Remember when all you had on your steering wheel was the horn? Nowadays, most cars in Hamilton and the towns nearby – whether you’re cruising down Te Rapa Road, crawling through Cambridge or stopping at every light on Victoria Street – have a heap of buttons on the steering wheel. They control your radio, Bluetooth phone, cruise, and sometimes even your air con. Handy, right? Unless they stop working – then it’s just a hassle, especially in all that stop-start Hamilton traffic, dodging potholes in Rototuna or trying to answer a call on the way to Gordonton.
If your steering wheel buttons start playing up, it can make driving a right pain. Let’s yarn about why it happens, and what you can do – from checking the simple stuff yourself, to when you need to bring it into the shop.
Why Have My Steering Wheel Controls Stopped Working?
You’d be surprised how often we see this coming into the workshop – everything from Toyota Hiluxes to Mazda Axelas, and even the odd imported Peugeot or SsangYong. Here’s what could be going wrong:
- Stuck or Broken Buttons – The buttons themselves cop a fair bit of use. Get a bit of grit or a spilt coffee in there (we see it all the time – one of our techs just sorted a Honda Odyssey where the cruise wouldn’t hold after a hot day at the Hamilton Gardens), and suddenly nothing works. Sometimes the plastic just wears out, especially with all those temperature swings from foggy winter mornings to blazing Morrinsville afternoons.
- Dodgy Clock Spring – This is that coiled up bit under the steering wheel that keeps everything wired up when you turn left onto Bridge Street or right into Ohaupo Road. If the clock spring’s gone, your buttons (and usually your horn or airbags) might go dead. Definitely not a DIY job, but we can check it for you. More info here if you’re keen.
- Blown Fuse – Easy to overlook, but blown fuses can kill the whole lot. We had a Suzuki Vitara in from a lady in Tamahere the other week – just needed a new fuse and she was back on the road. If you know where your fuse box is, have a peek – fuses are cheap and you can grab them at Repco or Supercheap. If you’re unsure, don’t stress, just swing by and we’ll suss it.
- Control Module Trouble – Steering wheels in newer cars (like those hybrid Camrys or European VWs you see zipping round Chartwell) have little electronic brains. If that module bugs out, you could lose all the buttons at once. Normally needs a scan and maybe a replacement, not something you want to tackle unless you love pulling half the dash apart.
- Software Glitches – Seems odd, but sometimes it’s the car’s computer, not the buttons. We get quite a few Kia and Hyundai owners in after weird updates or battery changes, especially when it’s cold and wet outside, and things stop talking to each other. Sometimes a reset sorts it, sometimes it needs a trip to a specialist.
What Should You Do If Your Steering Wheel Controls Play Up?
First, if you’re handy, check the fuse – most owners’ manuals show you where. Otherwise, best bet is to book it in for a proper diagnostic. We use scan tools and a bit of good old Kiwi know-how to track down what’s busted. A proper car service in Hamilton is usually the quickest way to get you sorted, and you won’t risk knackering anything else by poking around where you shouldn’t.
If you’re ever unsure – especially with airbags and steering stuff – please let a pro handle it. We’ve seen too many DIY jobs end up costing double to fix.
Steering Wheel Control Replacement & Repair in Hamilton
If those buttons on your steering wheel have packed it in, just give us a bell at Grimmer Motors. Doesn’t matter if you’re coming from Dinsdale, down the State Highway from Ngaruawahia, or around the corner here in Fairfield. Our techs service everything from Japanese hybrids to European runabouts. We’ll track down the issue, sort it, and get you back on the road – no mucking around.
For honest advice and top-notch repairs (WOF Hamilton, hybrid repair, all that good stuff), come see us. We’ll look after you and your car – no stress, all sorted.