Question about clockspring and replacing.

[soulweeper]

2006 GMC Sierra 1500. 1/2 ton, 2 wheel drive.

I'm pretty sure my clockspring is going haywire, but want to make sure.

About a year and a half ago or so, I was hearing this weird kind of "squealing" when turning the steering wheel, and not the power steering kind of noise, I know that noise.

 

Took it to the mechanic I was using at the time, and he said it was my clockspring, and gave me some estimate of 600-700.....somewhere in there. He told me, essentially, it wasn't urgent, as all that would happen is, eventually, I'd start loosing some of the steering wheel controls....something like that. It's been a while. I'm pretty mechanically inclined, so priced the clockspring, and watched a Youtube video on it. Didn't seem too intimidating, but I figured I wasn't in a hurry. And, if I can do something, I will, so I can save money for the times I can't.

 

Anyway, the noise went away, so obviously, it hasn't been on my mind for a while.  Not long ago though, I happened to notice some of the buttons on my steering wheel, don't light up. It seems like mostly the outer ones, if that make sense. Now, I doubt they have individual lights, nor individual fuses, so there has to be a common denominator, I'm assuming. I started wondering if that was another symptom.  Well, a couple weeks ago, just driving along, I heard a few beeps, and it sounded exactly like the beeps that come from the button presses on the stereo controls, like the volume. I thought maybe I had accidentally touch one of the buttons, as there was no other explanation. Well, it's happened more, and I'm absolutely sure I'm not touching any buttons. It's usually two or three beeps. Nothing changes, like the volume on the stereo, or skipping to next track, etc. etc.

 

That said, does this all sound like symptoms of the clockspring on it's way out?

 

If so, how easy/hard is it to replace. The Youtube video made it seem fairly easy, but I'd sure like opinions here, if anyone would be so kind.

 

Thanks, in advance!

[soulweeper]

Well, turns out the buttons have individual bulbs, so that isn't the clockspring. Anyone have any idea why I'm getting the random beeping noise of the buttons, without touching them?