Inlatable Restraint light on

1990 Cadillac Eldorado Biaritz, 137K miles, 4.5liter engine.
Inflatable Restraint light flickers 7-9 times on startup and then stays on. Mechanic says I have a bad clockspring.

If I leave the car in the sun so that it gets hot inside, the light goes off. After a day or so, it may come back on again. That suggests that a component may be expanding under heat and completing the circuit.

I have a HELMS shop manual and there is no mention of a clockspring anywhere. It shows that most of the SIR components are in the steering column and never mentions the term clockspring.

Just what is a clockspring, if there is such a thing? Is it another name for Resistor Module?