No, that's the price of the sensor itself, at the only place I could find it - gmpartshouse.com

Look up the exact same part for an 00-04, and it's $80.

 

Wow, that's really surprising. Hopefully someone will chime in and tell you that the 00-04 item will properly work in your 97. Or confirm the bad news about the $300 version....

And gmpartshouse is totally great, IMO. I've bought lots of items from them, including my $80 SP sensor.

 

I've got a 06 Z06 and need to replace mine. Is it the same or have they moved it up under the wheel? Thanx for any info on this.Couldn't find anything in C6 section.

 

The C5 sensors are on the column down near the fire wall. The C6 sensors are up further on the column.





BC

 

It is up under the dash on a C6?

 

My car starting throwing the 1277 and 1278 codes this morning. Thanks to all who have posted detailed write up and pictures!

Looks like I have my next project picked out for me and thanks to the forum I will be able to do it myself!

 

Well I just did an R&R in about 2 and a half hours. Would have been less if my neck didn't hurt so bad from being upside down trying to get that damn pressure washer thing off that black panel past the knee bolster.

Point of advice though, you do have to loosen the radio bezel to get the knee bolster out. That was something missed in the write ups. Also it really is super easy just pulling the whole column out of the car. You'll need a decent amount of extension on your socket to get to the back 2 bolts as well as getting to the bolt that holds the shaft to the rest of it. Pulling the tire and the acess panel makes life much easier. If you still have a steering wheel lock I recomend you pull the bolt that way and lock the steering wheel. There is no turning the wheel involved and you can pull the nut and bolt by hand once it's loose, and that takes about half a turn!

All of this thread had great info, and saved me about $400! Thanks to all who contributed.

 

Okay so I'm days away from selling my car and I got the C1287 code anytime I move the steering wheel left or right (from center) So it looks like I'm going to try and do this myself.

From the people who have done this on a telescopic steering wheel... is it next to impossible with just one person? Is it really worth the labor to have a dealership do it?

I'm pretty technical and familiar with the bottom dash tear-down as I had to get to the HVAC actuator to reindex it a couple years ago.

I'm about to order the part but wanted a better idea of what I'm getting myself into. I only have a few days to complete it (evenings after work) Thanks!

 

I'd do it yourself.Sounds like you know what your doing.Most dealerships don't have a clue. I'm gona do mine.I'm done trying to get the 80.00 part under the recall.

 

I found an extremely easy way to remove the column (even with the telescopic steering wheel) Remove the two posts that the 1/2" steering column nuts screwed onto. I think I used a 5mm socket. After those two posts were removed, the entire column pulled out with NO resistance at all... literally just popped right out of the firewall! The photos are post-removal but screwed them back in to show what I was talking about.

Entire breakdown was about 40 mins... hope the install goes just as fast! Thanks for the great writeups... though you might want to add the step to remove those two screw posts.. it made it from a PIA to Piece of cake!

 

Went to Gene's yesterday and purchased a Steering Wheel Position Sensor for my '04 Coupe w/telescopic steering. I had been getting a Traction control code #1288 every time I drove the car along with the "service active handling soon " message, then disables TC & Active Handling, even on short trips. Got tired of constantly clearing the code, sometimes several times a day,

Followed advice of this thread and all went well (except the weather - 90 degrees and HUMID). I found that there was a heavy black square tube across the opening (about 1 1/8 inch dia.) and found no mention above about removing it, Did remove the stud posts as advised that held the upper portion of the steering wheel mounting bracket. YES, the biggest PITA was the press on washer that held the lowest body panel under the steering wheel. Also, did remove the front left tire and inspection panel to get at the steering shaft bolt/nut - made it real easy - good advise. I cleaned out my two "udder" drains while I was in there too.

Found I had to rotate the column assembly while extracting because of the telescopic mechanism pieces down by the sensor and above the lower bracket. Rotated it back in too, not too bad. I too used duct tape to prevent the steering wheel from turning.

One test drive today about 15 miles and no code yet, seems like a winner!

Without this thread I would not have done this repair - thanks to all that contributed their knowledge, experience and pictures.

BTW - I'm 6 ft. 1 inch, 230 pounds, large in upper body. For you big guys, it wasn't too bad, a little tight at times but you'll live.

 

Huh? What opening? Where?

Describe this heavy black steel tube a bit more. I don't recall such a bar, but it's been two years since I did this little repair.

Removing those stud posts is a clever idea that Luweegy gave us, but I didn't do that (didn't think of it, damn!) and had no problems.

 

This was the bar that the electrical connectors were attached to, also the lowest body panel push in holders went into this bar. It formed the bottom portion of the "box" opening where the column had to be pulled out from. When upper bracket was unbolted, column came down and rested on this tube. It was a structural component of the dash. Now that I know first hand about it, I can see it in a picture above that shows the electrical connectors. The picture where he shows putting a socket on the screw post, behind the connectors. The picture preceding that one also shows more of the bar. Thread post #70.

 

Hmmm....I see what you're talking about, but I didn't have to remove it. Once the two firewall and two stud post nuts were removed (and all the connectors), my column was totally free to come out. Maybe "telescopic" cars have to do that step, but it doesn't look like maestro300 (post # 70) did it either.

