Marc Gelefsky

Omar,

Thanks! Where are there instructions? does th part come with them?
Ordered it from Sunset $156.

Marc Gelefsky

Will do! heh!
Hope it's a swiss clock spring!

fpb111

Marc,
Google airbag clock spring. You will get many hits about Chryslers spring recalls and many "how to" like this:

All,

Since I encountered some difficulty when searching for a diagnosis, I thought I'd post this for future seekers. If your TJ's airbag light begins to flicker on and off over the course of a few weeks then stays on constant...listen up! Shortly thereafter, your horn will stop working. A faulty airbag clockspring is to blame, and its an easy fix! I sourced one through Ebay, approximately $129 with shipping (brand-new). Here's how to do it:

*Tools needed! 8mm socket, 13/16" socket, steering wheel puller kit.*

***Do not turn the steering wheel at any time during this process!!!***

- ***UNPLUG YOUR NEGATIVE BATTERY CABLE!!!*** Allow AT LEAST 2 minutes to lapse before resuming work; your airbag will de-arm during this period.

- ***ENSURE THE STEERING WHEEL IS STRAIGHT, AND TIRES ARE POINTED STRAIGHT AHEAD!!!*** This is crucial, so don't skip this step! On the backside of the steering wheel, there are two 8mm bolts holding the airbag/horn assembly on. Remove them, and your airbag/horn assembly will come loose.

- There are two wires plugged into the airbag. The one plugged directly into the middle simply pulls out of the unit with a firm tug. The other is a blade-type connector, pull them apart. Carry the assembly pointed away from you, and set it down with the trim side facing up.

- Remove the steering wheel retaining nut with the 13/16" socket.

- Attach the steering wheel puller, and remove the steering wheel. I thought I needed a ducks-foot type puller, but an H type puller is what is needed! I rented the kit from Advanced Auto, $20.

- You are now looking at the airbag clockspring. Look at the new unit, do you see the plastic clips which will hold it in place once installed? The old unit has them also. I jerked hard on the old unit and they both broke off, falling into the steering column cover. Once they are broken, the unit will slide off the shaft with some tugging, just try not to turn the shaft!

- Install the new clockspring in EXACTLY the same position that the old one was removed. Push firmly so the new unit locks into place. Use care, there are plastic splines in the inner part of the unit that must fall into grooves cut into the steering wheel shaft.

- Once installed, break the plastic retainer holding the white wheel thingy off of the clockspring. It's now time to reassemble, but there is one catch! That plastic retainer you broke off the new unit was holding that white wheel thingy from turning....see how the wheel is shaped kind of like an H? Look on the back of your steering wheel, and you'll see that the white wheel thingy and the steering wheel fit together. When putting the steering wheel back on, line up the white wheel with that spot on the back of the steering wheel. Then re-assemble the whole mess in reverse order!

It took me about 1 1/2 hours to do all this, only because I was taking my sweet time I've never worked on any airbag module or system before, so I was a bit leery...but this is truly straight-forward and easy to repair on your own. You don't wanna know how much the stealership quoted me to fix this! Just take your time, and soon you'll have an airbag light that stays off, and a horn that works again.

redridge

hahahaha... dont wear your wool skirt!!!

mikeswift

Hello, how did you end up fixing this fault? I have the same issue not sure what to do.


thanks

Pac996

In the above picture 7 is the sensor. Page 0-40 in the service manual shows the triggering unit under the seat or dash.....maybe. I'd imagine a clock spring style spring is what holds a contact centered waiting for a force strong enough to compress the spring and make contact with a rim of a hole the center contact on the spring wiggles in. Maybe just the sensor under the seat need to be unplugged and replugged to eliminate corrossion from sitting so long. Page 03-51 goes over limited airbag maint stuff. Good luck.

Marc Gelefsky

I replaced the clock spring and that fixed it. Are you getting the same code?

mikeswift

yes, same code, not sure why though can you forward a link to the part you got i don't see it in the picutre? what picture?, I gotta play with the seat connectors because when i bought the car one was unplugged, and then when mechanic switched the light off it went off for a week, after it came back on i plugged it back in. but never had the chance to test it. Now i got my own PST 2(800$ not sure if that is a good price). So i can play around without paying dealer to reset the computer everytime.

mikeswift

All right i took it all part just to check it out, unpluged it all put some wd 40 on connectors, took my PST 2, deleted the code and it stayed off for more that 30 seconds. So i hope it will be good. but when i tried connecting the two connectors for the horn the horn keep beeping. is it because my battery is still plugged, and as soon as i screw the air bag on it will stop beeping (cant screw the air bag on because the damn horn is too loud).

thanks for help.

Marc Gelefsky

1st rule of working in an Airbag DISCONNECT THE BATTERY!!

Pac996

Yah you need to disconnect the battery before messing with the stuff. Then it could just be me but the first time turning the key after hooking the battery back up I'd be standing outside the car out of the way of the airbag

Marc Gelefsky

Part is called the Air bag contact ring. I think tge part is 996.652.211.00



and...DISCONNECT THE BATTERY!!

Meister Fahrer

I've got this light too, but my indy told me it's the seatbelt switch but was trying to tell me it would cost a few hundred for a new seat belt latch with install.

Is it possible to take the seatbelt latch apart and replace/fix the sensor?

Can't drive a German car with red light glowing on the dash.....

Marc Gelefsky

You can buy upated seatbelt buckle and fix it yourself. Porsche has a retrofit kit.

mikeswift

Did he hook it up to the original porsche computer? Do you know what code he got? I think 48 is for the seat buckle problem. Mine was 21.