P1564 Code: Steering Wheel Cruise Control Switch Fault (Manufacturer Code)

What the P1564 code means

Cruise control buttons are usually on the steering wheel, and that detail explains almost everything you need to know about this code. To carry the signal from a steering wheel that turns to a steering column that does not, there is a specific part: the clock spring, a coiled flat ribbon that allows rotation without breaking the circuit.

Most of these controls do not use one wire per button. They use a single resistor ladder circuit: each button adds a different value, and the module works out which one was pressed from the voltage it reads. It is an inexpensive and reliable system, but it has an important diagnostic consequence.

The P1564 code is stored when that voltage does not match any of the expected values. It can be a worn button, an altered resistor, a clock spring with a broken ribbon or a connector with a bad contact.

Since it is a manufacturer code, confirm the definition for your model, although in practice it is consistently tied to the steering wheel cruise control switch circuit.

It helps to know that this circuit shares its path with other steering wheel controls, and that gives you a free diagnostic route. If the horn also fails when you press it, or if the audio controls respond in a crossed way, the problem is in the shared path and not in the cruise control switch. Checking takes ten seconds and decides whether you have to take the steering wheel apart or only replace a button.

P1564 code symptoms

• Cruise control does not engage or shuts itself off.
• Check engine light on.
• The steering wheel buttons do not respond, or respond in a crossed way.
• The engine runs completely normally.
• In some cases, the horn or the steering wheel audio controls also fail.
• The fault comes and goes depending on the steering wheel position.
• No other symptom while driving.
• A click or scraping noise inside the column when you turn the wheel, a sign of a damaged ribbon.

Likely causes of the P1564 code

1. Worn cruise control switch, with dirty internal contacts or altered resistors.
2. Clock spring with a broken or worn ribbon. A very frequent cause that often affects the horn too.
3. Steering wheel connector loose, corroded or poorly seated.
4. Damaged steering column wiring.
5. Liquid spilled on the controls, which alters the circuit resistances.
6. Defective brake pedal switch, since its signal turns cruise control off.
7. Control module with an internal fault. The last possibility.
8. Earlier work on the steering wheel with the clock spring badly centered when it was reinstalled.
9. Steering wheel removed without locking the clock spring, which leaves it off center and tears the ribbon when the wheel is turned to the stop.

How to diagnose the P1564 code step by step

1. Check whether the horn or the audio controls also fail. If they do, the clock spring is the main suspect and not the cruise control switch.
2. Turn the steering wheel from stop to stop and watch whether the code appears or disappears. A fault that changes with position points straight at the clock spring.
3. Measure the resistance of the button circuit while pressing each button: each one should give a different, stable value.
4. Check the steering wheel connector by unplugging it and seating it again firmly.
5. Test the brake pedal switch, whose signal turns cruise control off and can set the code.
6. Inspect the controls for traces of spilled liquid.
7. Look up the exact definition for your model, since it is a manufacturer code.
8. Find out whether there was earlier work on the steering wheel or an airbag replacement, where the clock spring may have been left off center.
9. Listen to the column as you turn the wheel slowly. A scraping noise or a click means the clock spring ribbon is damaged.

How to fix the P1564 code

• Replace the cruise control switch if its resistance values are out of range.
• Replace the clock spring when the ribbon is broken or the fault changes with steering wheel position.
• Center the clock spring correctly when you install it. If it is left off center, the ribbon breaks again when you turn to the stop.
• Clean the steering wheel connector and seat it again.
• Repair damaged steering column wiring.
• Replace the brake pedal switch if it is defective.
• Clean the controls if liquid was spilled, although in many cases they will need replacing.
• Lock the clock spring before you remove the steering wheel and check its centering when you reinstall it, or the ribbon will break again.

Any work on the steering wheel involves the airbag: disconnect the battery and wait the time the manufacturer specifies before you take anything apart.

Technical reference data

• Steering wheel controls usually use a single resistor ladder circuit: each button gives a different voltage value.
• The clock spring lets the steering wheel turn without breaking the circuit; its internal ribbon is the usual failure point.
• A fault that varies with steering wheel position points to the clock spring, not the switch.
• If the horn also fails, the clock spring is almost certainly involved.
• The brake pedal switch is part of the circuit: its signal turns cruise control off.
• Working on the steering wheel involves the airbag system: disconnect the battery before you take it apart.
• The clock spring must be centered with the wheels straight before the steering wheel is installed.

Brand-specific notes

The most useful diagnostic test for this code needs no tools: press the horn and try the steering wheel audio controls. If any of them fails along with the cruise control, the clock spring is the culprit and the switch is fine.

It is a low severity code. It does not affect the engine, the transmission or the brakes, and its only real effect is that you lose cruise control.

Frequently asked questions about P1564