I brought my 2006 GMC Savanna to a shop to have a new idler arm and pitman arm put on. As I was driving away I heard something break inside the steering column and then the airbag light came on immediately. What happened ?
Can’t tell you until whatever in the steering column that broke is inspected. Chances are, tho, it damaged the wires to the steering wheel airbag, hence the air bag light.
Idler arm needing replaced on a 2006 is a stretch but I say “OK maybe”, but a pitman arm also needing replaced? I must ask “what is going on here”? we are not getting the complete story.
One thing that strikes me here is that the Astro/Savanna line were the only vehicles I can think of that had dual idler arms. I never quite figured out why this was done. Perhaps it was not an idler and a pitman but two idlers.Code scan of SRS system will give you a real good clue as to the cause of the light. Never saw anyone mess up an idler arm change so bad that they caused the clockspring to break, but I guess if you have the talent for messing up. Usually some pretty good front end guys get dispatched these dual idler arm jobs so another confusing parameter,how did an experienced man mess up so badly? It does happen though as our shop foreman forgot to tighten down a rear brake caliper, the guy must have had 20 years experience, how do you forget this stuff? Good thing he left the biz and got retrained as a nurse, he could have hurt someone working as a mechanic.
Sounds like the clockspring broke. It’s possible that they replaced the pitman arm too, and when they did, the steering wheel was a full rotation from being centered.
Does the horn still work?