Modern vehicles, including Kia Sorento, contain several buttons on the steering wheel, including cruise control, airbags, and horns for the driver’s convenience. The main purpose of putting these controls near the steering wheel is to keep the buttons near the driver’s finger.
Kia Sorento steering wheel buttons not working can be due to a damaged clock spring, water and liquid exposure, accumulation of debris, weak batteries, failure of the steering column control module, bad electric connections, software glitches of the onboard computer, and broken buttons.
In addition, the control button on the steering wheel reduces the risk of accidents by minimizing the driver’s detraction. Drivers can keep an eye on the road while using different features. They do not have to remove their hands from the steering to use several features that can affect their road safety.
| Problems | Solutions |
| Damaged clock spring | Replace clock spring |
| Water and liquid exposure | Use a dry cloth or silica gel |
| Accumulation of debris | Cleaning with electric contact cleaners |
| Weak batteries | Check battery voltage with a voltmeter |
| Failure of the steering column control module | Replace module |
| Bad electric connections | Replace damaged wires |
| Software glitches on the onboard computer | Reset the infotainment system |
| Broken buttons | Replace buttons |
Damaged clock spring
A clock spring is a small device that is present inside the steering column. These are electric connectors that are helpful to secure the electric connections with the respective buttons when you are turning the steering.
The primary purpose of these electric connectors is to maintain the connection of electric wires with an airbag, horns, and other steering controls.
However, clock springs are vulnerable to wear and tear over time, which can disturb the electric connections, and buttons become irresponsive.
You cannot activate any feature while pressing them because of damaged electric connections. Clock springs can also get damaged because of the overturning of the steering.
The airbag light comes on the screen, and the horn also stops functioning because of the failure of the clock spring. Clock spring replacement is a complex procedure, and it is challenging to do it at home.
It is better to take your Kia Sorento SUV to the expert mechanic for their correct replacement and adjustment of features for safe driving.
Water and liquid exposure
Water and liquid exposure can also damage the steering control. Water can damage the Kia Sorento electric connections and their internal components.
Water can spill on them when you apply the sudden brake while keeping a water bottle with an open lid in your hand while driving.
In addition, many people prefer to take energy drinks, tea, and coffee during long tours to keep them fresh. These can also spill on the steering wheel when moving on bumpy roads.
Moreover, children can also accidentally spill a glass of beverages and water on them. Many people subsequently forget to clean these controls, leading to failure.
Water penetrates inside these controls and can damage the electric connector. It can also cause corrosion of these connectors, which restricts the electric current flow.
Many people use a damp cloth to clean the steering wheel, but moisture can penetrate inside and cause damage. I always use a soft and clean cloth for their cleaning to protect the buttons from dust and water damage.
Moreover, you can put the silica gel on the buttons after accidental water spillage. Silica gel has absorbent properties, and it is helpful to remove water.
Accumulation of debris
Dust and debris can accumulate on the steering wheel buttons and interrupt normal functioning. Dust accumulation on their sides causes them to stick and get stuck in the closed position.
Dust can come on them because of poor maintenance and cleanliness of your vehicle. In addition, these also become dirty when you drive with open windows.
Many people prefer to drive their SUVs with open windows when off-roading in the winter. Dust and dirt from these uneven and poorly graveled roads come on several components and interrupt their functioning.
In addition, oily residues are also present on them when you touch the steering while eating something. Their surface also becomes sticky because of the presence of body oils. The sticky and oily surfaces attract the dust particles more.
The buttons can get stuck in a closed position because of the mixture of dust and greasy surfaces. It is necessary to keep them clean, but avoid using harsh cleaners or damp cloth. Use electric contact cleaners to clean the steering controls on your Kia Sorento.
Weak batteries
Steering buttons are connected to several electric wires to transfer the signal to the system. You cannot activate the feature by using these controls because of the weak or dead batteries.
These cannot function properly because of a lack of power supply. Batteries of your SUV become dead when you add electronic devices as an aftermarket addition.
It happens when you forget to turn off the vehicle at night. You can also face the problem because of not properly storing the battery when your Kia Sorento is not in use.
The issue usually comes when you jump-start the other vehicle. These also become weak and cannot provide sufficient power to the various electric systems because of their corroded and loose connections.
Connect the voltmeter to your battery to check the voltage. Replacing the battery when it is not holding the charge for longer is beneficial.
Failure of the steering column control module
The steering column control module also stands for SCCM, and it is helpful to create a connection between the steering wheel and its column.
It also transfers the signals from these control buttons to their respective system for smooth functioning. I also faced the same issue because of SCCM’s failure.
I pressed the cruise control button, but the system could not activate. SCCM is the electronic component, and they are prone to failure because of short circuits, power surges, and blown-out fuses.
These can also get damaged because of overheating. These are located in the steering column and are vulnerable to the heat generated by the SUV’s system.
These are susceptible to wear and tear because of their age, and replacing the module after a certain mileage is better. Prefer to install the additional cooling system to reduce overheating in the steering column.
Bad electric connections
Buttons are connected to their respective system through electric connections. They cannot function properly and activate their respective feature because of damaged wires.
Wires can get damaged because of short circuits, melting of the insulating layer, and irregular current flow. In addition, the issue also comes because of poor and loose ground wire connections.
Corrosion can also come from electric connections, which interrupt the current flow. Inspecting the wires to track the short circuits and corroded connections is necessary.
Use the electric contact cleaners to remove the corrosion from the electric connections. It is better to replace the damaged or short-circuited wires with new ones because it hinders the path of electric current.
Software glitches on the onboard computer
Software glitches and bugs are common in the infotainment and onboard computer systems. The buttons on my SUV steering wheel stopped functioning because of software errors.
These controls become irresponsive, and you cannot see any feature on the infotainment screen because of software bugs.
Software glitches are common when you do not update the latest version in your vehicle. In addition, the errors also come because of the overloading of data.
It is better to reset the infotainment system to avoid these glitches. Turn off your SUV and disconnect the battery’s negative terminal using the pliers.
Disconnect the positive terminals and turn on the headlight and horns to drain the remaining electric charge. Reconnect the batteries after 10 to 15 minutes and turn on the vehicle.
Broken buttons
You cannot control the several features of your vehicle because of the broken steering wheel buttons. Wear and tear in these are common because of their regular and frequent use.
In addition, the damage can also occur because of physical impacts. Moreover, driving habits can also negatively impact these controls.
Many Kia Sorento drivers use the horns frequently because driving at a fast speed can increase the risk of damage to the respective control.
The specific feature stopped functioning because of their damaged buttons. You can only resolve the issue by replacing the damaged buttons with new ones.
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