Steering column electrical issues....need opinions
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 1,518
Likes: 37
From: The Woodlands Texas
Steering column electrical issues....need opinions
I've got an issue with my tilt/tele column on my 72. I'm having electrical issues where it's causung several issues. Here's the chronology:
1) LSX conversion completed and now have 1500 miles on it.
2) one day I adjust the tele all the way in. 4 days later I go to drive the car and the NEW battery is dead. The root cause is some sort of short directly to the horn, except my horn wasn't working so I didn't know about it. Fixed horn and pulled the tele back out. No more short. If I pushed it back in, horn blows meaning I have a short somewhere. Now I can hear it.
3) Several days later I go to crank the motor and I notice that the dakota digital gauges don't light up, but motor cranks. No ignition though as if there's no fuel. After a few cranks, cuss words, and pulling the key out a few times, all of the sudden the gauges work and the motor starts.
4) not trusting it, I don't drive it. I come back the next day and same crap. I talk to my resident expert and we diagnose I have created an electrical short when I put the wrong (long) screw in the center steering trim mounting location. Sure enough that's correct. Screwed right into the flat wiring harness. At this point I decide to rebuild the steering column so I send it to my expert to go at it.
5) steering column has now been torn down, cleaned, and the wiring harness repaired. The tele feature used to be very stiff, but now floats until locked. Yesterday I reinstalled the column. The first time I turned the key, the gauges didn't turn on but motor cranked just like #3 above. Then I adjusted the tele back in and as soon as I did that the horn started blowing. I pulled it back out, it stopped. I then turned the key again but now the gauges work and the motor starts.
WHat the heck is going on? Anybody have this experience before?
1) LSX conversion completed and now have 1500 miles on it.
2) one day I adjust the tele all the way in. 4 days later I go to drive the car and the NEW battery is dead. The root cause is some sort of short directly to the horn, except my horn wasn't working so I didn't know about it. Fixed horn and pulled the tele back out. No more short. If I pushed it back in, horn blows meaning I have a short somewhere. Now I can hear it.
3) Several days later I go to crank the motor and I notice that the dakota digital gauges don't light up, but motor cranks. No ignition though as if there's no fuel. After a few cranks, cuss words, and pulling the key out a few times, all of the sudden the gauges work and the motor starts.
4) not trusting it, I don't drive it. I come back the next day and same crap. I talk to my resident expert and we diagnose I have created an electrical short when I put the wrong (long) screw in the center steering trim mounting location. Sure enough that's correct. Screwed right into the flat wiring harness. At this point I decide to rebuild the steering column so I send it to my expert to go at it.
5) steering column has now been torn down, cleaned, and the wiring harness repaired. The tele feature used to be very stiff, but now floats until locked. Yesterday I reinstalled the column. The first time I turned the key, the gauges didn't turn on but motor cranked just like #3 above. Then I adjusted the tele back in and as soon as I did that the horn started blowing. I pulled it back out, it stopped. I then turned the key again but now the gauges work and the motor starts.
WHat the heck is going on? Anybody have this experience before?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 112
From: Saginaw Michigan
Your grounding problem when you telescope your steering wheel sounds like another recent posting on this forum.
Look up this posting on this forum dated 2-19-2015:
Steering column plastic horn ring/bezel??
rajin cajin
It sure sounds as if you need a plastic c-clip retainer. It will hold the big telescope spring central and prevent the spring from contacting metal steering column parts (thus blowing the horn continuously). There is even a thread from Willcox Corvette that provides a link to purchase the needed part. A photo in the posting also shows the retainer in place.
It bothers me that the person (company) that rebuilt your T&T column did not know about the plastic retainer. That part not only insulates the big horn but it also is a critical safety part. It prevents the metal c-clip from migrating out of its retainer slot. Without the c-clip in place, it is possible to pull your entire steering wheel, hub, and upper steering shaft right out of the steering column.
Jim
Look up this posting on this forum dated 2-19-2015:
Steering column plastic horn ring/bezel??
rajin cajin
It sure sounds as if you need a plastic c-clip retainer. It will hold the big telescope spring central and prevent the spring from contacting metal steering column parts (thus blowing the horn continuously). There is even a thread from Willcox Corvette that provides a link to purchase the needed part. A photo in the posting also shows the retainer in place.
It bothers me that the person (company) that rebuilt your T&T column did not know about the plastic retainer. That part not only insulates the big horn but it also is a critical safety part. It prevents the metal c-clip from migrating out of its retainer slot. Without the c-clip in place, it is possible to pull your entire steering wheel, hub, and upper steering shaft right out of the steering column.
Jim
