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Old 05-02-2011, 7:58pm   #8
talon90
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There is a TSB on this issue. There is a problem in cars with the telescoping steering wheel where the movement of the column can tug on the connector and cause a momentary spike that can send a strange signal to the steering wheel position sensor.

If it is an isolated incident just watch it. If it happens more than once, take it in for service. If it has happened before, or if it happens again, I would consider a trip to the dealership and have the TSB performed to R&R the connector as indicated. Of course this is if your car has the telescoping steering column.

Not to be an alarmist but the repeated tugging on the connector can contribute to a condition called fretting of the connector pins. If this happens they can start a carbon buildup on the surface caused by the repeated arcing. If this buildup becomes enough to change the resistance of the connector it can lead to false readings to the steering wheel position sensor. Any false interpretation of the SWPS can lead to some diabolical behavior of the active handling system and cause the car to take proactive measures to right a perceived wrong. You really don't want this happening at the wrong time.

Other contributors can be an abs sensor or wheel speed sensor failing which can also cause the error message to appear. The last issue that I've also seen contribute was having one tire inflation pressure very high while having the other at or near the low end. This can cause measurement issues from the wheel speed sensor.

The repair, even not under warranty is a 30 minute exercise and it cost me $41 dollars parts and labor. They need to remove the lower panel under your steering wheel, open the connector, add a small wire jam to lock the terminals in place, reconnect the harness and tape it back up again.

Last edited by talon90; 05-03-2011 at 8:47pm.
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