SWPS for a '98

marty

marty

Casual User
You're 5
Nov 5, 2016
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54
Grande Prairie, AB
VetteCoins
504
Car
1998 Z51 coupe
so the car failed the out of province because of this sensor throwing code c1288. problem is it is a discontinued part from GM.
Steering Wheel Position Sensor.

there are some aftermarket ones, I just cant find one in Canada. anyone have any ideas?

is there a way via EFILive to program the parameters of this sensor so it doesn't throw a code? I just want the inspection to pass so I can register the thing. then I can worry about ordering a part from timbucktoo, and take care of it.

Manny?....help.
 
marty said:
so the car failed the out of province because of this sensor throwing code c1288. problem is it is a discontinued part from GM.
Steering Wheel Position Sensor.

there are some aftermarket ones, I just cant find one in Canada. anyone have any ideas?

is there a way via EFILive to program the parameters of this sensor so it doesn't throw a code? I just want the inspection to pass so I can register the thing. then I can worry about ordering a part from timbucktoo, and take care of it.

Manny?....help.
Click to expand...

That's a bcm code so EFI won't help you. Basically EFI can only disable or alter ecm codes ie P codes. Those would be emission and engine operational sensors ie everything wired to report to the ecm. BCM including body, braking, abs, steering, airbags, tpms subsystems report to a different module that last I checked EFI can't talk to.

Someone correct me please if this has changed recently.

That's a very common failure, check wreckers or cross shop the gm parts bin as it maybe shared with other gm cars.
 
it actually does share a part number with the 97 Cadillac deville Seville and Eldorado, but I believe the part # itself has been discontinued. worth looking into I guess.
on the DIC it is a code under TCS, which could be a subsystem of the bcm I guess.
 
marty said:
it actually does share a part number with the 97 Cadillac deville Seville and Eldorado, but I believe the part # itself has been discontinued. worth looking into I guess.
on the DIC it is a code under TCS, which could be a subsystem of the bcm I guess.
Click to expand...

Correct traction control falls under bcm. Definitely try wreckers or ads.
 
Marty if you cannot find anything locally try Caledon Corvette Parts (north of Toronto) and contact Santos. I have not dealt with these folks but they have a good reputation. I do not have a contact number for him but I am willing to try to find it if you cannot.

Hope you can get his sorted out.

Murray
 
Active handling was an option in 98. I believe my car does not have this option. if that is the case what exactly does the steering wheel position sensor do?

is there a way to bypass the system?

really cheesed off at the moment, how can GM just discontinue a part that effectively makes the car unusable, I can't register it without this being operational.
 
Marty..
Sorry to hear about your SWPS..
Mine went in my '03 a couple of years ago. Luckily it is still an available part for my year.
I can't imagine why it is different from yours?
I do have active handling and the SWPS is linked to that as well as the cruise control.
I suspect your SWPS is linked to your cruise control... any erratic movement of the wheel would automatically shut off the cruise. That would be a good thing.
You should take a look at some of the US Corvette forums for Early C5 SWPS info.
Try the wrecker yards as suggested, or even craigslist for Corvettes being parted-out...sometimes people purchase a whole steering column just for the sensor.
I see there are a few C5's in the Vancouver area CraigsList..there may be many others across the country.

Good luck

Graham
 
Have you read up on clearing the codes using the DIC? It might be an intermittent code that comes up so if you clear all the codes prior to getting the inspection done, you may be able to get it to pass.
As soon as I saw SWPS, I thought, oh crap. This is a HUGE issue for anyone with a 97 to 2000 C5. Apparently GM didn't pay the vendor who made these parts so they just stopped making them. I've read quite a few threads on people searching for the part with no luck. You can't use the part from a 2001-2004 because they changed the active handling system, and you can't take one off a used car because there are tabs that will break if you try to remove it so you need the whole column. It really does feel like a helpless situation.
You've done very well finding other cars that use the same part and if there is actually an aftermarket part now available, that is some welcomed news! I'll have to bug you for where to get one!
Anyway, try clearing the codes and see if c1288 comes back. If you are unsure how, I'll send you some information.
 
I've done some research on this in the past...My memory is a little bit hazy but my understanding is that the SWPS is a rotary encoder, in very simple terms, it reads the angle of the steering wheel and returns some value to the EBCM. It has a 5V input and I believe 3 outputs between 0-5V depending on the angle of the steering wheel with 2.5V as centered (car is going straight).

IN THEORY....and i don't know anyone who has tried this yet (i have yet to try it...) you could bypass the system by splicing a 2.5V wire to feed into the output wires of the SWPS. Now i'm not sure if all 3 outputs read 2.5V when the car is straight or if any of them have some sort of variable voltage (which would probably debunk this theory real fast and make it next to impossible) but assuming it doesn't, you're essentially replicating the output of the 3 wires as if the car was going straight to trick the EBCM into thinking the car is going straight forever...and active handling still wouldn't work correctly....but at least it won't throw a code...

