kodiakcorvette

Hello Forum,

Hoping for some help with this problem. When I turn the steering wheel I have a clicking sound which seems to be coming from right behind the wheel itself. I can also feel a sensation in the wheel every time the click is heard. Any idea what this could be or what I can do to fix it?

background:
This has been going on for years, and its been looked at by numerous shops, some multiple times, no one has been able to fix the problem permanently.
I've tried removing the plastic pieces around the steering column and even took the turn signal/multi function switch off the steering column completely thinking it could be the turn signal self cancel or something rubbing the plastic. no effect on the sound.
sound is coming from right where the rotating steering wheel attaches to the stationary steering column.
car has the power telescoping wheel..and.oh other car details would probably help! 1999 coupe, about 150k miles. I've owned it since 2007 with 70k on it. 6 speed, has had the column lock recall done, the lock plate is still there but the lock mechanism has been removed (went through the K harness failure several years ago, it now has a CLB and no problems since with the column lock). This clicking problem was not there when I bought it, but has been an issue for several years now.
best likely culprit: the clock spring, however that has been replaced already. Shop that did that work said the clock spring was bad and making noise, after the spring was replaced, the noise was gone! it came back within a couple of months however. that same shop now says that they are confident they know what the problem is, but are unable to fix it, they say when the steering wheel is removed they can see marks showing where the wheel is contacting the clock spring (or something, I'm not 100% sure) right behind it, they have tried to fix it by sanding down the back of the steering wheel to get a little more clearance so it doesn't rub. after literally 10 or more times in the shop for this problem, it is definitely better than it was at its worst before the clock spring was originally replaced, but the noise and the click "feeling" in the wheel is definitely still there.
The problem also changes quite a bit with temperature. Oddly it is sometimes better in the cold, sometimes better in the heat. but temperature extremes can cause the noise to get worse or better. But the sound is there 99% of the time when driving, although its only really noticeable at low speeds when making sharp turns involving rotating the wheel a large amount.
I haven't pulled the wheel off myself yet, but I did get a steering wheel puller so I could at least see whats going on in there for myself, but if anyone has any ideas, I'd greatly appreciate it.

yellow2007

Just throwing this out there but the "pin" that locks the steering wheel may be out of position and hitting the steering shaft as it turns I'm sure others will chime in as well

kodiakcorvette

Worth looking at. The last time I had the column shroud removed I think I confirmed that the locking pin isn't even there at all anymore. I will have to look again to be sure though. The disc with the holes in it that the pin inserts into to lock the column is still there, but I think the actual locking mechanism is gone.

yellow2007

If it's gone then the dealer performed the recall service.

leadfoot4

That would have been my first thought. A long time ago, shortly after I purchased my C-5, and the "dreaded lock issues" began surfacing, I was able to procure another "lock ring". I then chucked it into a lathe, and removed the piece that had the indentations that the pin would engage in, therefore my pin wouldn't be able to lock it up. And later on, just for additional insurance, a few years ago, I installed the column lock bypass device. (The "good one", whose name escapes my feeble mind at the moment.....)