01silvapathy Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Hey yall finally got around to driving the truck today after a week of it sitting pending time to work on the lift. So we had worked on the steering a bit and disconnected the joint and reconnected it thinking nothing of the wheel location. As I was driving out of the shop and turning sharp, I heard a cracking popping noise coming from the steering wheel. None of my wheel controls for cruise/volume work, and the airbag light is flashing steadily. Also my horn does not work, but honks when I lock the truck with the remote. Checked the relays and fuses and all are good. So my question is...what broke? I dont really know how to take off the steering wheel or how to get into it to look at things without the airbag going off Any help would be greatly appreciated! On a side note driving around with 6.5 in of lift in the front and 2in the back with around 8inches of cali lean def gets me the looks around campus!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 Sounds like you severed the harness going through the steering column. I'd take off the trim pieces and have a look inside. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted October 18, 2010 Author Share Posted October 18, 2010 Severed is definitely not a nice sounding word, hopefully its just a connection that came undone. Looking at the fsm now to try and figure out how to take a look inside and poke around Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skulptr Posted October 18, 2010 Share Posted October 18, 2010 there should be 2 little panels on each side that you can take off to access the airbag bolts, you won't be able to see much with the airbag in the way, also you might try just dropping the 2 plastic panels over the steering column, which i believe is just 3 screws from underneath and it just comes apart like a shell. when it comes to the airbag, it will take quite a bit of screwing up to make it deploy. as long as you disconnect the battery and leave it that way when you disconnect and reconnect it you will be fine. i've done more steering wheels with airbags than i care to count. if none of your steering wheel controls work, you definetly broke something. it may be wires, or it may just be the plastic plug. either way, probably not a costly fix, but it depends what it is. severed wires are easy to fix, same with the plug. anything else, may cost a few dimes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted October 18, 2010 Author Share Posted October 18, 2010 Thanks for the tip man! Going to look more into it tomorrow after I switch out strut spacers tomorrow and try to center my steering wheel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted October 18, 2010 Author Share Posted October 18, 2010 Upon looking into the FSM it would seem most logical that the "spiral cable" is the thing that broke. I will hopefully find out tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOT Posted November 16, 2010 Share Posted November 16, 2010 Did you ever figure this out man?? My car has had the exact same problem since I bought it, no steering controls, cruise etc, no horn... and probly no airbag.. Aside from taking the plastic shell off the column I dont know how to get the wheel off, it kind of scares me with that airbag right there lol. I didnt know all you had to do was disconnect the batery Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted November 16, 2010 Author Share Posted November 16, 2010 Yeah, I broke the clock spring. Its fairly easy to take it off and replace it, just need a torx bit and a screwdriver or two. The new clock spring costs around 60 bucks on ebay. I just dont have the money at the moment to fix it. I need to do other things like strut bearings first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fritz007 Posted November 17, 2010 Share Posted November 17, 2010 by chance when looking for a clock spring did u notice if it was the same one for a Qx4? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted November 17, 2010 Author Share Posted November 17, 2010 Should be, unless someone else knows different Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HitTheTrails Posted November 19, 2010 Share Posted November 19, 2010 I must have done the same thing. I have flashing air-bag light and no horn since the SFD.. Now it makes so much sense why people recommended tying the steering wheel to prevent rotation during the SFD lift.. So do I have to remove the airbag to get at the spiral cable / clock-spring ? There doesn't seem to be many for sale on Ebay, I hope I can get one for cheap at a local wrecker.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted November 19, 2010 Author Share Posted November 19, 2010 Yes, you have to remove the airbag and actual wheel to access the spiral cable. It takes a t45 torx bit with a hollow tip to take off the airbag. Ill link a video from youtube that has pretty much the same process for taking it off as well as link a clock spring from ebay. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/03-04-Nissan-Pathfinder-driver-air-bag-clock-spring-/350326952204?pt=Motors_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item51911d110c Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOT Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 aww!!!!! special tools required eh!! Id really love to just have my horn working again. I dont quite get (and dont wanna get hit with an airbag lol) how to get access or the old wheel off to see whats broken. I never personally broke mine it came this way but you guys seem to have done this during a lift install?? Any pics with it apart? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted November 21, 2010 Author Share Posted November 21, 2010 Nope, have not yet found the right bit to get the wheel off. I think that what im going to have to do is find a t45 size torx bit and then drill out the center to allow the bit to fit into the bolt to remove it. I also dont have the money at the time to buy a new clock spring so its going to have to wait awhile til I find funds then I will tear into it and see whats goin on. And there is no way the airbag will go off, they take a special signal to go off, and what you have to do is un do the battery then unplug the actual airbag and there is no way it can go off...atleast im pretty sure thats how it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skulptr Posted November 21, 2010 Share Posted November 21, 2010 the airbag wont go off unless you take it out and give it a direct short with a 12v supply, or drop it 10ft onto concrete. i have taken out more airbags than i care to count, with batteries attached, and not one has gone off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOT Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 the airbag wont go off unless you take it out and give it a direct short with a 12v supply, or drop it 10ft onto concrete. i have taken out more airbags than i care to count, with batteries attached, and not one has gone off. So how do you guys take the damn steering wheels off theses cars then. I took my column covers off today and didnt see any place to pop the wheel itself or get access even to removing the airbag, I dont know if my qx4 is differenn pathys though Wish it didnt get dark so early!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted November 22, 2010 Author Share Posted November 22, 2010 Did you watch the youtube video I liked further up in this thread? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WOT Posted November 22, 2010 Share Posted November 22, 2010 When I popped off my plastic steering wheel covers I didnt see the T45 or any way to get the air bag off the front of the steering wheel Did you read any good links on the net on how to remove our specific bag and how to keep track or everything aligned. I just want my damn cruise control and horn to work!!! Im sick of people being ****** drivers and getting away with it!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blevinger Posted September 27, 2012 Share Posted September 27, 2012 Anyone have a part # on this? I'm looking at the diagram scratching my head: http://www.courtesyparts.com/pathfinder-parts-r50-1996-2004/genuine-nissan-parts/steering/488-steering-column/-c-4700_4701_4815_4819.html I have a blinking AirBag light and no horn... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blevinger Posted October 30, 2012 Share Posted October 30, 2012 (edited) Bought the torx bit (Lowes or home depot have them, t45 or t50 can't remember). Replaced spiral cable AKA clock spring with one from a wrecking yard. CLOCK SPRING FROM WRECKING YARD, 1996 PATHY: 3.25 turns lock to lock CLOCK SPRING FROM MY RIDE, 1996 PATHY: 4.5 turns lock to lock The clock spring on my pathy (the one I removed) does not spin freely around and around. There is a clear end point to rotations in each directions. Replaced anyway: airbag light still flashing and horn still does not work... I'm concerned the new clock spring does will not turn enough with the wheel and end up breaking. GRRRR. Thoughts? Edited October 30, 2012 by Blevinger Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted October 30, 2012 Author Share Posted October 30, 2012 Mines still broken lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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