Gentlemen,

Today I had my steering universals replaced and, while the car steers much better, now the SRS light is always on. The fuses are fine, the airbag harness/connections look(s) to be in good order, there are no codes showing, and I am at a loss.

Is there some type of spring connected to the column/shaft? And, could removing the steering shaft, in the engine compartment, have an effect on the SRS. In the past, I remember (?) reading a post about the aforementioned situation but, after thoroughly searching the archives, nothing related to my situation can be found. Also, I hear a light scraping noise from inside the car (on the column)... does that ring any bells?

Any help will be greatly appreciated. TIA, Jon

I had to replace my airbag unit a while back due to a split cover on the steering wheel. The PO didn't take care of it. After the indy guy exchanged the airbag, the SRS light came on, and it turns out that the cause was a broken contact reel. I picked up a used contact reel from Voluparts and had that installed, which turned out the SRS light.

If the SRS light is on, it is a surprise that no codes are present. Check he 700/900 FAQ on how to retrieve the SRS Codes and make sure you have followed the correct procedue. Is it possible that the mechamic turned the car on with the sterring wheel disconnected? If so this will set a code that must be cleared.

The spring you read about in the past is called by various names: clock spring, contact reel, ... Anyway it is two coils of what looks like copper ribbon that wind and unwind as the steering wheel is rotated. It is important that this is preset to the right position when instlled back in the car. It must be set to the center of it's rotation, and the wheels must be pointed straight ahead when installing.

Dan