Smoking Steering Column

[3rdCoast]

This is great....... I was driving home this mornig from work at 2am and on the way home i smelled something funny and when i was at a stop light i noticed my steering column was smoking. When i got home i got out a screwdriver and took the top cover off and turned the car on and looked around and nothing happened. then i turned on the headlights on and i saw a small stream of smoke comming out of the left side. The headlight/turn signal shaft is broken at the base it was like that when i got the car u just had to hold the shaft while u turned the knob for the headlights and it would work until tonight over the last week or so i noticed u had to play with it a lil to get the headlights to come on and stay on. Does anyone know how to take this lever out so i can put a new one in. The headlights wont stay on now at all the will come on for a second but then blink or sometimes not and just turn off so something is melt/burned out. I dont know what burned but its deeper inside the column on the left than just the top cover so what am i gonna have to do to fix this? I had already planned on taking the lever out of my 88 lx and using that cuz at the time it was just an annoyance but now no headlights, not good. Man this car just gets better and better by the day :uh:

[Vanilla Sky]

you have to replace the whole combo switch.

remove the emblem on your steering wheel with a small flatbladed screwdriver.

remove the retaining nut from the steering shaft. this is a 19mm nut. it may require an extension for your ratchet.

mark the steering shaft and steering wheel with white paint to reference the relationship between the steering wheel and the steering shaft.

remove steering wheel, but remember that there are still wires attached.

disconnect the wire from the back of the steering wheel.

remove the lower dash cover and expose the dash underneath your steering wheel. there are 4 screws.

remove the steering shaft shroud. this takes a really long phillips head screwdriver.

remove the 4 screws that hold the slip ring in place. do not lose the turn signal cancel sleeve.

remove the 2 screws that attach the combination switch to the steering column.

unplug the 4 wire connectors under the dash that are attached to the combination switch. 3 of them are at the end of a long pigtail, one is a short one by itself.

remove the combination switch.

instalation is reverse of removal.

install notes:

remember to install the turn signal cancel sleeve.

remember to connect the harness behind the steering wheel. this is what allows your steeringwheel mounted cruise control switches to work.

remember to observe the markings made during disassembly for the steering wheel placement.

or you can follow the how-to: combo switch how-to (http://www.3geez.com/showthread.php?t=41956)

[3rdCoast]

Fuck. Sounds fun

[Vanilla Sky]

it's about a 30 minute job for me.

[3rdCoast]

well i dont think its that hard but i gotta find the part im not gonna pay $150 new. And its hot as hell here so im gonna be soaked by the time im done.

[Vanilla Sky]

i might have one. i have to test the two i have sitting here. i need one good one for myself, and i'm not sure about the other.

[3rdCoast]

fixed it got one from a junkyard. I think it came off an 86 it took a lil moding to make it fit. Had to cut them plastic column cover to be able to get the right turn signal to click and stay on same with the high beams. The steering wheel also had a problem when i screwed the bolt all the way down it squeeked like it was screaming and the steering was tight. Just backed the nut out some till it stoped and the wheel wasnt wobbling. Its all good now. :cool:

[Vanilla Sky]

told you it wasn't hard.