# Issues with Steering angle sensor after airbag clockspring replacement - RESOLVED



## Rad3309 (May 26, 2019)

Hello Everyone!

I am new to the forums and generally new to my Chevy Cruze. Purchased about 6 months ago, it was in a previous crash which most things were fixed other than the driver's airbag. It wasn't a major crash from what I know, though enough to deploy the one airbag. It is a 2013 Chevy Cruze Eco Manual trans.

Anyways I sent in the Air bag control module to get reset, then bought a new driver's airbag. After getting both of these I realized I would need a Air bag clock spring as well because one of the wires was completely missing from the original clock spring. I purchased one from an auto parts store for the Cruze and replaced that along with the air bag and the airbag control module.

After doing all of this, it unfortunately didn't fix the airbag light. Though this also caused a new problem.... basically I noticed after putting everything back together that when I started the car, I couldn't turn my steering wheel very far to the right before it would get "caught". I took everything back apart and relooked through my work and nothing looked like it was getting caught physically. I also noticed that I could turn the wheel just fine with the key in the on position and moving the wheels without the power steering. So once again I put everything back together to test and same thing. I noticed that with a little bit of pressure I am able to push past the stop in the wheel to get the wheel to start turning past where it gets "caught", but this in turn turns on the "check power steering" light when pushed past the notch. Once pushed past it doesn't get caught again unless I turn off and on the car again and it repeats symptoms.

Using a scanner I do get the code U0126 "Lost communication with steering Angle Sensor Module - Invalid serial data received.

After reading a bit more online it seems to be related to the steering wheel angle sensors somehow, they started having issues after replacing the clock spring. Has anyone ran into this or have any advice on to getting this fixed? Do I need some kind of higher analysis tool for my car to reset the Angle senor module or how does one go about doing this? Any advice is apricated.

Oh and I do have a "Service StabilTrak" light on all the time now as well, the power steering light doesn't come on until I push past the notch in the wheel to get the wheels to turn all the way to the right.


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Welcome Aboard!:welcome:

Did you replace the airbag carrier or the clockspring? In front of the steering wheel / behind the steering wheel

Don't forget to introduce yourself and your Cruze here.


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## Rad3309 (May 26, 2019)

Thanks!
Whoops, introduction complete and posted!

To answer your question - both. 

I originally bought the air bag itself (in front of the steering wheel), then had to buy and replace the airbag clock spring (located directly behind the steering wheel) due to the old clock spring was completely missing a wire which plugged into the airbag.

I can turn the wheel just fine while the power steering is off (battery disconnected and key in the "on" switch") but while everything is hooked up, I can only turn the wheel maybe half a turn to the right before getting stuck.

Didn't have this issue until after replacing that clock spring.


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

So number 6 on the left and 3 on the right - just to be clear


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## Rad3309 (May 26, 2019)

Number 6 on the left I believe is correct, and it would be number 10 on the right.

I plan to revisit my installation one last time when I get home tonight. I plan to check the clock spring to make sure I aligned everything correctly and may even reinstall the old clock spring to see if the new clock spring is defective. Should be a brand new part, but I guess you never know.


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## Rad3309 (May 26, 2019)

Think I found out what might of caused the issue.... After taking things back apart last night, I noticed the clock spring I have installed is damaged. Not because of a manufacturing defect, but because I believe I installed the clockspring while it was spun to the right. It has some sort of cables inside which only turns as far as the steering wheel is meant to go. I didn't even think about this during the initial installation.

So essentially what I should have done from the start was make sure the clock spring was aligned in the middle before installing the steering wheel. You can do this by twisting the clock spring counter clock wise until it stops with some resistance. Then I counted the turns it takes to get to the other stop spinning the other direction. Divide the total number of spins by 2 and there's the center. 









Unfortunately I broke the new clock spring by spinning the wheel with the clock spring misaligned. And I am thinking my Steering Angle sensor is off too. I Bought a new OBD2 senor that should be able to calibrate by Angle sensor and reset the air bag code as well as a new clock spring. Hopefully I will be able to fix this once those arrive.


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## plano-doug (Jul 1, 2015)

Rad3309 said:


> So essentially what I should have done from the start was make sure the clock spring was aligned in the middle before installing the steering wheel. You can do this by twisting the clock spring counter clock wise until it stops with some resistance. Then I counted the turns it takes to get to the other stop spinning the other direction. Divide the total number of spins by 2 and there's the center.


I wondered about that when I read your earlier post. That said, the new clock spring should have come with some warning labels on it to avoid over-rotating it. Furthermore, I would have expected it to come centered, too, altho that may not be the case.

Doug

.


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## RoninDusette (Aug 21, 2018)

I know this old, but I went through the same thing. Bought a new clockspring that is aligned, but I think I was off by like 2 or 3 teeth. Usually when this happens you can do what's called a "steering angle softbump reset/relearn" in gds2 and that will calibrate it to a true center and bring back the soft bumps. I havent done it yet, so I still hsve to turn basically to the right until it gets stuck, then muscle it a over 1/3 turn, the ses for power steering pops up, but it drives straight and true, but without stabilitrak or the electric assist steering. I'm sure that if I pulled it back off and adjusted a little clockwise the issues would go away, but I'm going to buy another steering angle sensor anyway.


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