Spiral cable/clock spring question

[daniel240]

A while back I think i broke my clock spring/spiral cable. I was turning the steering wheel and i heard a loud click and the airbag light immediatly started flashing and the horn and cruise control buttons dont work. I went to the dealer and they said the part is $1000! Is this the same part? If so then im just going to get a used one, but has anyone every replaced one of these? I tried to take apart my steering wheel to get to it but it looks like you need some special tools. If anyone has done this please let me know, I would like to do it myself if possible.

[sittin' Slidewayz]

Yep...it's the clockspring. I had the same problem about two weeks ago. I went to the dealer to order one, they wanted like $860....yeah right. The cheapest one I found was for $200 somethin. I couldn't see paying that much for a dumb part, so I checked some junkyards, no luck. I found some dude on ebay parting out a car, so I emailed him, 40 bucks shipped. I think that would be your best bet or post in the classifieds.

As for installion, I didn't feel like doing it cause it was freezing, so my mechanic did it for a pack of smokes and 10 bucks .

[808DRFTR]

It's actually easy to do. just have to remove the air bag (10mm nuts on each side of the steering wheel) take the wheel off (i think 19mm nut) then so forth.

[daniel240]

sweet thanks. Actually I just got the special T50 tool you need to remove the air bag so i think im going to try to fix it myself.