the steering column in my 1986 firebird had a bad turn signal switch, rather then tackle taking apart the column, to replace it with a junkyard one that could also be broken, or a new one ($100+ @dealership) i thought it would be easy to swap the column out. i was right. WAY easy. i got one from a friend parting out an 84 Camaro. all was well.

however, right after that i started having a dead battery all the time. my alternator went bad, replaced it. replaced the battery and i am still having some sort of parasitic loss. this all happened AS SOON as i put the other column in. it could be a coincidence (things break) but i am wondering... electricaly, what years of steering colums are compatible with other years? and if you use the wrong one why would it drain the battery? any help you guys could give would be great.

oh, and if this helps, BOTH colums were delay, but my wipers only work in the "slow" on setting now. so it could be in that curcuit.

 

I'm not sure about Camaro to Firebird but I have an 86 IROC Z and while working under the dash I noticed the bottom of the steering column had markings from a salvage yard and said 84 Camaro on it, So I can say it will work at least on a Camaro. You could have accidently pinched a wire or something when putting the new one in.

 

hmmmm.... worth a look indeed. perhaps it is a camaro/firebird thing. odly enough he is now using that same column in an 84 RS and everything works fine (even the turn signal switch that was not working in my car)

 

Sounds more like a wiring problem than anything else. Sounds like there is excessive resistance in the turn signal curcuit. Check the connector at the middle of the column where everything gets plugged together, and look for greenish corrosion in the connector. The fact your wipers are working slow and your old turn signal didn't work seems like there is something wrong with that wiring circuit, again excessive resistance will cause them to work slower because the electricity isn't moving as fast. Plus if the corrosion got out of the connector and is causing contact with a metal surface, your parasitic leak could be found there too.

Do you have any trouble with your high beams?? And did the car come with cruise control, and if it did does that still work?

The columns are not that hard to pull apart, and the tools neseccary are rather cheap, plus you can use them for other cars as well and make your money back, just some friendly FYI.

 

i know i am reviving this. but i am wondering if my 1986 camaro steering column can interchange with a 91 firebird. my 86 camaro does not have vats and the 91 does. i want to not use vats and wondering if this will change another note the 91 firebird has cruise control and mine doesn't and wondering since mine don't have it will affect anything by not connecting it up i NEED HELP b/c my steering column is crapped out and i just want to switch it out since i had to fix a starter ignition switch and had to fix numerous things in the steering column. the bearings in it are not bad and the steering wheel is moving up down and left and right. and i can't get the clip back in to hold the spring and the bearings in wondering if i just change things over will it work so i dont' have to do all the work with the steering columna nd just do a swap. another note i think the firebird has an airbag wondering if i have to connect that in my 86 which doesn't or can i just remove that part and not use it??? please much help on this matter is appreciated. i heard they are the same steering column just don't know if the wiring will hook up or not. b/c my turn signal shifter broke also just help thanks guys.

 

Ok i just did my swap my 86 camaro to a 91 firebird steering column the only difference in both of them were the pigtail for the wiper control. yes both were delay but its just it has cruise control which i left unhooked. but works great wiper and all. if u need help or ?s just ask me i did mine in about 1hr that was pulling my steering column out of my parted out 91 firebird and then pulling the steering column out of 86 camaro ect....

 

I know I too am reviving, but I was wondering If you were able to undo the VATs system when you did this. I just bought a 91 camaro column to put into my 86 camaro do you think it will work?

 

There is nothing to undo on an '86, it doesn't have VATS.
The only thing the '91 column will have extra is the VATS cyl (and airbag if you get the steering wheel too) which, has two small gauge wires to plug into the VATS harness/module that your car isn't equipped with.

 

It doesn't come w/ the steering wheel. Do you think it will work to change over to the '86. They said there was a little wiggle in the tilt but that it "was easy enough to fix." Does anyubody have any Idea about how to do this?