Where do I find the Steering Wheel Position Sensor?
Thread Starter
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 39,939
Likes: 61
From: From San Diego to Bentonville, AR.....WTF was I thinking?!? Oh yeah, that free state thingy!
St. Jude Donor '15-'16
Where do I find the Steering Wheel Position Sensor?
I know I should know this but I don't. I am constantly getting error code 1287 and want to check the connection.
Can anyone help me out?
Thanks,
Brad
Can anyone help me out?
Thanks,
Brad
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,252
Likes: 181
From: NE OH
Under that dash....you guessed it, attached to the steering shaft. If I remember correctly there's three wires. You need to check the sensor while it's still connected (i.e. don't disconnect the connector to make it easier to read the voltage) to the sensor. I believe it should be .5 VDC while centered.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 3,396
Likes: 2
From: North Manchester Indiana
I had the issue after a cam install. if you steering wheel is not perfectly straight while driving it will tell the computer you are turning, but the wheel sensors will tell the puter you are going straight,, hence a thrown code...
A alighnment and straightening of the wheel worked for me..not sure if this will help you
A alighnment and straightening of the wheel worked for me..not sure if this will help you
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,252
Likes: 181
From: NE OH
Here's a write-up from someone else, I used it to correct my sensor problem. Mine occured when I removed the rack to pin the crank. My wheel was 360 degrees out also, but in the opposite direction. i.e. reading 5VDC rather than 2.5. Total time to fix was about 45 minutes. 30 minutes to find the right wire and 15 to unbolt the column and realign the wheel.
Write up:
Quick check is to take a voltage reading from the light blue wire coming from the steering sensor with the ignition on and the front wheels pointing straight ahead. (Theres actually 2 blue wires, one is lighter than the other and closer to the centre of the plug.) Should read approx 2.5 V. Mine read 0.2 V . I disconnected the steering shaft and turned the steering wheel till voltage read 2.5 V. Reconnected the steering shaft and this solved the problem. We were out 360 degrees.
Write up:
Quick check is to take a voltage reading from the light blue wire coming from the steering sensor with the ignition on and the front wheels pointing straight ahead. (Theres actually 2 blue wires, one is lighter than the other and closer to the centre of the plug.) Should read approx 2.5 V. Mine read 0.2 V . I disconnected the steering shaft and turned the steering wheel till voltage read 2.5 V. Reconnected the steering shaft and this solved the problem. We were out 360 degrees.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 193
Likes: 3
From: Southlake Texas
so would this also be my problem....when i am going slow (sometimes) it will throw the active handling light and says service vehicle soon and it will slam on the breaks for a few seconds....this is not good when you are trying to make a turn and there are ppl behind you about to run into you...so do i need a new steering wheel position sensor or would aligning fix the prob??? thanks, Jason
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,252
Likes: 181
From: NE OH
Originally Posted by Badass Bowtie
...so do i need a new steering wheel position sensor or would aligning fix the prob??? thanks, Jason
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,252
Likes: 181
From: NE OH
uhh, yup 
You can get a cheap one from Rat Shack for like $5; that will get the job done. Remember to select DC voltage, not AC when you check the connector.
If you are thinking on doing more work on your car, I'd look around and eventually get a good one.
You can get a cheap one from Rat Shack for like $5; that will get the job done. Remember to select DC voltage, not AC when you check the connector.If you are thinking on doing more work on your car, I'd look around and eventually get a good one.
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Instructor
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
From: Centreville VA
Where...
Originally Posted by muncie21
Here's a write-up from someone else, I used it to correct my sensor problem. Mine occured when I removed the rack to pin the crank. My wheel was 360 degrees out also, but in the opposite direction. i.e. reading 5VDC rather than 2.5. Total time to fix was about 45 minutes. 30 minutes to find the right wire and 15 to unbolt the column and realign the wheel.
Write up:
Quick check is to take a voltage reading from the light blue wire coming from the steering sensor with the ignition on and the front wheels pointing straight ahead. (Theres actually 2 blue wires, one is lighter than the other and closer to the centre of the plug.) Should read approx 2.5 V. Mine read 0.2 V . I disconnected the steering shaft and turned the steering wheel till voltage read 2.5 V. Reconnected the steering shaft and this solved the problem. We were out 360 degrees.
Write up:
Quick check is to take a voltage reading from the light blue wire coming from the steering sensor with the ignition on and the front wheels pointing straight ahead. (Theres actually 2 blue wires, one is lighter than the other and closer to the centre of the plug.) Should read approx 2.5 V. Mine read 0.2 V . I disconnected the steering shaft and turned the steering wheel till voltage read 2.5 V. Reconnected the steering shaft and this solved the problem. We were out 360 degrees.
I must have read 50 different threads on this issue and STILL can NOT easily locate the "analog" pin for the steering wheel sensor readout. Every thread I've read mentions 2.5V at center. However, they ALSO say that one needs to be reading from the "analog" output for the steering wheel position sensor. WHERE is this one? Is it under the dash, attached to the steering column? Someone mentioned that it was in the engine bay near the battery compartment...
If ANYONE knows how to easily explain the location of this damn thing, that would be a HUGE help.
Thanks!
