CLB; revisited, again..
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
From: Clarksville Tennessee
CLB; revisited, again..
I bought a '99 A4 a couple of weeks ago and have since been a big fan of this forum.(It has saved me tons of $ on the battery issue already.) But, as I read about the dreaded 'CLB' problem I started to get a little confused. Had the previous owner already installed a CLB? And to test this am I supposed to take a chance and lock my steering wheel? Had the recall already been performed at a dealership? From reading all of the posts on it, it seemed the easiest place to start would be to call my local Chevy dealer to see if the recall had already been done. I assumed this would involve lots of time and effort on my part, but to my surprise, the guy at the service department just asked for the last eight digits of my VIN, and within seconds he told me the CLB had been performed. Whew! What a relief.
My final question on the subject, hopefully, does this mean that I will never experience the dreaded CLB drama in the middle of BFE? (That story about the poor guy stuck in the drive thru at a fast food joint almost brought me to tears!)
Does the recall take out the part, eliminating the problem altogether? Or do they just install a bypass at the dealer?
Thanks for any help you can offer?
My final question on the subject, hopefully, does this mean that I will never experience the dreaded CLB drama in the middle of BFE? (That story about the poor guy stuck in the drive thru at a fast food joint almost brought me to tears!)
Does the recall take out the part, eliminating the problem altogether? Or do they just install a bypass at the dealer?
Thanks for any help you can offer?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 922
Likes: 1
From: Lexington KY
I think the recall (mine done too) is basically a bandaid. Many have locked after the GM fix. If it's free you usually get what you pay for. The CL by-pass comes with a cig-lighter cord that would look ugly connected all the time. Is this how it works? Most important how to avoid BFE. 
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 19,304
Likes: 85
From: San Diego CA
I believe the recall for A4-equipped C5s allows the service tech to remove the column lock unit and install a plate over the opening. If you don't hear Bzzzzzt when you turn the ignition key before removing it, you should never have to worry about getting stranded.
MN6-equipped C5 owners should install the column lock bypass or they WILL get stranded someday!
MN6-equipped C5 owners should install the column lock bypass or they WILL get stranded someday!
Safety Car
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 4,208
Likes: 2
From: Rochester MN
CI 5-6-7-8 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '04-'05-'06-'07
NCM Ambassador
*** - uming the recall was performed correctly there should be little chance of failures, but we have seen reports from other A4 owners that still had issues after the recall was done. The A4 recall is supposed to prevent the locking pin from engaging any more, and to keep the computer happy so you don't get security failures - i.e. Remove Key - Wait 10 Sec messages, but we are seeing a few posts of problems after the recall - don't know what the causes are yet
With a 99 the sucess rate of the CLBs seems to be high. It is not a hard thing to install and the cost is around $50 - is the piece of mind worth it to you?
With a 99 the sucess rate of the CLBs seems to be high. It is not a hard thing to install and the cost is around $50 - is the piece of mind worth it to you?
