Short in steering column?

[supreme_style21]

2002 Grand Prix GT

In January when I bought the car, I was driving and could hear some pretty loud cracks coming from somewhere. A friend riding with me swore she saw bright flashes from the steering column. I didn't see anything and pretty much blew it off as it never came around again.

Tonight I was driving home and tilted the steering wheel up and a shower of sparks spewed into my lap along with a big electrical crack sound. Kinda scared the shit out of me until I realized what was going on. The DIC flashed off for a split second. Everything else seemed to work and everything seems to work fine. Is there something common in this model year? I'm thinking I should probably look at it ASAP.

[swift13]

sounds like it may be the turn signal switch or perhaps the clock spring (like the only 2 things behind the steering wheel)

[rockfangd]

I would disconnect the battery ad start disassembling the column. The last thing you want to happen is to blow the airbags, To me it sounds like one of the ignition wires is shorting out in the column

[GOT2B GM]

ignition switch short?

[rockfangd]

possible. Is the ignition on the dash or column?

 

[Addicted2bass]

Ignition should be right on the column. Should be easy to get the steering wheel shroud off on that car. Just a few screws and it unclips.

[supreme_style21]

Yeah it's on the column.

I didn't want to have to pull the steering wheel and whatnot. I'll see if I can get the plastic surround off and see what is in there, if anything

[Imp558]

It kind of has to be the ignition switch, more to the point the Battery power feed to it. Nothing else up there should have fuses big enough to make big pretty sparks.