Ok so I've narrowed my no gauges to the clockspring(it through a code for it). I can do the repair myself but it's still $350-$400 for the part from the dealership. My question is. I was thinking instead of spending that money on a factory part i would rather scrap the stock steering wheel and go with an aftermarket one.

I heard there was a part that replaced the clockspring(called a squid or squido or something) that would make the jeep think theres sn operational clockspring and bring my gayges back to life. Then i could put that money i woyld have spent on an aftermarket steering wheel.

Does anyone know if the thing I'm trying to explain. Is there's such a thing. Or are there any other ideas of resolving my problem while putting that money into something cool.

 

you can get an ebay clockspring with no cruise for less than $100. that's about what I sold mine for.

 

Check out "For Sale" section....there is one for sale now.

 

X2 on that.. I searched the internet and found a new mopar clockspring with cruise control for $94.

 

I seriously doubt the clockspring is bringing down your gauges.

Remove the column shroud and unplug the clockspring. If it is the problem then your gauges will start working (after a key cycle).

Do you have an airbag light on? Does anything work in the cluster?

What codes do you have?

Year/model?

 

I too doubt its the clock spring. Removed it from my 95 and didn't have any issues

 

There are 2 squib circuits (for airbag deployment), a horn circuit and if equipped, several cruise control circuits that pass through the clockspring. None should have any effect on the operation of the gauges.

 

Ok. I'll give all the details as I didn't want to a long time ago as there were like 4 new threads about the same problem. Here's how I got to where I am now.

99 classic auto without cruise control and the stereo works. I start it up none of the gauges work, the airbag light and engine light are lit up. The horn does work and if i honk it the tach and the fuel gauge will operate properly for a couple seconds, but the die again. As I do this I think the airbag light goes out. Can't remember right at this second.





So I replaced the two harnesses behind the column thinking it was just a mis connection in the bus wire.







After I did this I found out that I can cycle the ignition to acc and off five times to run the gauges through a sequence test. When I do this the gauges will cycle properly for like thirty seconds then it's dead again. So I thought this basically meant the connections in the back of the cluster was good. The cluster itself was good.

So then I had a buddy who is a certified mechanic scan it for me. He's super busy and only managed to determine that it gave a no bus. Which is what I kinda thought/knew the whole time. I wish he would have had more time to pin point the issue but didn't. His best guess was the clockspring and was the one that told me about the "harness" that could plus in place of the clockspring to trick the computer to believe it was still there. Then allowing me to put the minty towards a new steering wheel or something.

As you can see I think an aftermarket steering wheel would compliment my build.

 

If the horn works it's NOT the CS.

 

Ok. I like the sounds of that. My buddy said that if he had enough time he'd trace the bus wire(s) from the computer to see where the issue actually was located. But again. Super busy and after sitting at his house for a week I got itchy and had to have it back in my yard to work on.

Hopefully totally on related but I also fixed a whole bunch of wires in the driver door as they were all cracked and had broken contacts. Is there a bus wire in there? Or any reason to be related?

I thought the horn working would be the key but no one else had a similar symptom and I kinda felt 4 active threads was enough at the time.

 

Ok so after going through the for sale section and seeing multiple past threads about parts jeeps with clocksprings for sale. So I can get a used one? I thought because of the could spring inside once you pulled it off the steering shaft it was no longer usable. I've got a couple wreckers nearby that have 97+ xjs.

If this turns out to be the problem. Which apparently it may not be now.

 

Sounds like a connector with corrosion/contamination.

Providing ground to the horn circuit (pressing the horn pad) appears to be giving ground to another circuit (bleed over).
Worth looking into.

 

Ok thanks. Any idea as to why the airbag light would be on?

I may have to just pay to have it diagnosed. I was going to buy a scanner and electrical tester but to get a good scanner is too much. And what's the point in buying a cheap scanner if it limited to only so many codes it can scan for in the first place.

 

If you have a smartphone/ laptop with bluetooth you can pick up a BT obd code reader/scanner from Amazon for about 20$ Works great, definitely worth the money, also has some real time data/gauges info.
I am pretty sure it is not legal to swap in a non-airbag steering wheel into a vehicle that came from the factory with an airbag. If off-road only then I suppose its fine, but for on road use you may want to look into it.

 

Most scanners are only OBDII for engine/emissions and trans related systems. Most don't do body systems or ABS. Much of that is still manufacturer proprietary. There may be some out there but they will be expensive.