Steering Column: Service and Repair

NOTE: Before proceeding with this removal and installation procedure, review SERVICE WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS found under Service Precautions.

REMOVAL
1. Disconnect the negative (-) cable from the battery and isolate the cable.
2. Before beginning removal of the steering column, be sure the front wheels of vehicle are in the STRAIGHT-AHEAD position.
3. Remove the screw securing the left end of the top cover to the instrument panel. It is located just above the left instrument panel end cap.
4. Starting on the driver's end, push upward on the instrument panel top cover, disengaging its retainer clips along the face of the instrument panel. Disengage just enough clips to allow access to the upper ends of the instrument cluster bezel.
5. Disengage the clips along the outer edge of the instrument cluster bezel and remove the bezel from the vehicle.
6. Remove the two screws along the bottom of the steering column cover that mounts below the steering column on the instrument panel. Disengage the clips on the upper end of the steering column cover and remove the cover by pulling it straight away from the instrument panel.






7. If the vehicle is equipped with speed control, remove the speed control switches from the steering wheel.

WARNING: WHEN AN UNDEPLOYED AIRBAG MODULE IS TO BE REMOVED FROM THE STEERING WHEEL, FIRST DISCONNECT THE BATTERY GROUND CABLE AND ISOLATE IT. ALLOW THE SYSTEM CAPACITOR TO DISCHARGE FOR A MINIMUM OF TWO MINUTES, THEN BEGIN THE AIRBAG REMOVAL.






8. If the vehicle is not equipped with speed control, remove the airbag mounting screw trim caps from the steering wheel rear cover. There is one on each side of the steering wheel.
9. Remove the two mounting screws, one on each side of steering wheel, attaching the airbag module to the steering wheel.
10. Lay the airbag module back away from the center of the steering wheel. Disconnect the clockspring and horn switch electrical connectors from the back of the airbag module. Remove the airbag module from the steering wheel.
11. Holding the steering wheel firmly in place, remove the steering wheel retaining nut from the steering column shaft in the center of the steering wheel. If equipped, remove the damper weight from the steering wheel.

CAUTION: When installing a wheel puller on the steering wheel, be sure the puller bolts are fully seated in the threaded holes on the steering wheel. If the bolts are not fully seated in the threaded holes, the threads may be stripped out of the steering wheel when attempting to remove the steering wheel. Also, thread the retaining nut back on the end of the shaft until it is flush with the shaft end to avoid damage to the shaft threads by the wheel puller.






12. Install a steering wheel puller on the steering wheel.

CAUTION: Do not bump or hammer on steering wheel or steering column shaft when removing steering wheel from steering column.

13. Holding the steering wheel firmly in the straight-ahead position, remove steering wheel from the steering column shaft using the puller.
14. Remove the ignition key from the ignition key cylinder.






15. Remove the two screws attaching the lower shroud to the steering column and upper shroud. After removing the screws, unclip the shrouds from each other by applying hand pressure along the seams where the shrouds connect on the sides, then remove the lower shroud from the upper shroud and column. Remove the upper shroud from the steering column.






16. At the base of the column, remove the steering column coupling retainer pin, back off the pinch bolt nut, and remove the steering column coupling pinch bolt (the pinch bolt nut is caged to the coupling and is not removable). Separate the upper and lower steering column couplings.






17. If the vehicle is equipped with a automatic transaxle, disconnect the automatic transaxle ignition interlock cable from the steering column. Depress the tab on top of the cable connector and remove the cable from the back side of the steering column ignition cylinder housing.






18. Remove the two lower mounting nuts attaching the steering column to the instrument panel.
19. Remove the two upper mounting nuts attaching the steering column to the instrument panel.
20. Lower the steering column away from the instrument panel.






21. Disconnect the wiring harness electrical connector from the clockspring.






22. Disconnect the wiring harness electrical connectors from the multi-function switch, windshield wiper switch, and ignition switch.