Oh...and my best advice from my post was to get that towel laid down on your concrete BEFORE you pull the column out, unless you have grass nearby!

Anyhoo, congrats on your repair. Nice to have those worrisome DIC codes out of your face, huh?

 

Sure is, I'm coming up on a state inspection soon and clearing the codes will cause a failure, in addition, just constantly erasing is a PITA.

I didn't remove that bar, just worked around it by rotating the whole assembly.

 

I have the $78.03 version, part number 88965543, purchased from Gene at http://www.gmpartshouseusa.com/

Have you had the ABS module DIC codes (I forgot the code number) yet? That's an easy one, too. You remove the electronic box from the ABS hydraulics module and send it to ABSFIXER.com. After a mere $150, you have it back in a few days, plug back in and go, guaranteed forever. Or....you could buy a new brainbox from GM for about a bazilion dollars.

 

Good to know, haven't got that yet, If you find the code or a link/thread for doing it, please pass it along to me. I keep a book of these repair post for future reference, it has come in handy many times - this thread is a good example. I should make a special section for Bill Curlee alone, his stuff is too valuable to be unsaved.

 

I think the ABS module problem crops up as 1214. There are dozens of threads here about ABS DIC problems, and several mention ABSFIXER.COM. This outfit repairs several of the very expensive modules that control our cars, as do many other Interweb vendors, so don't buy new. In talking to Brandon at ABSFIXER, he told me that these failures on the expensive modules are ALWAYS from the same thing...one little cheap resistor or transitor or connector or some other little whatnot. They know what all the failures are and how to quickly open these magic boxes up and replace the damn little failed whatnot for pennies...and done! the $150 for the ABS module work is all labor time, overhead and profit, and I don't mind at all! The good news is that everything that can go wrong with a C5 has already happened, and is heavily discussed on good 'ol CorvetteForum.

My last go-round was a door control module that wouldn't unlock the driver's door, but would lock it just fine. Strange, huh? Turns out it was the "unlock" solenoid, one of several identical solenoids used in both DCMs and throughout our cars (and lots of other Chevrolets) for all sorts of heavy amperage duties all over the car (think "trunk unlock", think "gascap open"....same solenoids, probably located in the BCM...dunno). Anyway, the DCM itself costs about $800, but the solenoid is $1.98 if you can find it at a supply house or on the Interweb and can solder it in place on the circuit board (here it is http://pewa.panasonic.com/pcsd/produ...ech_eng_js.pdf ) . In my case, I actually cut into the solenoid and carefully cleaned the contact points with ultrafine wet/dry paper. A year later it works perfectly for zero dollars. This is NOT a DIC code issue, so how did I learn about this small component? On CorvetteForum, where some member did the very same thing a year or two ago. A quick search of DCM threads and I had my answer. Fantastic resource we have at our fingertips, huh?

 

Right - none better.
I've put about 400 miles (short trip) and some local miles and my problem has not appeared, so it looks like, for me, the SWPS was the cure for my TC #1288 code. - glad that's done with.

 

First thank you everyone for this great thread. Without it I might not have attempted to pull my steering wheel and get to the Steering Wheel Position Sensor.

I pulled the sensor off of the steering column by following this thread. Then while ohming out pins 1 to 6 and pins 2 to 6 I found my sensor was faulty. While searching online for a replacement I kept playing with it, going way past the normal range. Also used a better ohm meter with a fixed range so the meter wouldn't hunt. After 1 week of playing the sensor was working fine and would not short or open. So I put it back in. And its been working since May 2010. To put it back together I set it to get the same ohm reading from pins 1 to 6 and pins 2 to 6. Then aligned it to the shaft and slid it up until it clipped into place. There was a tab on the sensor that fits into a slot on the steering wheel shaft and keeps it aligned. I doubt that anyone's sensor is slipping relative to the shaft. Align the tab to the slot prior to putting the sensor on the shaft.

WARNING: Only rotate the sensor past the normal range while off of the steering wheel shaft. Do not rotate the steering wheel or you risk breaking the air bag coil.

Notes; I have a 1998 C5 Convertible. < 45K mi. Was getting error codes DTC C1288 Steering Wheel Sensor Circuit Malfunction and DTC C1287 Steering Sensor Rate Malfunction. That caused Active Handling to be disabled and my check engine light to light up.

Also note that it took me a long time to reconnect the steering wheel. I had to put the steering column all the way in and install the two front bolts to hold it up at the correct angle. Then loosen the steering shaft at the rack and pinion to slide the connecting link forward. Only then could I get the shafts to slide back together. That little bit of tilt was a killer. I also used a long screw driver and a hammer to spread the U nut apart.

Lastly I lashed my wheel to the column to keep it from turning, as I wasn't the one who took out the column lock. I don't think I needed to do that as it wasn't too hard to keep the steering wheel from turning. Just don't turn the wheel relative to the column.

Thanks again to everyone for this thread. Hope others might be able to save some money and get their sensors to work again too.