very common for new users to learn the hard way how to set the clock spring, costing them a second clock spring, time, additional reading, and irritation. "Experience" is the name we give to the times when how you want things to work out is not in keeping with the Universe's alternative plans.

 

I came too late to warn if you don't calibrate the clock spring like I did you will break it on the first big turn you make lol I had to find another used one after that haha