Reno L4-2.0L (2006)
Clockspring Assembly / Spiral Cable: Description and Operation
Clock Spring
WARNING: Disassembling the clock spring can cause injury or cause the clock spring to malfunction.
CAUTION: Over-rotating the clock spring (over 3 and one quarter turns to one direction) without the steering wheel in position could damage the clock
spring and result in an inoperative driver airbag.
There is a coil assembly in the steering which is referred to as a clock spring because of its internal resemblance to the type of spring used in a
mechanical clock. The coil spring should never be disassembled, and there is no timekeeping function. The clock spring contains two or three
current-carrying coils. One of the current-carrying coils maintains continuous contact within the driver deployment loop while the steering wheel is
rotated. The clock spring also contains coils that maintain continuous contact for horn and remote audio control switch circuit. Turning the steering
wheel in one direction tightens the coil, and turning the steering wheel in the opposite direction loosens the coil. Do not turn the clock spring when the
steering wheel is not attached. Refer to Clockspring Removal and Installtion for proper installation of the clock spring. The clock spring also includes the
wiring and the connectors for the horn circuit and the driver airbag circuit. A yellow two-way connector on the lower steering column is attached to the
clock spring wiring. The yellow connector to the airbag contains a shorting bar which connects the driver high circuit to driver low circuit when the
connector is disconnected.
The shorting bar prevents current from travelling through the driver airbag module during servicing. The shorting bar is disengaged when the clock
spring connector is connected.
