andydbutler Posted January 17, 2018 Report Share Posted January 17, 2018 One day all instruments on the steering wheel stopped working at the same time - horn, cruise, high beams, compass, wipers, radio. Radio works fine at the mid console. Door windows, convenience lights, radio, heater adjust, seat adjust all work fine. Speedo, tach also work fine and ther are no "NO BUS" messages on instrument cluster. Brought to mechanic shop that specializes in electrical to get a computer scan (more than my little ODB2 scanner). Their computer gave a code "cannot read high beam multi function switch'. The switch (handle) was replaced. No improvement. Here is where it gets strange.... they unhooked the 'instrument cluster' and the steering wheel "kind'a" started working. I say kind'a because you can turn on the lights and wipers, but they would not turn off (this is what the mechanic said). Now they want to replace the cluster - that cost a lot of money and they are "fixing" by replacing.... they don't have any idea what is the root cause of the problem. They don't think it is the fuse box, sorry, TICM or the clockspring. $400 later and still no idea of a solution. Any ideas????????? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bramfrank Posted January 17, 2018 Report Share Posted January 17, 2018 Since the only thing that doesn't work are the steering wheel controls then by inference it is only logical that is has something to do with an element unique to the steering wheel controls, which you suggest they do not agree with since, as far as I know there is the clockspring, the cable TO the clockspring, the controls themselves in that segment of the vehicle. Why they would unhood the instrument panel is beyond me. If it is working, then unless they pass the buss THROUGH the cluster to get to the clockspring it is not implicated in the circuit. I suppose it is possible that something else in the vehicle is messed up and that it has assumed the address of the steering wheel controls. Have you sniffed the buss to see if messages are being set from the controls? Has this shop? Do they even know what they're doing? larryl, jkeaton and OhareFred 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryl Posted January 17, 2018 Report Share Posted January 17, 2018 Reads like a scavenger hunt I was also thinking a chaffed or crimped wire in the steering column or something OhareFred and jkeaton 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydbutler Posted January 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 16 hours ago, larryl said: Reads like a scavenger hunt I was also thinking a chaffed or crimped wire in the steering column or something I, myself, looked at the wiring in the steering column and didn't see any issues.... my background is computers so I know what to look for in the case of bad wiring. What I don't have is a good schematic of all the wiring. This is causing me problems which is why I brought it to a mechanic. I guessing that one wire is carrying a signal (bus) and this is causing the problem... I just have no idea of what wire to look at. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydbutler Posted January 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 17 hours ago, bramfrank said: Since the only thing that doesn't work are the steering wheel controls then by inference it is only logical that is has something to do with an element unique to the steering wheel controls, which you suggest they do not agree with since, as far as I know there is the clockspring, the cable TO the clockspring, the controls themselves in that segment of the vehicle. Why they would unhood the instrument panel is beyond me. If it is working, then unless they pass the buss THROUGH the cluster to get to the clockspring it is not implicated in the circuit. I suppose it is possible that something else in the vehicle is messed up and that it has assumed the address of the steering wheel controls. Have you sniffed the buss to see if messages are being set from the controls? Has this shop? Do they even know what they're doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydbutler Posted January 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 I agree with you. Since the only things not working are associated with the steering wheel... I believe the fault is there. This first thing I did was remove the airbag to get a good look at the clockspring and surrounding wires. I didn't see any faults. Without a schematic, I don't know how the "headlight wire" gets to the battery and the headlight itself. Gone are the days where it is a straight run - battery- switch- light. Nowadays it has to go through 1/2 dozen black boxes that all have computer-ish type stuff in them. Without a "map/schematic".... &%$^&*. I understand "sniffing a bus" (my computer background) but I don't have "car" tools to do it, and I don't know which wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2late4u Posted January 18, 2018 Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 clock spring or wiring in the steering wheel if i was guessing, i would find a different mechanic... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andydbutler Posted January 18, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 thankyou 2late4u - I am of the same mind BUT here is a question 2late4u..... clockspring??? does clockspring also handle the left & right levers (multi functio switches)??? I know clockspring handles stuff on the wheel so contact was made while turning the wheel... but the turn/highbeam and wiper handles don't move so do they go through the clockspring too?? As for a different mechanic.... not too many options around here - especially for electrical problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2late4u Posted January 18, 2018 Report Share Posted January 18, 2018 well as i said if i was guessing but i would find a different mech as yours sounds like he is guessing good luck jkeaton 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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