[blackkat23]

i bought my cougar and the horn is not working. the previous owner statedt that the clockspring needed to be replaced. does this sound that simple or is there more than just meets the eye?

 

[BobKaBob]

you need to pull the steering wheel off... not easy, but not impossible... pick up a ford cd off ebay and it'll give you good how-tos to do almost anything to your car. Just be sure that you have a clock spring failure and not a fualty horn, blown fuse, or disconnected wire...

 

[Funkboy316]

and once you get the steering wheel off the connection for the horn is right there so you will be able to tell, but with that said, does your cruise control still work? i ask because if your cruise still works then most likely it is not the clock spring as it uses the same connector harness as the horn. well at least it does in the 02 model cougars, its possible there may be some wiring differences between the model years since the steering wheel is different for the 99-00 models.

 

[LostRacer]

And last but not least..Is your airbag light flashing? Cruise Control not working? And horn non-functional. Symptoms of a bad clockspring.

 

[Rick]

My clockspring went very slowly. First my airbag light went on for a few months, then my horn stopped working, and then last, my cruise control went. I came made a thread on NECO and was told it was the clockspring. I had my uncle help me because he's a mechanic on the side and he was ready with his steering wheel puller and everything. We didn't need the puller, I disconnected the battery, unscrewed the steering column and unscrewed the airbag off and unplugged it and there was one bolt holding the steering wheel on. Took the wheel off with a little tug and there was the clockspring all uncoiled and messed up. I unpluged it and put the new one on and everything worked. Took about 20 minutes. I don't remember the price of the part or where I got it and it was only a few months ago...I know, I have the memory of a 97 year old man.

 

[LostRacer]

1 bolt?

 

[Rick]

Originally posted by: LostRacer
1 bolt?

YES! I took the bolt off and then I had to hit the other side of the steering wheel with my palm for it to come off. Just like how you have to kick tires for them to loosen off after you take off the lug nuts.

 

[blackkat23]

Originally posted by: LostRacer
And last but not least..Is your airbag light flashing? Cruise Control not working? And horn non-functional. Symptoms of a bad clockspring.

Actually, yes. The horn doesn't work and the airbag light is flashing and the maintainence light is on. i don't think my car came with cruise control either.