Steering Wheel Click Fix

[Victorofhavoc]

My steering wheel started to click a while ago. The dealer couldn't reproduce the first time, or second. Third time they said they checked it and did something, but they weren't totally clear. It went away for a season and then came back. Fourth time at a different service department they said they couldn't reproduce but turns out they were looking for a suspension click and not a steering wheel click, despite me being adamant the service advisor note I expected it to be the clock spring or airbag. They then couldn't fix it at the time, and turns out they also scratched the underside of my bumper.

I gave up on the dealer so I decided to tear it apart myself. What I found was this retaining spring that would tap the steering wheel body aluminum and resonate super loudly through the wheel. I added a little felt tape and voila, it's gone! This spring would move ever so slightly with the airbag weight, which would result in it making repeated contact as the airbag would swing around when turning the wheel. It's just a bad design, and they should have had either more preload on the spring or a different locking design.

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[jedi03]

Is that the retaining spring for the air bag?

 

[Victorofhavoc]

Is that the retaining spring for the air bag?

Yes it is! Moves just a tiny bit each time the weight of the airbag weighs on it as you turn the wheel and that causes the click.

 

[creaturemachine]

Yeah the way the airbag feels disconnected from the rest of the wheel is a little disconcerting.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

Yeah the way the airbag feels disconnected from the rest of the wheel is a little disconcerting.

It's mounted this way for the horn mechanism it seems. It seems very well locked into place otherwise.

I agree though... Other manufacturers have figured out better ways where you don't have a floppy airbag in the end.

 

[Cantrip]

Dealer scratched my spotless '24. That's twice. First time they replaced my console but second time, nothing.

 

[ChromaPop]

Congrats on taking matters into your own hands there and solving your problem. It might be worthy of an email to Acura's quality control as maybe they could put out a service bulletin so if it happens to anyone else Dealers will know how to deal with it.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

Congrats on taking matters into your own hands there and solving your problem. It might be worthy of an email to Acura's quality control as maybe they could put out a service bulletin so if it happens to anyone else Dealers will know how to deal with it.

I have considered this, but seems through my previous interactions with acura national they really don't care.

Unless anyone has a better contact I can try other than their customer hotline...

 

[stanleywinthrop]

Did you put felt tape on both sides of that spring? I can't tell from the picture.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

Did you put felt tape on both sides of that spring? I can't tell from the picture.

No, just from the front side that faces the center of the wheel. For me it was the top right spring, but for you or others it may be one or both of the others or some combination of all three. I recommend moving it slightly at the hole where the airbag springs slot into, and letting it snap down. Once you hear THAT NOISE you will know it. Steel on aluminum... Very hard metal with a pinpoint like contact on a cast lighter metal surface... Like whale songs in the deep ocean

 

[jedi03]

I worked on a Nissan SUV recently an theirs was similar...had to pull it down to release the airbag an push it up to reengage it...cheap and not sure is cost saving vs the 2 screws/bolts that have held others for years...

 

[naitsirhc]

Great find!

I had the cable reel assembly replaced under warranty because of this noise. It went away for a little while but came back 2 weeks later. It's now more reproducible after the replacement.

 

[Victorofhavoc]

Great find!

I had the cable reel assembly replaced under warranty because of this noise. It went away for a little while but came back 2 weeks later. It's now more reproducible after the replacement.

It's possible that reseating the spring latch or swapping wheel (like to Alcantara) can reset the spring temporarily or change it entirely (like one a new wheel).

If you want to check if it's this causing the noise for you, it's pretty easy. Unplug battery, 3 holes on the steering wheel to press for the spring to come unlatched.

 

[creaturemachine]

I worked on a Nissan SUV recently an theirs was similar...had to pull it down to release the airbag an push it up to reengage it...cheap and not sure is cost saving vs the 2 screws/bolts that have held others for years...

Guaranteed it's for ease of assembly. Those few seconds saved on the line are like gold. Might also make the impending airbag recall easier.

 

[jedi03]

Rofl no kidding...maybe just make em out of legos...snap an unstable lol

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