2ooo-C5

Thank you Corvette Clubs, and Corvette Mechanics.

I went on a short trip this weekend. 4 Hours away. I was going to a birthday party,
and a graduation and corvette cruise and a corvette show. Lots planned.

Friday night at sonic during the cruise i got the dreaded steering column lock.
Thank fully, it unlocked when i jerked on the steering wheel.

I was not sure what to do... I was to far from home to just park it.
I drove it straight to a family members house. Proceeded to turn
the car on and of 15 or 20 times. And it seemed fine.

Sunday morning on the way to the Corvette show it locked up at a gas station.
It was not unlocking... I spent 5 hours at the gas station.

90% of the time this is related to the battery, so I borrowed a family members car
and went and bought new battery. I bought 1000 cca and 140 rc. This new battery
met all the needs of a C5. But did nothing... the steering column staid locked.
I then hooked up two good batteries cause I was sitting at a gas station
and wanted to try anything. That did nothing....

i new the corvette club was close, so i went to the car show and found the president
of the corvette club. He walked me around while we looked for a mechanic. As we were talking
about the issue another C5 owner heard my problem. This guy carried the bypass
kit in his car. Yep, he carried one around in-case it ever happened to his car.

He sold me the kit for what he paid for it, and we we thrilled. Figured we were on our way.
umm.. nope...

The kit only stops the lock from locking. it does not unlock it. It comes with a nice jumper to get 12 volts
directly to the solenoid. This would work great if the issue was related to a battery. Mine was not. Mine
was the solenoid. It had frozen up.

We went back to the car show, found a mechanic. Curtis the owner of Corvette Spa, based
in Longmont said he would come help. And he did. On a Sunday the owner of this shop
meet me at my car. Thankfully I got it fixed just before he got there.

I took the cover off the steering column and beat on the solenoid. This did not directly unlock it.
I then turned off the radio, turned off the a/c messed with the key and messed
with the 12 volt jumper and it just unlocked. I don't know what directly did it. It just unlocked.

I figured something out that might help the next guy.

If you run 12 volts to the purple wire and ground the black
wire coming off the lockout switch the solenoid should open.

There are 4 wires coming of the
lockout switch found under the dash behind the drivers side lower dash cover.
unplug the 4 wires, there is a nice little plug under there and run power and ground to the two
wires mentioned above and if your solenoid should unlock. If it doesn't don't give up. keep messing
with it, try jerking the wheel, try tapping on the lock switch.

You will still need the kit to stop it from ever happening again, but knowing where those wires
are can get you moving again.

Purple wire = UNLOCK
Orange Wire = LOCK
Black Wire= Ground
Green Wire = OPEN is locked; CLOSED (grounded) is unlocked.

tacman

You're part of the Corvette family; that's what family members do for each other! Good story with a happy ending.

I used another technique discussed in several previous CF threads: Vigorously and with prejudice turn the wheel right and then left several times and then turn the key to ACC. You hopefully will hear the solenoid disengage.

Kmcoldcars

Why don't people wake up and install the CLB BEFORE their steering column locks and causes these kind of problems? Why carry one around in the car to use when the steering locks up? Why not install the CLB and prevent the steering from locking?

They are only $ 50.00 and take less than 1/2 hour to install. Is it really more fun to be stranded for 5 hours?

And while you are installing the CLB also think about getting a spare key for the ignition BEFORE you lose your only key.

pewter99

yes....that is exactly what the original CLB instructions told you...all the people who say you cannot unlock it do not know what they are talking about....I still carry the plug to unlock locked columns in the back of my C5...

now order a CLB

2ooo-C5

I have only had my car 90 days.
Was going to buy one in a few weeks. After, I fixed the other issues like the bad shock and the bad fuel sending unit.
Those were bigger issues and problems now.

I have a spare key, I have never lost a key... It takes time to learn about the issue a car might have.
Most people don't buy a car and go out and buy extra parts within a few weeks.

As for the guy who was caring one around, I have no idea. I would have installed it.
I did install it in a parking lot. I am sure glad he had one though.

The CLB was what he sold me and what I installed in the parking lot.

Kmcoldcars

My post was not directed at you specifically but at all the owners who have had their car for quite a while, know about the steering lock problem but do nothing about it. The same for the comments on the key. It is so easy to get one made when there is one to work from, and so much more difficult if there is not.

2ooo-C5

ok...

I was like... "What the hell man" why you busting my *****.

Vetteman Jack

Glad you got the steering wheel unlocked after all that time. Sure ruined your weekend though. And I would go ahead and spend the $50 and install a CLB before it happens again.

dangerz

Good to hear you got it fixed.

2ooo-C5

Guys I installed the Lockout Kit form Corvettes of Huston.
I said that in the original post. That is what the guy was caring around with him.

RonR80

I don't gave any issues with mine yet but can somebody post a part # and maybe a pic of this thing , Ron

2ooo-C5

https://corvetteworldparts.com/corve...ck-bypass.html

That is the one I just installed.

Mike Ramsey

Wow i have never heard of this problem...Thankful for forums like this one, to keep info on tap!!!

Spider Vette

Glad to see other Corvette guys helping you out!!! I read that thread with all the crazy stories about the Column Lock up, So I bought me one & put it in just to be on the safe side... I hope more get it done ASAP!! I love to see Team Work among the Vette Family!!!!

tfrankmt

This is a common problem?
First I have heard about it.

Todd

jdsaengine

After purchasing our 03 in spring of 07 and joining the Forum, I found out about this issure, I put CLB in from Corvette of Houston about 2 wks later. New guys should should always surf around here for the common problems that crop up.

The old guys get tired of hearing about CLB threads, but I certainly understand when you are new to the C5, gotta find out somehow, right?

fwrogg

I read all the CLB information and the sticky but in the sticky it starts out this way:

This is an attempt to compile all the Column Lock Information into one place. If there are errors, please contact me so I can make corrections. With all the recalls, there is a lot of confusion, questions, anxiety, and threads. Hopefully this will be helpful to our forum readers.
GM installed a Steering Column Lock mechanism on all 1997 - 2004 manual (MN6) cars and on 1997 to 2000 automatic (A4) cars
There is a GM recall for this problem on affected models and years
It is one of the most problematic issues that we C5 owners deal with
It can happen to you if you have a pre-2001 A4 without the recall or CLB installed OR any year MN6 or Z06 car without a CLB installed. Age or mileage makes no difference.
Low battery voltage seems to aggravate and sometimes cause column lock failures

That cars with Automatics and after Pre-2001 do not have this issue. Is this correct or should I still get the CLB and install it?

2ooo-C5

that is totally wrong. I am a 2000.

I found this better http://www.digitalcorvettes.com/foru...d.php?t=125651

tacman

Better you find out this way, eh?

fwrogg

Sorry reread my question and it should have said after pre-2001 models. And yes that is a much better link