Removal

REMOVAL

WARNING: To avoid serious or fatal injury on vehicles equipped with airbags, disable the Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) before attempting any steering wheel, steering column, airbag, seat belt tensioner, impact sensor, or instrument panel component diagnosis or service. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative (ground) cable, then wait two minutes for the system capacitor to discharge before performing further diagnosis or service. This is the only sure way to disable the SRS. Failure to take the proper precautions could result in accidental airbag deployment.

NOTE: Before starting this procedure, be certain to turn the steering wheel until the front wheels are in the straight-ahead position.





1. Place the front wheels in the straight ahead position.
2. Disconnect and isolate the battery negative cable.
3. Remove the driver airbag from the steering wheel. Driver Airbag - Removal.
4. Disconnect the steering wheel wire harness connectors from the upper clockspring connector receptacles.

CAUTION: Be certain that the screws that secure the steering wheel puller to the steering wheel are fully engaged in the steering wheel armature without passing through the steering wheel and damaging the clockspring.

5. Remove the steering wheel from the steering column. Removal.
6. Remove the screw (2) that secures the tilt steering column knob (1) and remove it from the tilt actuator (3) on the left side of the column.




7. From below the steering column, remove the two outboard screws that secure the upper column shroud (1) to the lower shroud (3).
8. Using hand pressure, push gently inward on both sides of the upper shroud above the parting line of the lower shroud to release the snap features that secure the two shroud halves to each other.
9. Remove the upper shroud from the lower shroud and the steering column.
10. Remove the one center screw that secures the lower shroud to the steering column (4).
11. Remove the lower shroud from the steering column.
12. Disconnect the two instrument panel wire harness connectors from the two connector receptacles located below the steering column on the back of the clockspring housing.
13. Disconnect the instrument panel wire harness connector from the applied connector for the Steering Angle Sensor (SAS) located below the steering column on the back of the clockspring housing.




14. Remove the two screws (2) that secure the clockspring (4) to the multi-function switch mounting housing on the steering column (3).
15. Remove the clockspring from the multi-function switch mounting housing. The clockspring cannot be repaired. It must be replaced if ineffective or damaged, or if the driver airbag has been deployed.
16. If the removed clockspring is to be reused, be certain to secure the clockspring rotor to the clockspring case to maintain clockspring centering until it is reinstalled on the steering column. If clockspring centering is not maintained, the clockspring must be centered again before it is reinstalled. Procedures.