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clockspring,spiral cable,90 degree inop

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by northwichita, Sep 12, 2009.

  1. northwichita

    northwichita .

    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2006
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    Location:
    Wichita KS
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    I have two inoperative buttons on the right side that will work when wheel is turned 90 degrees, a quarter turn. However with a spiral cable....why would 90 degree turn make a difference?

    a forum with pic's-from a toyota truck's
    http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=697181

    Thinking about this, I'm guessing the contacts on the cable, steering wheel side flex and work when the wheel is turned to the right angle, an actual wire break would have soon fail entirely, anyone had this part accessible? A new weekend project.

    Reading the Bentley manual I found no mention of this, watching a youtube video on a generic car steering wheel removal shows the spiral cable behind the steering wheel. Will probably not dig into this without instructions. High potential cost to benefit ratio.

    Note I looked thru some saved documents, found this

    3215O−01
    F45898
    BRAKE − STEERING SENSOR
    32−71
    Author: Date: 3570
    2004 PRIUS REPAIR MANUAL (RM1075U)
    STEERING SENSOR
    REPLACEMENT
    1. DISCONNECT BATTERY NEGATIVE TERMINAL (SEE PAGE 60−1)
    2. REMOVE STEERING WHEEL COVER LOWER NO.2
    3. REMOVE STEERING WHEEL COVER LOWER NO.3
    4. REMOVE HORN BUTTON ASSY (SEE PAGE 60−20)
    5. REMOVE STEERING WHEEL ASSY (SEE PAGE 50−8)
    SST 09950−50013 (09951−05010, 09952−05010, 09953−05020, 09954−05021)
    6. REMOVE TILT LEVER BRACKET (SEE PAGE 50−8)
    7. REMOVE STEERING COLUMN COVER (SEE PAGE 50−8)
    8. REMOVE SPIRAL CABLE SUB−ASSY (SEE PAGE 60−29)
    9. REMOVE STEERING SENSOR
    (a) Unclamp the 6 claws and remove the steering sensor from the spiral cable.
    10. INSTALL STEERING SENSOR
    (a) Aligning the 2 locating pins as shown in the illustration,
    engage the 6 claws and install the steering sensor to the
    spiral cable.
    11. INSPECT SPIRAL CABLE SUB−ASSY (SEE PAGE 60−29)
    12. PLACE FRONT WHEELS FACING STRAIGHT AHEAD
    13. INSTALL SPIRAL CABLE SUB−ASSY (SEE PAGE 60−29)
    14. CENTER SPIRAL CABLE (SEE PAGE 60−29)
    15. INSTALL STEERING COLUMN COVER (SEE PAGE 50−8)
    16. INSTALL TILT LEVER BRACKET (SEE PAGE 50−8)
    17. INSTALL STEERING WHEEL ASSY (SEE PAGE 50−8)
    18. INSTALL HORN BUTTON ASSY (SEE PAGE 60−20)
    19. INSPECT HORN BUTTON ASSY (SEE PAGE 60−14)
    20. CONNECT BATTERY NEGATIVE TERMINAL
    21. PERFORM INITIALIZATION (SEE PAGE 01−5)
    22. INSPECT SRS WARNING LIGHT (SEE PAGE 05−1404)
     
    #1 northwichita, Sep 12, 2009
  2. prius4ed

    prius4ed Member

    Joined:
    May 13, 2008
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    Location:
    Irvine, CA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Re: clockspring,spiral cable, how to "center" it during installation??

    For step #14, it says to "center" the clockspring during installation. I believe this is CRITICAL, because if it isn't properly centered, it can overtighten or overloosen the cable when you make turns driving. This happened to me. I bought a used clockspring from a reputable salvage yard. It came with tape on the clockspring parts that move, to keep them from changing position from when they removed it from the donor car. I installed it and removed the tape. I centered my front wheels (pointed them straight forward) and leveled the steering wheel. For many weeks, everything was fine. One day, I turned the steering wheel full lock right while parked, to look at something behind my right front tire. The airbag light came on. Today, I removed the clockspring and sure enough one of the wire ribbons had been pulled out of it's socket during that full lock turn (have photos if anyone wants). Before removing it, with the tires pointing straight and the steering wheel level before I removed it, I VERY GENTLY turned the clockspring to count turns before I felt resistance. It turned 1.75 turns left and 2.75 turns right (from the straight ahead position). Apparently, this isn't right, because a full lock of the steering wheel damaged the spiral cable on a full lock right turn. But the other choice would have been 2.75 turns left and 1.75 turns right which doesn't sound correct either and would have made the cable break on a full lock right turn. Does anyone know how to center the clockspring during install? I'm beginning to suspect you can't turn a Prius steering wheel FULL LOCK without BREAKING the CLOCKSPRING -- ?
     
    #2 prius4ed, Mar 6, 2011
  3. DeeTrumpet

    DeeTrumpet Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 9, 2009
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    Location:
    los angeles
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    This is too late to help you, but . . . my clockspring is marked "5 turns" on the housing. And indeed I can get five full rotations, no more, before the cables tighten up. So I wound it to 2.5 turns, at which point the orientation of the top and bottom wire plugs is correct. My '04 Prius steering wheel turns 1.75 turns from center to full right or full left.
     
    #3 DeeTrumpet, Jan 7, 2014
    Kurt Hanson likes this.
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