Hi All

I am new and need some advice.

I have a Mercedes A Class 1600 on a 51 plate

My SRS Light is staying on and my horn does not work. Also the light where the clock is has stopped working.

I have had all the fuses checked and the horn does work. I have been told it is the Spiral contact/ Clockspring and i really cant afford to have it sorted as i am being quoted over £200. I need the horn working for the MOT.

Can anyone help me or suggest where i could take it that would not cost so much. I am in the Essex Area.

Thanks would be much appreciated

 

the clockspring circuit/wire is broken.

somebody must have removed the steering wheel before and mess around with the installation.

have the disconnected/broken line soldered back in place.

remember to make a halfway turn before installing to prevent same problem (e.g. 5 turn for full, then do 2.5 turn to install). must be halfway with steering wheel in straight position to have allowance.

 

I had this problem and it was broken 2" from the inner connector.
Luckily Mercedes use a stranded copper wire in the ribbon cable and it is easy-ish to fix. After disconnecting the battery.

1. To remove the steering wheel. (2 x Torx screws back of air bag, remove air bag including disconnecting horn connection, the larger one has to be squeezed to release). Undo Allen bolt in centre, it IS tight.
2. Rotate clock spring cover until you can see the two small x head screws holding the unit to the switch assembly through the two small holes and remove.
3. Carefully pull the clock spring unit out of the column.
4. Gently squeeze the rear centre of the unit so the two halves come apart, it is a fiddle, try not to break the plastic.
5. Where the steering wheel connections join the unit in a grey block, release the clip on the black part outwards and push the grey connector inwards towards the ribbon cable to release it; you cannot remove the connector completely as the airbag connector is too large.
6. You will see there is a rectangular part covering the ribbon cable where it goes into the connector.
7. Carefully ease the halves apart, it should hinge against the larger part rather than comes off completely.
8. Remove a small amount of glue from the cable to ease removal.
9. De-solder the ribbon cable from the connector.
10. Using a meter with a sharp tip on the probe, test from the soldered end along the wires to see where the break is and cut off the dead part.
11. Clean off the plastic from both sides of the cable by about 2mm and tin the strands lightly.
12. Making sure you have the two thicker wires and two thin wires in the right place sweat the cable to the original tabs in the connector.
13. Gently press the cable onto the two small ‘spikes’ in the connector, a ***** with the tip of a blade helps.
14. Apply a small amount of super glue to the cable end and then replace the flap over it and clamp until set, (clothes peg or similar will do).
15. When dry insert the connector back into the black part.
16. Carefully wind all the cable into the dish section making sure the two grey ‘leaders’ are the right way, following the direction of the cable, (mine wasn’t and that’s why it broke).
17. Making sure the cable isn’t on top of itself, place the two halves back together.
18. Rotate the two halves anti-clockwise until slight resistance is felt, stop!
19. Reverse direction until resistance is felt in the opposite direction whilst counting the turns.
20. Halve the result and rewind halfway. This is your dead ahead position. Re-install parts and steering etc.
21. Job done.
Unfortuntly if the SRS light is on there is no option short of buying a Foxwell tool than going to a STAR equiped workshop to have it reset.