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What can cause a clock spring to go bad?
Clock springs may become faulty with age due to electrical ribbons and their connections wearing thin. They also are likely to fail if they are not replaced after a car crash in which the airbag was deployed. Common signs you have faulty clock spring include: Illumination of the SRS/Airbag light.
What breaks a clock spring?
Rubbing noise when you turn the steering wheel is one of the early warning signs that the clockspring is starting to fail. Eventually, the clockspring will wear, and the ribbon inside the clock spring will break.
Can I drive with a broken clock spring?
If you try to drive a car with a faulty or broken clock spring, you will experience a lot of difficulty when you try to rotate the steering wheel, and what’s more, if you prolong this, it will cause damage to other parts of your car, too, not to mention putting yourself, as the driver, at risk.”
Do I need to replace clock spring?
The clock spring may need to be replaced if it is damaged during careless service to the steering system, and, in some cases, if the vehicle is in a crash and the driver’s airbag deploys.
Does the clock spring have to be replaced?
Can clock spring be repaired?
While it is sometimes possible to repair a damaged clock spring, it is generally better to buy a new one. Clock springs are cheap, and it’s important to have a reliable unit since they may be involved with the correct function of the driver’s airbag, the horn, cruise control, and traction and stability control systems.
What causes a clock spring to fail on a car?
Most clock springs are supposed to be good for the life of the vehicle, but there are certain units where the wires become brittle and break over time. Another common fail point is with overzealous technicians who damage the clock spring or reinstall it improperly after removing the steering wheel for service.
What happens if you break the clock spring?
If repairs are being done which involve the removal of the steering wheel and the clock spring and it is mistreated by over extending the internal wires it will also break the clock spring. When this malfunction occurs it will cause the airbag warning light to come on and the system to shut down.
What are the symptoms of a bad clock spring?
Diagnosing a bad clock spring can often be pretty straightforward, depending on the symptoms. You may notice several seemingly unrelated issues, such as steering wheel buttons that don’t work accompanied with an airbag warning light.
What is the function of the clock spring?
The clock spring’s function is to send the electronic signals from the steering wheel buttons to the control modules in the car. It is also responsible for sending the signal to the airbag in the steering wheel if an accident occurs.