Clock spring replacement?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
From: Austin, TX
Clock spring replacement?
I turned the steering wheel while the steering shaft was disconnected, and now my airbag light is on. If I'm not mistaken, I need to replace the clock spring. The dealer quoted me $860 plus tax for the job. According to them, in order to replace the clock spring, the entire air bag assembly must be changed. Is this correct?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 837
Likes: 2
From: Derry NH
HA
No, just the clock spring. I went to Corvettes of Houston, they ordered a clock spring and installed it for me. No more light. It was my fault and I knew that the clockspring was the problem, I even heard the part break. Anyway, get a new one since they are 'locked' centered so there is no chance of busting it due to improper line up on install.
Oh yeah, it was under $250 for the part and the labor.
I think the service manual has the directions for replacement, but I wasn't going to handle a live airbag in my garage.
No, just the clock spring. I went to Corvettes of Houston, they ordered a clock spring and installed it for me. No more light. It was my fault and I knew that the clockspring was the problem, I even heard the part break. Anyway, get a new one since they are 'locked' centered so there is no chance of busting it due to improper line up on install.
Oh yeah, it was under $250 for the part and the labor.
I think the service manual has the directions for replacement, but I wasn't going to handle a live airbag in my garage.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 100
Likes: 0
From: Austin, TX
HA
No, just the clock spring. I went to Corvettes of Houston, they ordered a clock spring and installed it for me. No more light. It was my fault and I knew that the clockspring was the problem, I even heard the part break. Anyway, get a new one since they are 'locked' centered so there is no chance of busting it due to improper line up on install.
Oh yeah, it was under $250 for the part and the labor.
I think the service manual has the directions for replacement, but I wasn't going to handle a live airbag in my garage.
No, just the clock spring. I went to Corvettes of Houston, they ordered a clock spring and installed it for me. No more light. It was my fault and I knew that the clockspring was the problem, I even heard the part break. Anyway, get a new one since they are 'locked' centered so there is no chance of busting it due to improper line up on install.
Oh yeah, it was under $250 for the part and the labor.
I think the service manual has the directions for replacement, but I wasn't going to handle a live airbag in my garage.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 887
Likes: 15
From: Central CT
St. Jude Donor '16
I've done one on my last Vette. Casem1 is right. All you need to change is the clock spring and like Gene told you, it's only $76 plus labor from a private Vette shop. I don't think I'd go to the dealership even if it was the last resort. Good luck
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,123
Likes: 14
From: Booker Texas
HA
No, just the clock spring. I went to Corvettes of Houston, they ordered a clock spring and installed it for me. No more light. It was my fault and I knew that the clockspring was the problem, I even heard the part break. Anyway, get a new one since they are 'locked' centered so there is no chance of busting it due to improper line up on install.
Oh yeah, it was under $250 for the part and the labor.
I think the service manual has the directions for replacement, but I wasn't going to handle a live airbag in my garage.
No, just the clock spring. I went to Corvettes of Houston, they ordered a clock spring and installed it for me. No more light. It was my fault and I knew that the clockspring was the problem, I even heard the part break. Anyway, get a new one since they are 'locked' centered so there is no chance of busting it due to improper line up on install.
Oh yeah, it was under $250 for the part and the labor.
I think the service manual has the directions for replacement, but I wasn't going to handle a live airbag in my garage.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,294
Likes: 1,579
From: Western NY
A friend and I pulled the lock plate on his '01 vert a couple of weeks back. Shortly thereafter, he got an "airbag light". He spoke with someone at a dealership who said it was probably the clock spring. They said it would be around $350 to replace it.
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,960
Likes: 21
From: West Norriton PA
St. Jude Donor '08
It's a pretty simple job to replace yourself. It only goes on one way. You have to pull a few fuses and connectors, the take steering wheel apart.
Takes a couple of hours at most. Napa sells sells steering wheel puller for like $40. You need one with J-hooks.
Had mine apart to install VE Steering wheels on mine and my brothers cars.
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Le Mans Master
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 5,561
Likes: 447
From: Atlanta metro Ga.
Typically occurs during cam swaps; when you have the steering rack out and the steering column disconnected, the steering wheel is free to spin, and the clock spring only has so many revolutions in it before it breaks.
Spinning the steering wheel while detached will also generate codes related to steering wheel position sensor miss-alignment.
Bottom line, when you disconnect the steering rack, don't turn the steering wheel.
Spinning the steering wheel while detached will also generate codes related to steering wheel position sensor miss-alignment.
Bottom line, when you disconnect the steering rack, don't turn the steering wheel.
Last edited by Dan_the_C5_Man; Sep 28, 2007 at 06:53 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,294
Likes: 1,579
From: Western NY
It's a pretty simple job to replace yourself. It only goes on one way. You have to pull a few fuses and connectors, the take steering wheel apart.
Takes a couple of hours at most. Napa sells sells steering wheel puller for like $40. You need one with J-hooks.
Had mine apart to install VE Steering wheels on mine and my brothers cars.
Takes a couple of hours at most. Napa sells sells steering wheel puller for like $40. You need one with J-hooks.
Had mine apart to install VE Steering wheels on mine and my brothers cars.
I know, as his car was the second car I did a lock plate on. The first was mine, and I had zero problems. On his, however, we hit a couple snags. The first was that the telescope motor wouldn't work when we were done, even though we didn't touch it. Then the airbag light came on and wouldn't go out.
I offered to go back over to his house and take it apart again to see if we could find anything simple, but he had some pressing family issues and didn't want to spend the time, so he took it to the dealer....
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,960
Likes: 21
From: West Norriton PA
St. Jude Donor '08
I know, as his car was the second car I did a lock plate on. The first was mine, and I had zero problems. On his, however, we hit a couple snags. The first was that the telescope motor wouldn't work when we were done, even though we didn't touch it. Then the airbag light came on and wouldn't go out.
I offered to go back over to his house and take it apart again to see if we could find anything simple, but he had some pressing family issues and didn't want to spend the time, so he took it to the dealer....
I offered to go back over to his house and take it apart again to see if we could find anything simple, but he had some pressing family issues and didn't want to spend the time, so he took it to the dealer....
Smart thing to do is to put a bungie cord on steering wheel to hold it in place and mark steering shaft before you take it apart for any front motor work or header installs.
I have telescopic wheel too and when I took mine apart it was a B%&tch to get off the steering wheel, after that it went really smooth. I put some of that aluminum thread protection (anti-sieze) on steering wheel sprocket to make it easier to get the steering wheel off the next time.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,364
Likes: 1
From: Rugby North Dakota
Typically occurs during cam swaps; when you have the steering rack out and the steering column disconnected, the steering wheel is free to spin, and the clock spring only has so many revolutions in it before it breaks.
Spinning the steering wheel while detached will also generate codes related to steering wheel position sensor miss-alignment.
Bottom line, when you disconnect the steering rack, don't turn the steering wheel.
Spinning the steering wheel while detached will also generate codes related to steering wheel position sensor miss-alignment.
Bottom line, when you disconnect the steering rack, don't turn the steering wheel.
Race Director
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 15,960
Likes: 21
From: West Norriton PA
St. Jude Donor '08
Pro
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 565
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From: Chattanooga TN
Instructor
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 217
Likes: 7
From: Hampton, GA
write up
the link doesn't work, Does anyone out there have a write up for how to replace the clockspring on a c5? so far I have the clockspring, steering wheel puller and legs, and new steering wheel nut. I am missing the procedure though... someone please help. I'm trying to get this done this weekend.
