Column Lock Error, but no problems
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Joined: Jun 2003
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From: St Louis MO
Column Lock Error, but no problems
Today when I got to work, my DIC showed Column Lock Error. I have had no problems with it yet. I have the extended warranty, and still have a few thousand miles left on it. 2001 M6 coupe.
1. Can I continue driving it? or am I at an increase risk of being abandoned?
2. If I take it in for service (free), will they do anything truely beneficial?
3. I was planning on putting in a bypass this winter (as soon as salt hits the streets). Should I just do that now?
1. Can I continue driving it? or am I at an increase risk of being abandoned?
2. If I take it in for service (free), will they do anything truely beneficial?
3. I was planning on putting in a bypass this winter (as soon as salt hits the streets). Should I just do that now?
Thread Starter
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Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 74
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From: St Louis MO
Well, I dug through the bajillion (at least) posts on the effect of a CLB, and I think my car is going to just sit in the garage until I can order a bypass.
I was already having a bad day.
I was already having a bad day.
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Joined: Oct 2002
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From: Gone
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If the column is physically unlocked, you can continue to safely drive it. In fact, your car is now just as safe from locking as if the CLB was installed.
What likely happened, is during the last start, the column motor physically retracted (unlocked), but for some reason, the BCM did not receive the feedback signal that the lock retracted. This leaves the BCM "confused" and, thus, displays the "service column lock" message, and more importantly, no longer tries to activate or deactivate the lock motor. In english, this means your car is just as immune from locking right now as if the CLB was installed, the only difference being having to reset the error message at startup.
I drove mine for close to a year that way with no problems. I felt safer knowing the column didn't lock any more. I would have continued like that indefinitely, but my battery died, and upon replacing it, it reset the BCM and the lock operation resumed to normal.
If you'd like to fix it, pull fuse #25 from the footwell fusebox for a minute, then reinsert it, or disconnect the battery for a minute. This should reset the BCM and all should be normal for you again.
And, then install the CLB, because next time, it may very well malfunction with the column locked.
What likely happened, is during the last start, the column motor physically retracted (unlocked), but for some reason, the BCM did not receive the feedback signal that the lock retracted. This leaves the BCM "confused" and, thus, displays the "service column lock" message, and more importantly, no longer tries to activate or deactivate the lock motor. In english, this means your car is just as immune from locking right now as if the CLB was installed, the only difference being having to reset the error message at startup.
I drove mine for close to a year that way with no problems. I felt safer knowing the column didn't lock any more. I would have continued like that indefinitely, but my battery died, and upon replacing it, it reset the BCM and the lock operation resumed to normal.
If you'd like to fix it, pull fuse #25 from the footwell fusebox for a minute, then reinsert it, or disconnect the battery for a minute. This should reset the BCM and all should be normal for you again.
And, then install the CLB, because next time, it may very well malfunction with the column locked.
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Personally I'd go ahead and get the CLB and install it. No use taking the chance that you will get stranded somewhere.
