Well, new clockspring is installed. Airbag light is off, blinker trips off properly, now just to take it out for a drive to make sure the cruise control & wheel position indicators are working correctly. For any who are interested, below is what I did to replace it.
The part numbers of the 2 units were slightly different, however all electrical connections were correct as far as I could test with the multimeter but there was a slight physical difference in the opening where the gear to trip the blinker is.
I started by disconnecting the battery. Dealing with explosives makes me careful. Explosives with power potentially on the det circuit? No thanks. 5 extra minutes for a lot of peace of mind! I then removed the shroud around the steering column by removing the 3 #20 Torx screw underneath. The tricky part is getting the airbag off the wheel. It is held on by 3 spring clips that are accessed from the back of the wheel. You need a short flat screwdriver to get them off. I used my Swiss Army knife with the large screwdriver half open to get extra leverage while still fitting in behind the wheel. Once it is loose, disconnect the 2 electrical plugs that connect to the C/S.
The hard part of that is turning the wheel to get each hole to the 12 o'clock position, so you can get the screwdriver into it, as you
really should have the battery disconnected when working on an airbag. As such, no engine & no power steering to help turn it. But it can be done.
Unplug the horn/cruise control connector. Then one 1/2" bolt to remove the steering wheel. Then disconnect the 3 plugs that go into the back of the C/S for the airbag, wheel angle sensor & cruise control.
Then there are 3 screws to remove the old C/S, again #20 torx, but you need a fairly short driver to get onto the 2 on the top (one on each side. You don't have to remove the #27 or 30 security torx). The 3rd is on the front. I used a tip & magnetic bit holder with a 6" shifter to get it loosened until I could turn them by hand. I removed the clockspring with the indicator & windscreen washer stalks attached. You then undo a phillips screw on each side to slide them off.
The new C/S comes with a clip holding it in position to stop it turning, & you just need to be careful after it is on the steering column, before you put the wheel on. Slide the indicator & windscreen washer stalks onto the C/S & secure with their screws, then the assembly goes back onto the steering column. Leave the clip in until you have the 3 torx screws in place & nipped up. (Again I used the tip in the holder with a shifter to tighten the last bit.) Reconnect the plugs for the airbag, wheel angle sensor & cruise control.
Now you carefully remove the holding clip & put the steering wheel back on, feeding the airbag wiring through the hole at the top. The wheel is keyed, so it can only fit on in the right position. Once it is on & the bolt done up, reconnect the horn/cruise control plug, then plug in the airbag & push it on. You will hear & feel the spring clips go into place. The pointy(ish) clip goes at the bottom, it only fits on one way.
Reattach shroud & tighten screws. Reconnect battery. Enjoy no more airbag light!
All up, it took me between 60-90 minutes & the only info I had was that the airbag was held on be 3 clips over tabs accessed from the back of the wheel.
Now I'm off for a drive!
