Hello,
Occasionally when turning while driving, the steering column makes a noise as if it has a spring inside. Any ideas of what this could be? Thanks for any insight.
It’s your “clockspring” believe it or not. It’s needed to allow a full 360 degree turn of the steering wheel while maintaining electrical contact with the horn, airbag and other electrical devices.
missileman sounds like he has hit the nail on the head. There will be two rings, usually copper, one on each side of the spring, to make contact. Some vehicles have a pin that is kept taught by a spring, and the pin can wear down over the years and drag or lose contact. The noise may or may not be an indication of excessive wear, If all works, I’d leave it alone and learn to live with it. But if you are concerned about air bag safety, take it in and get it checked out before it fails.