23. If the vehicle is equipped with a Sentry Key Immobilizer Module (SKIM), disconnect its electrical connector.
24. Remove the steering column from the vehicle.
25. If the steering column is being replaced, perform the following:






a. Remove the ignition key cylinder from the steering column. To do this, insert the key and turn the ignition key cylinder to the ON position. Next, depress the retaining tab and remove the Ignition key cylinder by pulling the key and cylinder straight out of the column together.






b. Disengage the latch hooks on the back of the clockspring by lifting the clockspring slightly to clear the column housing with the top latch hook. Next, lower the clockspring slightly to do the same for the lower latch hook. Remove the clockspring from the column.







c. Remove the two screws securing the multifunction/windshield wiper switch to the steering column. Pull the switch straight away from the column to remove it.






d. If the column is equipped with a SKIM, remove the module from the column by removing the two mounting screws and sliding the SKIM off the non-halo trim ring.
e. Remove the non-halo trim ring from the column by unclipping it from the ignition cylinder housing.






f. Remove the ignition switch from the steering column by first removing the mounting screw. Once the screw is removed, pull the switch straight out away from the column ignition cylinder housing.

INSTALLATION
1. If the steering column is being replaced, perform the following on the column before installing it on the vehicle:
a. Ensure the ignition switch is positioned in the ON position.
b. Install the ignition switch on the steering column by pushing the tapered end onto the shaft and steering column ignition cylinder housing. Install the screw securing the switch to the column.
c. Install the non-halo trim ring on the column until its tabs snap into place on the ignition cylinder housing.
d. If the column is equipped with a Sentry Key Immobilizer Module (SKIM), install the module on the column by sliding the module onto the non halo trim ring and installing the two mounting screws. Tighten the mounting screws to a torque of 3 Nm (25 inch lbs.).
e. Position the multi-function/windshield wiper switch in onto the top of the column and install the two screws securing the switch in place.
f. Place the clockspring onto the end of the column engaging the clockspring latch hooks into the column.
g. Install the ignition key cylinder in the steering column. To do this, first position the key cylinder in the ON position (with the key in it) so the retaining tab can be depressed. Push key cylinder into the column ignition cylinder housing until the retaining tab locks into place.

NOTE: When installing a tilt column, do not release the tilt lever from the locked position until after the column is installed on the instrument panel.

2. Install the steering column into steering column access opening in the lower instrument panel.
3. If the vehicle is equipped with a SKIM, Connect its wiring harness electrical connector.
4. Connect the wiring harness electrical connectors to the multi-function switch, windshield wiper switch, and ignition switch.
5. Connect the wiring harness electrical connector to the clockspring.
6. Align the slots in the mounting brackets on the steering column with the studs in the instrument panel Attach the column to the instrument panel by first installing the two upper mounting nuts (Do not completely tighten the two upper mounting nuts at this time). Next, install the two lower mounting nuts. Tighten all four mounting nuts to a torque of 17 Nm (150 inch lbs.).
7. If the vehicle is equipped with an automatic transaxle, connect the automatic transaxle ignition interlock cable to the steering column by pushing the end of the cable into the back side of the ignition cylinder housing until it snaps into place.
8. Position the steering column shaft in the correct position for mounting to the lower coupling. To do this, turn the steering wheel end of the shaft until the missing spline area on that end of the shaft faces straight up.
9. Verify the front wheels of vehicle are in the STRAIGHT-AHEAD position.

NOTE: Do not tighten the coupling pinch bolt anytime the vehicle is not at curb riding height. It may cause unwanted conditions within the steering column if the vehicle is suspended in any manner when the pinch bolt is tightened.

