No Horn, Airbag light on

No suggestions here - just a report of an almost identical situation on my last car (a 1990 Mercury). When I bought the car, there was a piece of tape on the dashboard that I didn't notice. When I took it off, I saw that it was to cover the airbag light, which was always on. A few months later the horn started to not work all the time. The horn just kept getting worse, until it stopped altogether. Also, the cruise control stopped working. The common thread was everything on the steering wheel - horn, airbag & cruise - stopped working.

I don't work on cars much, and this was beyond what I could fix. The electical connection between the car and the wheel was shot. The garage ended up replacing the steering wheel (including the airbag). Cost $250 or so.

kl

M wrote:

OK I found it it is the clockspring or as Subaru calls it, the roll connector. It is a flat delicate ribbon cable that transmits electrical signals from the horn, airbag, et al, rotating parts of the steering wheel to the chassis. It is wound like a watch clock spring and installed in the middle position when the wheels are pointiing staraight ahead. If you put it in wrong it will tear and break. What appears to have happened here is the ribbon cable was bent and failed dut to fatigue.

Big bucks to replace so I took it appart and resoldered the ribbon cable at the end where it broke. Keep my fingers crossed and it will save me $300 or so since it is only sold as part of the combination switch on the streering column.

Yhe unit was taken apart once before and I supect it was reinstalled out of adjustment and placed strain on the ribbon cable.

Thanks, Mike