Problem
- Your clock spring carries the horn, airbag and often SWC signals through the column.
Symptoms
- Your horn or cruise behaves oddly after the wheel was removed for service.
- The reference marks on the clock spring no longer line up after you turned the hub with the wheel off.
Cause
- If you spin the hub past the supplier rotation budget, you damage or misalign the ribbon inside the clock spring.
The clock spring is part of your vehicle, not the kit, so damage to it during fitting isn't covered by our warranty.
Fix Step-by-step
- Park with the wheels straight: centre the rack, then paint-pen or tape the hub-to-shaft relationship to match the OEM photos.
- Battery off, wait, then unplug the SRS: follow the discharge time in the manual before you touch the yellow connectors.
- Remove the wheel without shock-loading the column: use a puller if it's specified. Shock it sideways and you stress the ribbon.
- Lock the rotation during service: use the supplier lock pin or the prescribed restraint. Common mistake: spinning the hub “for access” with the wheel off. Do that and you use up ribbon travel.
- Reinstall on the index marks: the clock spring dots and tabs line up neutral, the spline engages without forcing, and the horn slip ring sits centred before you torque the nut.
- Dress the harness slack: go to full lock left and right with the engine off. You shouldn't feel a connector tug or hear a ribbon peel sound.
If the alignment marks don't mate
- Stop, and assume the ribbon may be damaged. Get a qualified SRS tech to inspect it, don't guess extra turns.