10. Reconnect the steering column lower coupling to the steering column upper coupling. Install the coupling pinch bolt an tighten the pinch bolt nut to a torque of 28 Nm (250 inch lbs.). Install the pinch bolt retainer pin.
11. Install the upper and lower steering column shrouds onto the steering column. Snap the two shrouds together and then install and tighten the two screws securing the shrouds to the column.
12. Install the steering column cover that mounts below the steering column on the instrument panel by first aligning the retainer clips and snapping the cover into place. Install the two screws along the bottom of the steering column cover.
13. Align the clips along the outer edge of the instrument cluster bezel with the mounting holes in the instrument panel and install the bezel.
14. Align the clips on the bottom of the instrument panel top cover with the mounting holes in the instrument panel and install the top cover by pushing it down into place.
15. Install the screw securing the left end of the top cover to the instrument panel.

CAUTION: If there is any question as to whether the clockspring is in the centered position, the clock spring needs to be recentered before installing the steering wheel. If the clockspring is not centered, it may be overextended, causing the clockspring to become inoperative.

16. Center the clockspring using the following procedure:
- Using your fingers, rotate the clockspring rotor in the CLOCKWISE DIRECTION to the end of the travel. Do not apply excessive torque.
- From the end of travel, rotate the rotor two full turns and an additional half turn in the counterclockwise direction. (The wires should end up at the bottom of the clockspring).

CAUTION: Do not install the steering wheel onto the shaft of the steering column by driving it onto the shaft.

17. Feed the clockspring wiring leads through the hole in the steering wheel. Align the steering wheel's wide mounting spline with the steering column shaft missing spline area and push the wheel onto the shaft. Make sure the clockspring squares up with the back of the wheel and does not bind.
18. Install the steering wheel retaining nut and tighten it until the steering wheel is fully installed on shaft. Tighten the steering wheel retaining nut to a torque of 61 Nm (45 ft. lbs.).
19. Connect the clockspring electrical leads to the speed control switches and reinstall the switches on the steering wheel.
20. Install the airbag electrical lead from the clockspring into the connector on the back of the air bag module. Be sure electrical connector from clockspring is securely latched into airbag module connector.
21. Connect the horn switch electrical lead to the connector on the back of the airbag module.

CAUTION: The fasteners originally used for the airbag components are specifically designed for the airbag system. They must never be replaced with any substitutes. Anytime a new fastener is needed, replace it with only the correct fastener listed in the parts book.

22. Install the airbag module into the center of the steering wheel. Align the airbag module mounting holes with the bolt holes in steering wheel. Install only the two original or identical replacement airbag module mounting screws. Tighten the two air bag module attaching bolts to a torque of 10 Nm (90 inch lbs.).
23. Install the airbag mounting screw trim caps on the steering wheel rear cover. One belongs on each side of the steering wheel.

NOTE: When reconnecting the battery on a vehicle that has had the airbag module removed, the following procedure should be used.

24. Reconnect the ground cable to the negative post of the battery in the following manor:
- Connect a scan tool (DRB III (R)) to the data link diagnostic connector located below the steering column.
- Turn the ignition key to the ON position. Exit the vehicle with the scan tool leaving the scan tool harness plugged in.
- Ensuring that there are no occupants in the vehicle, connect the ground (-) cable to the negative post of the battery.
- Using the scan tool, read and record any fault codes.
- Erase any stored faults if there are no active fault codes. If a problem exists, the fault code will not erase.
- Reach around the back of the steering wheel (in front of the instrument cluster) and turn the ignition key to OFF, then back ON while observing the instrument cluster airbag lamp. It should go on for six to eight seconds, then go out. This will indicate that the airbag system is functioning normally. If airbag warning lamp fails to light, blinks on and off, or goes on and stays on, there is an airbag system malfunction. Refer Airbags and Seatbelts, Testing and Inspection to diagnose the system malfunction.

25. Turn the key to OFF and remove the scan tool from the vehicle.
26. Test the operation of the horn, wipers and any other functions that are steering column operated. If applicable, reset the radio and the clock.
27. If the steering column is a tilt column, verify the tilt mechanism operates properly.
28. Road test the vehicle to ensure proper operation of the steering system and the speed control system.