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Strait to the point …. I had a problem with the SWPS and an error showed up on the DIC. I ordered a replacement part and I was going to change it until I had an idea …… I remembered that I had some G-Series DeoxIT Gold G5 contact cleaner and conditioner so I figured I would give it a try. I sprayed around the shaft and in between the sensor and the shaft. I let it sit until the next day and now no more error so far. The can says "wait 2 mins before turning on equipment." It also says to turn off all equipment. The car was off when I did this so it didn't matter. The next day I started the car and turned the steering wheel to the right and then to the left while looking at the DIC to throw a code. Everything is good so far. My car is a 2004 Corvette with 37,000 miles on it. I guess this SWPS failure is a common problem. Anyway, I have a new part if this quick fix doesn't hold up. I just didn't want to pull the steering column because it looks like a pain.
Thanks
I hope this works out for you, I really do. But my SWPS also showed its head about a year ago. It'll throw a code occasionally, sometimes after 10 minutes, sometimes after 20. Sometimes not at all! Nothing I do specifically seems to change when it decides to throw a code. One incident where the car pumped the passenger side brake on randomly on the highway, and active handling has been off every drive since. I must be a masochist because I didn't fix it all winter, now its summer and the thought of crawling around in a black interior gives me panic attacks. Guess I'll be waiting for fall now...
I don't understand why GM made the sensor this way. They should have made it where you don't have to remove the column. Can this be disabled and if so would it have an effect on the traction control system?
I thought it was a clock spring design where turning a disconnected wheel too many times would break the wires. Are you saying that it's a commutator design with contacts that can be cleaned?
I will be driving the car this week. If it shows any codes, I will be sure to post them and how long the fix lasted. If it fails again, I will try to clean it one more time before I swap it out. I sure hope it works out and it solves the problem because I really don't want to swap it. Pulling the column looks like a big task.
I thought it was a clock spring design where turning a disconnected wheel too many times would break the wires. Are you saying that it's a commutator design with contacts that can be cleaned?
The 01 to 04 sensor does not contain a clock spring or sliding contacts. It's had a digital encoder which gives 2 digital signals as the wheel turns. The sensors sense notches in the moving part.
The sensors on the 97-00 cars did have both a sliding contact and the encoder. The sliding contact is basically part of a potentiometer.
The 01 to 04 sensor does not contain a clock spring or sliding contacts. It's had a digital encoder which gives 2 digital signals as the wheel turns. The sensors sense notches in the moving part.
The sensors on the 97-00 cars did have both a sliding contact and the encoder. The sliding contact is basically part of a potentiometer.
When I look at the new part I got in the mail, it has copper looking fingers in the hole in the middle. Are you saying that these fingers have no electrical contact? If so then how do they sense the bumps on the column?
That's exactly what I said. It's an encoder. There are no electrical contacts inside. No electrical contacts that slide against a surface inside.
The metal fingers are to hold the rotating part of the sensor on the shaft.
Well I guess my spraying the shaft and the part may not have worked. It may just have been a conicedence that it quit throwing codes. If that's the case, then I have another idea. There is a small hole where the pin comes out, maybe I can spray inside it if it is a thru hole. If this don't work, I will figure out if I can drill a small hole in a spot that won't damage the part. I can look at the new part I have and try to figure that out.
I don't understand why GM made the sensor this way. They should have made it where you don't have to remove the column. Can this be disabled and if so would it have an effect on the traction control system?
If you unplug the SWPS that will disable active handling. Of course you will get "Service Vehicle Soon" and "Service Active Handling" messages in DIC. Traction control will continue to work Pressing the Active Handling button will turn traction control On/Off.
You can disconnect the connector at the SWPS near the floor. What effect it has depends on the year of your car. If the year is 2001 - 2004 then both TC and AH are disabled and appropriate DTC's are set and lights on the dash illuminated. If the car is a mid year 98 through 2000 that has the AH RPO ( JL4) then the results are the same as fo the 2001 - 2004. For a 1997 - 2000 without JL4 then TC is disabled and appropriate DTC's set and light on the dash illuminated. I believe that I read that on the earliest year cars the Magna Steer is disabled. ABS remains functional for all years.
On my 04 CE it appears that TC remains active if SWPS is disconnected.
There should have been no need for me to repeat myself 3 times yet I already have, and at this point I'm still doubtful the fact that there are no contacts inside the 01-04 SWPS has gotten through to you yet.
Last edited by lionelhutz; Jul 16, 2018 at 12:44 PM.
Drove the car for a while yesterday. No code or codes yet. Did some reading on the sensor. It's a very interesting part. I will do some more driving and still post the results.
Thanks
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Steering Wheel Pos Sensor Fix (Maybe)
