1999ls1ta

I'm ready to start putting everything back together and this is the only thing holding me back. I'm not sure what the heck it is or if it's even important or not but it bothers me enough that I'm not going any further until I find out what it is. Can anybody please identify this mystery part? Pictures attached.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Could that be the shroud that goes around the hazzard switch on the outside of the column?

1999ls1ta

No but it looks kind of similar. I already had the hazard switch and shroud removed and set aside before this fell out.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

See page 4: http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/w...ck_Rebuild.pdf

I'm not sure if that is a steering column part. Our columns aren't too different from the one above except for the turn signal stalk, clockspring, and some wiring.

1999ls1ta

Thanks for the detailed parts layout wssix99. Makes me feel a little better but I can't help but wonder what it could be. I've also came across two older posts on this site (in the same thread) where two other people had the same part fall from their steering column but nobody knew what it was. I just went ahead and put everything back together today and it solved my brake light issue but there are a few things that don't seem the same as before.

1. My tilt wheel doesn't seem to work right. Before I switched out the turn signal switch it had a lot more "spring" to it when I hit the lever. It just seems much weaker and now I have to push it a little to help it lift up.

2. My key seems to be harder to insert and remove from the ignition.

3. My flasher button is really hard to push but still works.

4. Maybe I'm going crazy on this one but the dinging sound that comes on when you open the door with the key in the ignition sounds funny.

I'm planning on taking it all back apart to see if I can figure anything out. Anybody have a similar experience or any ideas? I'm really starting to wish I just paid a shop to do this.

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Did you look through the full document I posted above? Have you checked an exploded parts view on a GM parts site?

1999ls1ta

At first I only looked at page 4 but after scrolling through the whole thing, I still don't see anything that looks like the oval plastic piece so I will just let that go and forget about it for now. However, I did learn a lot about all the parts and where they go but I don't see anything that I could have done wrong to cause these issues. It certainly gives me a good idea where to look now that I kind of know what everything is. I will definitely have this article pulled up on the laptop in my passenger seat when I tear everything back down. Thanks again!

wssix99

iTrader: (5)

Yea. It doesn't look like anything I've ever come in to contact with in the process of getting down to the turn signal switch.

babbage1109

iTrader: (11)

Did you have the column un bolted from the dash? I had one of those in my bolt hole on the column like a spacer or alignment piece

1999ls1ta

Yes, I did. I took the two nuts off the bottom of the dash that hold the column up into place before I realized that it wasn't necessary. It did in fact fall out not long after I unbolted it from the dash. What bolt hole on the column are you talking about? I looked on top of the column and didn't see any holes.

LS1Z28

iTrader: (18)

It's a alignment bushing for the column it goes in the slotted hole around the stud to center the column.