Again this is all theory and you'd have to confirm the behaviour of the 3 outputs first to know if it is possible...maybe one day i'll test this theory on my own vehicle...but if you beat me to the punch please let me know the results. I guess the first starting point is to have someone kind enough to measure the voltage readouts on the output wires of their SWPS-working C5. Failing that there might be some info online somewhere if you look hard enough. Best of luck and please let us know how you got around this because i'm sure many c5 owners are in the same boat and would like to know what options they have
 
well I can get a connector for this sensor, but not the sensor. is it possible just the connector is gone bad?

I've cleared the 1288 code numerous times. it comes back immediately. left the battery disconnected for a while and reconnected. still there.

I thought I read somewhere this part was different on 97 and 98. 99 and 00. were different again. and 01 -04 were different from the others.

I've called numerous places for this part, used and or new aftermarket. I found one out of ont. for $630 plus tax. wow..
 
IMG_0555.JPG
I think I'm going to purchase a couple extras for my '03 while they are available.
Here's what mine looked like all disassembled..
They are quite a special.complex item..
I don't think Rock Auto, or anybody else, is going to be making these any time soon.
Graham
 
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I think this is a sound investment Graham. Perhaps we could do a group purchase and see if we can get some better pricing.

Even if you were to sell the car I think it would be a feature to have that would enhance a sale.

I really hope that Marty can find a solution to this. I would be frustrated if not a little PO'd.
 
Just a suggestion Marty, check any and all solder joints on the sensor. The C5 had quite a few issues with cold solder joints, eg HVAC lighting, ABS module etc.A few hours labour and a quick resolder can save a ton of money.
 
You are probably right Marty with the 97-98 being one type, 99-00 another type, and the 01-04 being the latest. I heard all the problem of availability revolved around the 99-00. However, reading that you are having issues with finding one, I lumped the 97-00 together.
What we really need to do is get some electrical engineer to make a connector that can plug in between the harness and the sensor and as people drive and steer, it reads the voltage so that we know exactly what that sensor does at what steering angles/speeds. Once that happens, reverse engineer the sensor to make New solid state sensor that uses a Hal effect switch to read the posistion of the steering wheel and send out the appropriate voltage.....ignoring all liability insurance.
 
[QUOTE="nascar03, post: 105471, member: 43 I think I'm going to purchase a couple extras for my '03 while they are available.
Here's what mine looked like all disassembled..
They are quite a special.complex item..
I don't think Rock Auto, or anybody else, is going to be making these any time soon.
Graham[/QUOTE]

after taking yours apart, do you think this is a repairable item? soldering? clean the contacts? etc.
have some electrical contact cleaner. gonna spray the s**t out of mine see if anything happens. not sure I can get the spray to the right area though. but we'll see.
 
had the car in to GM here. for the TSB recall on the column lock. They can't do that repair because of the tune on the car. also had them look into doing a recentering of the SWPS. there is no signal coming from the sensor so the recentering procedure won't work. so going to the dealership was a waste of time....as usual.
if the spray doesn't work i'll just have to order the $600 part I guess.
 
Hi Marty..
I don't believe the part is a repairable item.
It really took some work to get it apart..
Taking it apart pretty much damages the item.

I would keep looking for another steering column from a wrecked early C5 being parted out.
Have you peeked at the larger US forums for any further info?
CorvetteForum, digitalCorvettes, etc.

This sucks that you have to deal with this.
Graham
 
I've read so many forum post on this issue over the last 4 days my eyes are bleading, researched the part, searched for one all over. will continue searching I suppose, it's all I can do. everyone who carries the replacement part seems to be out of stock, might have to settle for a used one.
 
Before you do anything, do you have any other ABS codes? I have the SWPS code, but I also have a front left ABS code. Fixing that may get rid of both issues as they are tied together.
Also, search for cleaning the grounds on a C5 and clean all the grounds/connectors on the car. I think there are 5??? I haven't searched that for a while but dirty grounds/connectors can play havoc on our electrical systems.
And lastly, unless you absolutely have to, the column lock recall is a joke and won't stop the car from throwing the service column lock error. However, it will stop you from being able to drive the car. My car had the recall done and I got the service column lock error a couple years later. Because the dealer changes the fuel cut off to 2mph when this code comes up, I had to get the car towed home, then I installed the Column Lock Bypass kit from Corvette of Houston and has a local member change the fuel cut off from 2mph to 241mph so should this error ever come up, at least I can still drive the car.
The C5's are phenomenal cars! There's just a couple things (just like any car) that are frustrating if you get hit with it and unfortunately, you got the worst one.

Lastly, has anyone checked if the SWPS code remains on in a C5 without active handling? It sounds weird that any new car would throw a code but who knows? Maybe it's just part of how things run.

And lastly, I don't know if the car is in the system but you could also try a different shop and see if they would pass the inspection unless there's something on the inspection form that would lead them right to that code.
 
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