- Jeff
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,252
Likes: 181
From: NE OH
The sensor you need to check is connected to the steering column. Just slide up underneath the dash (easier said than done, for some of us) so that you are looking up at the steering colunm. You'll see a sensor with about 5 (or so) wires coming from it. Finding the sensor is the easy part, the tricky part (at least for me) was figuring out how to check the voltages without disconnecting the plug. Once you find the sensor, just check the readings as outlined in the posting.
If you have problems finding the sensor, post or PM me, I'll take a picture and post it here. Good luck. 
If you have problems finding the sensor, post or PM me, I'll take a picture and post it here.
Good luck.
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 111
Likes: 0
From: Centreville VA
Sweeet...
Originally Posted by muncie21
The sensor you need to check is connected to the steering column. Just slide up underneath the dash (easier said than done, for some of us) so that you are looking up at the steering colunm. You'll see a sensor with about 5 (or so) wires coming from it. Finding the sensor is the easy part, the tricky part (at least for me) was figuring out how to check the voltages without disconnecting the plug. Once you find the sensor, just check the readings as outlined in the posting.
If you have problems finding the sensor, post or PM me, I'll take a picture and post it here. Good luck.
If you have problems finding the sensor, post or PM me, I'll take a picture and post it here.
Good luck. Thanks a bunch! So I was in the right place earlier tonight when i crawled under the dash - not much room there at all! How did you find the voltage? Sounds like it is a PITA with everything connected? This sensor MUST be connected to something in the engine bay, as well. So is there an easier way to find this wire and check its reading? Either way, I'd love to know how you ended up checking the voltage on it.
Thanks!
- Jeff
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,252
Likes: 181
From: NE OH
Originally Posted by 2000RedFRC
Thanks a bunch! So I was in the right place earlier tonight when i crawled under the dash - not much room there at all! How did you find the voltage? Sounds like it is a PITA with everything connected? This sensor MUST be connected to something in the engine bay, as well. So is there an easier way to find this wire and check its reading? Either way, I'd love to know how you ended up checking the voltage on it.
Thanks!
- Jeff
Thanks!
- Jeff
Luckily there's only two blue wires, so you've got a 50/50 chance of getting it right. Once you think you've got the right wire, move the wheel a bit, the voltage should change. You should get about 2.5 V/DC with the wheel centered (don't fret 2.6 or 2.4). If you get something like .2 or 4.9/5.3 or something like that, then you are 360* (One complete wheel revolution) out, either left or right.
Sounds tough but it wasn't really all that bad. Took about an hour to fix it. Well worth it compared to have the friggin DIC light up everytime you start moving.
Instructor
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 129
Likes: 0
From: Belton Missouri
I had the same problem after a cam install. The wheel was rotated while the rack was out of the car. My son is a mechanic at a local chevy dealer and brought home a tech II overnight. Just plugged it in to my OBD II connector, undid the shaft, rotated the wheel until it read 2.5 on the tech II and reconnected the shaft. No problems since. Took about 15 minutes. If you can find someone that has a TECH II, thats the easiest way to go.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 11,308
Likes: 1
From: The Beautiful Greater Bay Area California
Originally Posted by TripleBlack98
I had the same problem after a cam install. The wheel was rotated while the rack was out of the car. My son is a mechanic at a local chevy dealer and brought home a tech II overnight. Just plugged it in to my OBD II connector, undid the shaft, rotated the wheel until it read 2.5 on the tech II and reconnected the shaft. No problems since. Took about 15 minutes. If you can find someone that has a TECH II, thats the easiest way to go.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 1,149
Likes: 143
I am having trouble with this also . I have the codes 1287 and 1288 so I crawled under the car and tapped the light blue wire of the steering wheel sensor. It read 0.0 at dead center and 2.5 90 degrese out, 5.0 180 degrese ( directly upside down ) .
Anyways I pulled my steering wheel linkage and column trying to hunt down the problem because no matter how I adjusted the linkage it was always way off 2.5 .
Now I decided to tap some other wires from the sensor because I only have 1 BLUE WIRE and as it turns out the GREEN wire reads the correct 2.5 at center . WTF !!! I hope I didnt pull this whole thing apart for nothing
Anyways I dont understand the rotate 360 degrees and re assemble part because my voltage readings repeat at 360 degreese either back at 0.0 with the blue wire or right back at 2.5 for the green wire
Could you guys list what voltages you got at various points , like 90 and 180 degrees too. Also what was the pin location of the wire you tapped ??
Anyways I pulled my steering wheel linkage and column trying to hunt down the problem because no matter how I adjusted the linkage it was always way off 2.5 .
Now I decided to tap some other wires from the sensor because I only have 1 BLUE WIRE and as it turns out the GREEN wire reads the correct 2.5 at center . WTF !!! I hope I didnt pull this whole thing apart for nothing
Anyways I dont understand the rotate 360 degrees and re assemble part because my voltage readings repeat at 360 degreese either back at 0.0 with the blue wire or right back at 2.5 for the green wire
Could you guys list what voltages you got at various points , like 90 and 180 degrees too. Also what was the pin location of the wire you tapped ??
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,252
Likes: 181
From: NE OH
Originally Posted by I brake for nothing
Now I decided to tap some other wires from the sensor because I only have 1 BLUE WIRE and as it turns out the GREEN wire reads the correct 2.5 at center
Originally Posted by I brake for nothing
Also what was the pin location of the wire you tapped ??
