I'm looking for any and all advice. I have a 95 civic dx. After I received a state inspection I was told that my rack and pinion should be replaced. The same day that I had this shop fix my rack and pinion ($600.00) my horn stopped working, the SRS light came on, a could hear this crunching sound in the steering wheel (like wires being ripped), and the steering was a lot tighter and I couldn't make as sharp of turns. I talked to this shop and told them about these symptoms. At first I was sure they had broken something since my car had none of these symptoms before having the rack and pinion fixed. The shop told me that it was impossible for them to have done anything since they just lock the steering wheel and they go through the engine. I was naive and assumed they were telling the truth. They looked at my car again and told me the crunching noise, SRS light on, and the broken horn were all related to a bad cable reel. This would be another $500.00 to fix. After they fixed this, the SRS light wouldn't turn off and they told me that since I have a 95 model I will just need to turn my car on and off and drive it 100-600 times separate times. They said there isn't a way to reset the module and to just check back with them in a couple months if it hasn't turned off. I'm pretty frustrated at this point. I've spoken to some friends who all confirmed that they could have broken the cable reel, even if it was an innocent mistake, when they replaced the rack and pinion. If anyone has any advice, I would really appreciate it. I've already paid them and I'm not sure what to do.

 

Unfortunately I can't tell you if they broke the wires, but if you can prove it you can file a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. I wouldn't recommend this unless you are pretty certain they are responsible for the damage.

I had the Rack and Pinion changed on my 2000 Civic. It cost me $600 for parts and labor but I also had to spend another 60 on an allignment. Did you get an allignment?

The part about starting your car 100-600 times seems like bull**** to me. I would call around and ask another mechanic if this is true, because they might just be trying to get you out of their hair. I mean, it will take an average person an entire year to start their car 600 times, you may not even have the car by then and if it is a problem that causes you problems 3 months from now, they wont fix it...

 

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I got an alignment (front end) with the price $600ish. After reading through some other posts, it looks like it is actually a fairly common thing to break the cable reel if the rack and pinion isn't installed correctly. It just seems like too much of a coincidence to have no problem with it and then to have it break immediately after the rack and pinion was replaced. I know I have no real way of proving that they broke it besides the timing of it, they were extremely rushed putting my car back together because they had been closed for 30 minutes already when I got the car back, and it'll happen if the rack and pinion isn't installed correctly. As I left the shop, the first few turns caused a loud crunching noise like the cables were being ripped apart.

You mentioned the better business bureau and that is an option but I just don't want to have to pay the $500.00 for the cable reel. If they would just pay for cable reel part and labor, that would be great but I realize that probably won't happen.

 

Well..you can do only 1 of 2 things:

1. Go to the BBB(.com) site & report them, but the business(shop) will either deny they did anything wrong or they'll just not respond at all. The BBB just gives the business a bad/good rating according to how things work out in the end(end result) between the customer & the business(far as I know). The BBB can't make any business do a certain task or make the business give you a refund. If you really want them to replace the reel cable then go to them ONE MORE TIME with your cell phone in your hand, and record the interaction(just act like you're holding the celly like regular in your hand). If they say.."well..it's not our fault so..oh well!" then take that recording to court as some proof about what ya'll talked about.

2. The simple way.....Go to a junkyard & get yourself a cable reel...My cable reel cost $20(for my 92 Civic). The junkyard even looked it up & discovered it cost $300 at Honda..and still only charged me $20. Just be careful on how you install the cable reel..you HAVE TO install it correctly or it will break again once you make a full turn. Here's a DIY for it..it's for an Acura but they're basically the same as Hondas :Clockspring / Cable Reel Replacement DIY - The Acura Legend & Acura RL Forum
OR you can buy an Hayne manual....or Download the Honda Manual.
Take about an hour to install if you don't know what you're doing....if you know what I mean.

 

Just a word of warning, I believe its illegal to record people without their knowledge in most states.

The BBB will reach out and inform the business of the complaint, many times it will motivate businesses to be responsible for their unsatisfactory work because it hurts their reputation to have a low grade. I know I look at BBB scores when it comes to mechanical work.

 

The same happened with my old 2000 DX. The shop denied any wrongdoing, of course. I didn't want to fight that battle because I knew that in the end it was a waste of time.

Never go to that shop again. Tell your friends how they screwed you over.

Hit up a junk yard and get a new cable reel. You will need a Torx bit set to remove the airbag. I don't remember the size. Maybe T30. Remove the two Torx screws, carefully disconnect the airbag, pull the airbag out, remove the steering wheel with a 19mm socket (an 02 sensor socket is the right size, IIRC). The cable reel is held on by like 3 phillips screws.

The cable reel itself is not rocket science. Your tires must be straight before you start, and your steering wheel should be level. You pull the airbag, yank the broken reel, then you put the new one in place, then turn it all the way to the left. Then you turn it back 2 and a half turns. (should be level.) Bingo, it's set. Just to test, from there you can spin it 2 and a half turns in the other direction (just to be sure it's centered). Put the wheel back on, tighten the 19mm nut, put the air bag back on, reconnect, put covers on, set.

The junkyard is your best bet for a cheap cable reel.