I will try to make this explanation as short as possible.

a couple of years ago work took me to Hawaii for a year. While I was gone I let my Nephew use my 1997 Expedition while I was away. My thought was he needed a vehicle and I didnt want my vehicle just sitting while I was gone. During that year he repaired a few things one of which was something to do with the gearshift handle and cable. to fix this it was cheaper and easier for them to replace the entire steering column with one from a junk yard. they had it done by a mechanic that works out of his garage, and used what looks like a steering column from a Navigator which I do not know what year, but the steering wheel is the faux wood and has a lot more buttons on it than my basic cruise control buttons that I had on the original steering wheel. Since then the cruise control, and horn have not worked and the airbag light is constantly flashing.

I need to get the horn fixed to pass an inspection. For the immediate fix I am planning on running a temporary button and wire just to pass inspection, but I hate that idea and want to fix the actual problem. From what I have researched the problem sounds completely like the clock spring in the steering column. My concern is that I have had me mechanics look into this briefly and they said (I may be misunderstanding them) that whoever swapped the columns buggered them up and that the "modules" are not compatible or something like that.

My questions are: Has anyone done something like this?

Are the two columns and parts compatible?

And besides just ordering one and trying is there an easy way of finding out?

Thanks

 

If the column and steering wheel is from a Navigator, I doubt the clockspring and other electrical components on that steering column is compatible with the Expedition, especially if it's a lower trim Expedition. There's a lot of extra stuff in a Navigator. Different connectors and all that. I don't think anyone can say if you can frankenstein one together using electrical components and clock spring from an Expedition on a Navigator steering column, so that will probably be a trial and error thing. Best thing would probably be to yank a steering column out of a Expedition on a junk yard and use it to compare the parts. You could even do that with a busted (and thereby very cheap) steering column. Or you could just find a good one and replace it again, praying that the previous guy didn't make a hack-job of the electrical wiring.

 

Just an FYI, I know in my state that would still fail inspection because the factory horn setup is a tested safety feature and your temporary switch and wiring is not. You might want to ask your inspection station if it would fly before you go through the trouble of trying.

 

Thanks for the Help. I was afraid of the not being compatible issue. I guess I may have to rip it apart to find out for sure. As for the Inspection I should have specified its not a state inspection. Its for a pizza delivery job for my son.

 

Did any Expedition trim come with the faux wood steering wheel? This one that was installed does which is why I believe it's from a navigator, but the airbag piece still says Ford, which I'm assuming was the one that came off of my original steering wheel.

 

I know in the 2nd gen it had that wooden steering wheel on the Limited trim, not sure if it included all 2nd gens from 2003 to 2006, but at least the second phase from 2005 to 2006. It was a step above the Eddie Bauer which added some extra wood details on the trim.