{"id":105099,"date":"2024-04-19T22:40:15","date_gmt":"2024-04-20T05:40:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogv2prod.wpenginepowered.com\/blog\/?p=105099"},"modified":"2024-08-03T00:01:58","modified_gmt":"2024-08-03T07:01:58","slug":"what-is-a-steering-wheel-clock-spring-plus-faqs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-is-a-steering-wheel-clock-spring-plus-faqs\/","title":{"rendered":"What is a Steering Wheel Clock Spring? Plus FAQS"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><body><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><style>.kadence-column105099_43e540-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col,.kadence-column105099_43e540-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{border-top-left-radius:0px;border-top-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-right-radius:0px;border-bottom-left-radius:0px;}.kadence-column105099_43e540-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col{column-gap:var(--global-kb-gap-sm, 1rem);}.kadence-column105099_43e540-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;}.kadence-column105099_43e540-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col > .aligncenter{width:100%;}.kadence-column105099_43e540-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col:before{opacity:0.3;}.kadence-column105099_43e540-50{position:relative;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kadence-column105099_43e540-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kadence-column105099_43e540-50 > .kt-inside-inner-col{flex-direction:column;justify-content:center;}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-column kadence-column105099_43e540-50 inner-column-1 qk-look-widget\"><div class=\"kt-inside-inner-col\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-row ultp-block-368757  qk-main-wrap\"><div class=\"ultp-row-wrapper\"><div class=\"ultp-row-content\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-ultimate-post-column ultp-block-afec4f\"><div class=\"ultp-column-wrapper\"><style>.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading105099_0afae9-03, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading105099_0afae9-03[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading105099_0afae9-03\"]{text-align:center;font-size:20px;font-style:normal;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading105099_0afae9-03 mark.kt-highlight, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading105099_0afae9-03[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading105099_0afae9-03\"] mark.kt-highlight{font-family:Inter;font-weight:500;font-style:normal;color:#f76a0c;-webkit-box-decoration-break:clone;box-decoration-break:clone;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;}.wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading105099_0afae9-03 img.kb-inline-image, .wp-block-kadence-advancedheading.kt-adv-heading105099_0afae9-03[data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading105099_0afae9-03\"] img.kb-inline-image{width:150px;vertical-align:baseline;}<\/style>\n<div class=\"kt-adv-heading105099_0afae9-03 summary-title wp-block-kadence-advancedheading\" data-kb-block=\"kb-adv-heading105099_0afae9-03\"><span>Summary<\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Clock springs connect the steering wheel to the steering column without breaking the electric cables between the two.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some automakers call this component a &ldquo;spiral cable,&rdquo; but it&rsquo;s not a spring, per se. It&rsquo;s a plastic printed circuit that is very easy to break if not installed properly.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>You can tell if a clock spring is faulty if any of the electrical systems linked to the steering wheel start to malfunction.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While you can drive with a bad clock spring, it&rsquo;s not recommended because important safety features like airbags and horns won&rsquo;t function properly.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n<p>Clock springs are often overlooked because they can&rsquo;t be seen without dismantling the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/steering-wheel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"steering wheel\">steering wheel<\/a>. However, you can&rsquo;t afford to disregard it if you want to ensure your safety on the road, as it&rsquo;s connected to the airbag. Let&rsquo;s take a closer look at it and why it&rsquo;s important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Is a Steering Wheel Clock Spring?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"844\" src=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/automotive-steering-wheel-clock-spring-1024x844.jpg\" alt=\"automotive steering wheel clock spring image\" class=\"wp-image-105983\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/automotive-steering-wheel-clock-spring-1024x844.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/automotive-steering-wheel-clock-spring-300x247.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/automotive-steering-wheel-clock-spring-768x633.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/automotive-steering-wheel-clock-spring-150x124.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/automotive-steering-wheel-clock-spring.jpg 1500w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">A steering wheel clock spring | Image Source: Richard McCuistian<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the days of driver airbags, vehicles with speed control had a set of slip rings that connected the buttons on the steering wheel to the cruise control system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But with the advent of driver airbags, a better connection was needed than slip rings, which tend to have scratchy, unreliable connections as the car ages.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The spiral cable &ldquo;clock spring&rdquo; is actually a printed circuit strip that is coiled so that it is connected on one end to the steering wheel and on the other end to the circuits feeding the horn, cruise control, and airbag circuits, and maintains the connection throughout the range of steering wheel rotation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where Is the Clock Spring Located?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The clock spring is mounted on the steering column under the steering wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You can access it by removing the steering wheel and searching for the wired, circular part underneath. It&rsquo;s often in the same assembly as the turn signal lever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To remove the clock spring, you&rsquo;ll need to detach the wires that connect it to the steering column.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Can You Tell If a Clock Spring Is Faulty?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When the clock spring is faulty, the horn and airbag, and steering wheel buttons and switches won&rsquo;t operate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Airbag Warning Light<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>A faulty clock spring can cause the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/airbag-warning-light-why-is-it-on-and-should-you-keep-driving\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"airbag warning light to illuminate\">airbag warning light to illuminate<\/a> because it opens the deployment loop that fires the airbag and the restraint module detects that open circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Malfunctioning Car Horn<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>One of the most frustrating problems a driver can face with a bad clock spring is the car horn becoming unresponsive. This typically occurs when the clock spring gets cut off from the car horn via displacement, damage, or general wear and tear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Noisy Steering Wheel Rotation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In some cases, the steering wheel can emit a clicking or rubbing sound when it&rsquo;s turned. The faulty clock spring can also cause issues for the radio and cruise control because these circuits are also provided by the spiral cable\/clock spring printed circuit strip.