Questions and Answers

Maxima Cruise And Horn Q. Hi Vincent, I own a 1992 Nissan Maxima GXE with 131,000 miles. The car runs excellent and I try to keep is in as best mechanical shape as possible. I recently discovered that my cruise control and the horn are not working. I never experienced problems with either and the only thing I can think of that could'v e caused the malfunction was the recent trip to a Pep Boys to replace the rack and pinion steering system.

At Pep Boys, they recommended that I replace the rack and pinion since it was leaking. I went ahead and made the repairs about a month ago, however I'm not sure whether they actually touch the steering wheel to do this. I know my horn works because the alarm can trigger it, however it will not function from the steering wheel (it should sound by pushing the steering wheel center), nor does the cruise control, for which the on-off toggle is located on the steering wheel itself as well. If it's possible that Pep Boys did tamper with the steering wheel to repair the rack and pinion, I'm not sure how I would go about trying to establish the cause for the malfunction?

Lastly, the reason why the leaking rack and pinion was discovered was because I heard a 'clunking' sound coming from the front underside of my car. The mechanics told me the only thing they could think of was that the rack and pinion should be replaced. However I still occasionally notice this happening, particularly when I'm pulling in/out of drive ways and I turn the wheels, it sounds like something is jarring loose.

Furthermore, at 100.000 miles, I noticed that there was an increase amount of play on the steering wheel and that I could sense uneven roads through to the steering wheel, on the gas pedal, and through the floorboards. When I'm driving over rough roads, I can feel the gas pedal move (slightly), and it reverberates throughout the underside of the car, so I thought that by replacing the rack and pinion all of this would have been corrected, but it hasn't.

I apologize if I've made my message confusing and greatly appreciate all your help/advice. Thank You!

Sincerely,
Richard

A. Well, if Manny, Moe and Jack took out the rack and pinion gear and did not lock the steering wheel, then they are the cause of the problem.

Inside the steering wheel is a spiral cable, also called a clock spring. If the steering wheel is not locked and is allowed to spin after the rack is removed, this clock spring will unwind and cause the problem you are experiencing. The way to confirm this is to take it apart and look at it and have it reset or replaced. I would highly recommend this be done at a Nissan dealership since the airbag system is also connected to this clock spring. You can then take the documentation back to the Boys and demand reimbursement.

The clunking noise you hear coming from the front end are probably the front struts. This is common on that car and will cause the noise you are hearing. But before you spend money on replacing them, do this. Look into the left front wheel well. You will see a black plastic cover. Make sure that it is not touching the transmission. Slide your hand under and up and make sure there is at least two inches of clearance. If it is touching, bend it out and drive the car. If the noise goes away, that was it. I never fail to be surprised how much noise that little plastic shield can make.

Additional Information provided courtesy of ALLDATA