How to Install the 1995 Camaro Turn Signal Switch

The Camaro was GM's greatest achievement -- to be more precise, the 1967 through 1969 Camaro model. The introduction of the 1967 Camaro brought about the highest single unit sales in the company's history, a run that continued through the 1969 model year. It was dubbed the most aesthetically pleasing vehicle of all the American cars ever produced. The percentage of cars sold to the public (given the census at the time) has not been equaled since; this is why there are so many of these models still on the road today. Replacing the turn signal switch on the 1995 Camaro is an undertaking better left to the mechanically-inclined DIY enthusiast, as the job requires some special tools and a little finesse to complete.

Instructions

1

Disconnect the battery's negative cable, using a wrench, and move it so that it can't accidentally touch the negative battery terminal. Allow 15 minutes for the circuits to fully discharge and for all the residual current to dissipate. This is done to disable the airbag system (SIR), so that it will not deploy due to presence of static electrical current.

2

Turn the key just enough to disengage the steering wheel lock. Turn the wheel to access the holes in the back side of the arms. With the appropriate Torx driver, unscrew the bolts securing the airbag to the steering wheel -- there are two bolts, one in each arm.

3

Lift the air bag up carefully enough to access the back side. There are four wires -- two wires are connected to the air bag (they are yellow and flat), and the remaining two are for the horn. Pull these connectors loose.

4

Lift the air bag, keeping the top facing away from you, and place it on the passenger's side of the floor, face-down -- it must be placed face-down because we all know what happens when you rub against a nylon carpet (the creation of static electricity, which can deploy the airbag).

5

Remove the large steering shaft nut, using a socket. Install the steering wheel puller, using the appropriate bolts that fit in the two holes in the steering wheel. Turn the center stud clockwise, which will draw the wheel off the splines.

6

Remove the snap ring atop the clockspring mechanism, using the snap-ring pliers. Keep all these parts about to be removed on the passenger seat, and in order, so there is no confusion when re-installing them.

7

Look at the 7 o'clock position and notice the alignment marks. The clockspring can and will unravel, making it useless if you allow it to. It can't be turned in either direction and must go back on in the same exact position it occupied initially. It allows continuous electrical connection to the airbag as the steering wheel is turned. Grab it with both hands and lift straight up over the shaft, and lay it down in the same position.

8

Remove the lock ring. Notice the slots around the outside of the ring. When the key is in the "Off" position, a pin lifts up from beneath the ring and passes through one of the slots, thereby locking the steering wheel. The ring has a spring beneath it that applies pressure to the top steering shaft bearing to hold it in place. To remove this ring, it must be pressed down and the circlip removed from a groove directly above it.

9

Install the lock ring compressor -- a C-shaped tool with a threaded shaft -- in the center. Place the tool over the lock ring and thread the tip of the shaft on the threaded end of the steering shaft by turning it clockwise. Turn the nut on the shaft down to push the prongs against the lock ring. The ring is weakest between slots, so move the feet of the tool to a spot with the most material to prevent bending the lock ring. With a wrench, turn the nut clockwise until the lockring is depressed enough that it no longer touches the circlip. Remove the circlip with the scribe. Turn the nut on the tool's shaft counterclockwise to release the pressure and remove the tool.

10

Lift the circlip off the steering shaft, followed by the lockring, the horn and signal canceling ring, the coil spring, the top bearing cap and finally the top bearing race. Lay all these in order on the passenger seat. Before removing the lockring, look closely at its orientation. Notice the hole in the ring at about the 10 o'clock position. This is where the horn canceling button must be or it will not fit through the steering wheel. The ring must be installed in this position.

11

Remove the emergency flasher button, using a very small Phillips screwdriver. Push the button in and remove the screw followed by the outside cover, center button and a very small spring. Remember the sequence of parts.

12

Remove the three Phillips screws in the turn signal switch -- one is at 12 o'clock, one at 9 o'clock and the last at the 6 o'clock position. It will be necessary to lift the turn signal switch, as you would in a right turn, to remove the one at 9 o'clock.

13

Return the turn signal arm to neutral and remove the two screws attaching it to the turn signal switch. Pull the new switch out of the box. Inspect the electrical connection at the end of the harness. Now that you are familiar with what it looks like, disconnect the connector from the multi-plug under the dash -- it will be right about the point where the dash meets the steering column.

14

Lift the turn signal switch up and over the steering column shaft, then pull the harness out of the steering column. The trick is to bend the connector wires, so that the connector is in line, or parallel with the column. It will not come out in its present position. Pull it up carefully by the switch and use one hand to assure the connector is entering the bottom of the column cover correctly.

15

Pass the new switch's wiring harness down through the column cover from whence it came. This again can be a pain if not done correctly. There is very little room for it to pass through, so bend the connector once again. First pass the coat hanger down through the column cover and grab the string at the bottom. Pull the string up through the column. Remove the coat hanger and tie the end of the wiring harness connector. From the bottom, pull the harness connector down through the column, guiding the connector with the other hand until it has entered the column.

16

Plug the connector into the harness multi-block. Position the switch over the steering shaft, and with the left hand gently pull the slack out of the harness as you use the right hand to guide the switch into place. Install the three Phillips screws in the switch.

17

Place the turn signal lever end on the switch in the proper location and install the two screws. Install the emergency flasher button in reverse order of removal. Install the following parts over the shaft in this sequence: The bearing race, bearing cover, coil spring, horn and canceling ring (with the raised button at the 10 o'clock position) and finally the lockring, making sure the raised horn button is positioned through the ring.

18

Push the circlip down over the steering shaft to the lock ring. Install the lock ring compression tool as before and press the lock ring down enough to expose the groove for the circlip in the steering shaft. Force the circlip down into the groove with a screwdriver.

19

Install the clockspring carefully, with the alignment marks aligned. Install the snap ring with the snap-ring pliers. Install the steering wheel by passing the horn and clockspring wires through the hole in the steering wheel hub. Place the steering wheel on the shaft and push down.

20

Install the large steering shaft nut and tighten it securely. Install the air bag by holding it over the steering wheel and connecting the yellow air bag wires to the air bag connectors, and the black wires to the horn connectors. They are plain to see; make sure they are positioned nicely, so that they are not pinched as you lay the air bag on the steering wheel.

21

Install and tighten the two Torx bolts that hold the air bag to the steering wheel. Install the negative cable to the negative battery terminal and tighten it with a wrench.