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Unresponsive Buttons on Steering Wheel<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When a clock spring becomes faulty, there&rsquo;s a good chance that it&rsquo;ll also take down all the buttons on the steering wheel. Checking for buttons that don&rsquo;t do what they&rsquo;re supposed to isn&rsquo;t difficult. The clockspring usually renders them totally inoperative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"article-search-widget\">\n<div class=\"cp-search\">\n<div align=\"center\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cld.partsimg.com\/image\/upload\/w_auto,dpr_auto\/carparts\/logos\/badge_wordmark\/full_color\/CP_LOGO_COLOUR_RGB\" alt=\"CarParts.com\" width=\"300\" height=\"56\">\n<\/div>\n<form id=\"cpsearchform\" name=\"cpsearchform\" action=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/search\" method=\"get\" target=\"_blank\" accept-charset=\"character_set\" aria-label=\"search CarParts.com\">\n    <input type=\"text\" class=\"keyword\" name=\"q\" placeholder=\"Search for parts on CarParts.com\" value=\"\" aria-label=\"Search CarParts.com\"><input type=\"submit\" class=\"btn-search\" value=\"Search\" aria-label=\"Search\">\n<\/form>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What Causes Clock Spring Problems?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like other components, clock springs wear out over time. They&rsquo;re not impervious to external damage either. Here are some of the things that can cause a clock spring to become faulty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Improper Installation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The clock spring must be centered before installation (there are typically instructions on the spiral spring label) and a new spiral spring will come centered with some type of lock pin that is to be removed after it is installed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The wheels need to be straight ahead with the steering column centered before the spiral spring is installed. Also, when replacing the steering rack, make sure the steering wheel is locked in the center position with the wheels straight ahead before removing the steering rack. Make sure the replacement steering rack is centered before installing it or you will destroy the airbag clockspring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The wheels need to be straight ahead with the steering column centered before the spiral spring is installed. Also, when replacing the steering rack, make sure the steering wheel is locked in the center position with the wheels straight ahead before removing the steering rack. Make sure the replacement steering rack is centered before installing it or you will destroy the airbag clockspring.<\/p>\n<cite>&ndash;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/author\/richardmccuistian\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician\">Richard McCuistian, ASE Certified Master Automobile Technician<\/a><\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wear and Tear<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Most clock springs last the entire lifespan of a vehicle with proper care and maintenance, though this doesn&rsquo;t mean that they&rsquo;re indestructible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Impact Damage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When you get into a traffic collision, there&rsquo;s a chance that the impact can damage the clock spring of the steering wheel. It depends on the severity of the crash. Of course, since the airbag is likely to deploy, the clock spring will be the least of your concerns. If the airbag deployed, the spiral spring did its most important job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can You Drive with a Bad Clock Spring?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While you can drive with a bad clock spring, there are a lot of risks that come with doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, because the clock spring is directly associated with the airbag system, it can cause deployment failure if it&rsquo;s faulty. That can make a huge difference during accidents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly, a bad clock spring can mean an unresponsive horn, making driving a hassle for you and risky for nearby vehicles and pedestrians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where to Get High-Quality Steering Wheels for Your Vehicle<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When changing clock springs, you&rsquo;ll have to dismantle the steering wheel first. If the steering wheel itself is also faulty, you might need to replace it. Thankfully, <a href=\"http:\/\/carparts.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener nofollow\" aria-label=\"CarParts.com\">CarParts.com<\/a> has you covered with high-quality <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/steering-wheel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\" aria-label=\"steering wheels\">steering wheels<\/a> that are available at unbeatable prices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our steering wheels are tailor-fit for a wide range of vehicles&#19968;including yours. Precision-engineered by the best aftermarket manufacturers, our products are a guaranteed match for your vehicle&rsquo;s form, fit, and function.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Shop without hassle when you enter your ride&rsquo;s year, make, and model into our website&rsquo;s vehicle selector. This will narrow down the catalog to compatible steering wheels for your ride. You can also use the search filters to find a product according to your preferred brand, price range, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It only takes a few clicks to find what you need. Order now, and we&rsquo;ll deliver your product straight to your doorstep in as fast as two business days. Check out our products today!<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 4<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>Clock springs are often overlooked because they can&rsquo;t be seen without dismantling the steering wheel. However, you can&rsquo;t afford to&#8230; <a href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-is-a-steering-wheel-clock-spring-plus-faqs\/\" rel=\"nofollow\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":105101,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3746,52],"tags":[3499,878],"ppma_author":[2607,2985],"class_list":{"0":"post-105099","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-car-body","8":"category-diy","9":"tag-steering-column","10":"tag-steering-wheel","11":"entry"},"acf":{"adrotate_specific_mobile_ad":"","adrotate_specific_desktop_ad":""},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>What is a Steering Wheel Clock Spring? Plus FAQS - In The Garage with CarParts.com<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn the functions of a steering wheel clock spring, the signs it\u2019s faulty, their common causes, and more.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.carparts.com\/blog\/what-is-a-steering-wheel-clock-spring-plus-faqs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is a Steering Wheel Clock Spring? 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