Chrysler Repair: 98 dodge caravan, dodge caravan, signal lites


Question
98 dodge caravan, 3.0 engine, the horn, air bag lite and cruise control quit working. All these controls are in the steering wheel. Tried new relays and fuses under hood. Checked all fuses under dash. Under dash panel has what appears to be relays or box like connections. I hesitate to pull these. Signal lites {switch} and wipers are working. They are in the wheel. Have chilton repair manual but it does not cover this problem. Any ideas. Is there a connection with in the steering wheel that could have worked out.  

Answer
Hi Gary,
I don't claim any expertise post-'95, but I do have a wiring diagram for a '96 Cirrus which shows that the leads for the horn, cruise control are routed thru a natural color connector under the dash by the steering column and that the air bag leads are routed thru a yellow connector in the same area. So I wonder if these might have been disconnected by being kicked accidentally or maybe there is a combined connecter for all three systems under the dash that has been disconnected. Because they are quite separate circuits except for being in the steering wheel I suspect that something such as a common connector as I have described under the dash has popped open and so all the leads to these controls have been disconnected. So take a look under the steering column at all the leads that come out of the column area and see if any are hanging loose. If it is not that, then the clockspring in the steering wheel may have been damaged but that it unlikely unless someone removed the steering wheel without first disconnecting the clockspring.
The clockspring in a circular wrap of fine wires that allow for the switched to be mounted in the moveable steering wheel. There may be one clockspring array for all the switches in the wheel.

Roland