Another CLB Question
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,108
Likes: 0
From: San Jose CA
Another CLB Question
So I bought a CLB from Thunder Racing, cause my 02 Z is sitting in my driveway with the steering wheel locked. 
So i've been looking through some threads regarding the issue, and ran across 2 kinds of CLB's.
This one I bought from Thunder Racing
http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...d=220&pcid=156
and this one from Corvettes of Houston
http://www.corvettesofhouston.com/pr...products_id=54
The one from CoH has a adapter that will release the locking pin so you can use the CLB. The one I bought from TR apparently doesn't come with that.
So since my column is locked, how do I unlock it?
Should I have bought the other one instead? The one I ordered is gonna be here Tuesday. I'd hate to have to order a 2nd one and wait longer.
Man what a pain in the @ss!!!!!!!
So i've been looking through some threads regarding the issue, and ran across 2 kinds of CLB's.This one I bought from Thunder Racing
http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...d=220&pcid=156
and this one from Corvettes of Houston
http://www.corvettesofhouston.com/pr...products_id=54
The one from CoH has a adapter that will release the locking pin so you can use the CLB. The one I bought from TR apparently doesn't come with that.
So since my column is locked, how do I unlock it?
Should I have bought the other one instead? The one I ordered is gonna be here Tuesday. I'd hate to have to order a 2nd one and wait longer.
Man what a pain in the @ss!!!!!!!
Le Mans Master
Joined: Aug 2004
Posts: 9,420
Likes: 8
From: Southern New Jersey, The wet part at the bottom
St. Jude Donor '08-'09-'10
The COH has a cigar lighter power source to unlock the column (this would only work on a properly functioning system) Thunder Racing's CLB (this is what I used) instructions uses the car's CORRECTLY FUNTIONING system to unlock the column prior to installing the CLB. *IMPORTANT* before either companies CLB can be installed the column must be able to unlock physically. I suggest you try the aggressively turning the wheel back and forth and keep trying to get the column to unlock. It is THEN that you can pull the fuse (it's in your instructions) this will keep the actuator in the UNLOCKED position while you disconnect the factory power feed to the actuator and plug in the CL bypass. Again you have to get the column to unlock before you can install the CLB. The CLB won't unlock the column for you.
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,783
Likes: 15
From: Hurricane Alley
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,108
Likes: 0
From: San Jose CA
Thanks for the link! 
I did try aggressively turning the wheel side to side. It has worked for me in the past. Once a year ago when it locked up on me, and last week when I got home from being out of town for a few days. Good thing I didn't take the vette out of town like I was planning, that would have not been fun. I ordered the CLB, drove it one day, and the next day it locked up on me and won't unlock. No matter how much I turn the wheel side to side, it won't unlock. I'll try leaving the key out and see if that works. But I think I tried that already.
So if it still won't unlock, what do I do???
Thanks for the help guys. It pains me to not beable to drive my vette. And what adds insult to injury, is that the vette is stuck in my driveway blocking in my 94 Honda beater. And I can't push the vette out to get the Honda out, because the steering wheel is locked at a slight angle. So it won't go in a straight line for me to push it out. This SUCKS!!!!!
I did try aggressively turning the wheel side to side. It has worked for me in the past. Once a year ago when it locked up on me, and last week when I got home from being out of town for a few days. Good thing I didn't take the vette out of town like I was planning, that would have not been fun. I ordered the CLB, drove it one day, and the next day it locked up on me and won't unlock. No matter how much I turn the wheel side to side, it won't unlock. I'll try leaving the key out and see if that works. But I think I tried that already.
So if it still won't unlock, what do I do???
Thanks for the help guys. It pains me to not beable to drive my vette. And what adds insult to injury, is that the vette is stuck in my driveway blocking in my 94 Honda beater. And I can't push the vette out to get the Honda out, because the steering wheel is locked at a slight angle. So it won't go in a straight line for me to push it out. This SUCKS!!!!!
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,108
Likes: 0
From: San Jose CA
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 5,865
Likes: 6
From: Saraland Alabama
St. Jude Donor '11-'12-'13-'14-'15-'16
I don't know whether this will work but you can try it for free.
Get in your car and turn the steering wheel slightly to take the torque pressure off the lock mechanism. While holding the steering wheel in this position insert ignition key and turn key to see if lock will release.
Think of all the times we have gotten in other cars and had to wiggle the steering wheel before we were able to turn the key on, thus unlocking the steering column. When we unlock our steering manually in our normal cars we take into account that the locking pin is in a bind and we compensate for it by moving the steering wheel a little. However, our C-5's do not know that the steering lock pin is in a bind.
I've never had the column lock up on my '02 lock up because I installed a CLB just after I bought the car.
Good Luck! Please let us know if this works.
Get in your car and turn the steering wheel slightly to take the torque pressure off the lock mechanism. While holding the steering wheel in this position insert ignition key and turn key to see if lock will release.
Think of all the times we have gotten in other cars and had to wiggle the steering wheel before we were able to turn the key on, thus unlocking the steering column. When we unlock our steering manually in our normal cars we take into account that the locking pin is in a bind and we compensate for it by moving the steering wheel a little. However, our C-5's do not know that the steering lock pin is in a bind.
I've never had the column lock up on my '02 lock up because I installed a CLB just after I bought the car.
Good Luck! Please let us know if this works.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,108
Likes: 0
From: San Jose CA
Thanks again guys!
Instructor
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
I just bought my vette 3 weeks ago and had to deal with column lock already. Definitely have to have the key out when you jerk on the wheel. Actually mine stopped locking all together, but still installed the CLB. I sort of dont like the fact that the wheel doesnt lock at all now, moving to CA soon, seems like its easier to steal now.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,108
Likes: 0
From: San Jose CA
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2002
Posts: 5,407
Likes: 1
From: HONOLULU HAWAII
I just bought my vette 3 weeks ago and had to deal with column lock already. Definitely have to have the key out when you jerk on the wheel. Actually mine stopped locking all together, but still installed the CLB. I sort of dont like the fact that the wheel doesnt lock at all now, moving to CA soon, seems like its easier to steal now.
Advanced
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 93
Likes: 0
I read the above 'tech article' stating that an '01 6-speed has never been affected by the column lock. I am here to tell you that it has. It is sitting in my driveway right now. Jerking the steering wheel does work though, because this isn't the first time it has happened to me. I am buying the bypass today, and hopefully can get it unlocked before it arrives.
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
If I am not mistaken the special adapter that comes with the CLB is not to release a lock that is stuck, it is to retract the pin so you can install the CLB. If the pin is jammed (either physically or because the drive mechanism is dead) you may have to visit the dealer in the very near future....
Instructor
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
If I am not mistaken the special adapter that comes with the CLB is not to release a lock that is stuck, it is to retract the pin so you can install the CLB. If the pin is jammed (either physically or because the drive mechanism is dead) you may have to visit the dealer in the very near future....
Racer
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 296
Likes: 0
From: Landisville PA
To the original poster, I hope you are able to get the column unlocked without a tow to the dealer.
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 4,108
Likes: 0
From: San Jose CA
Instructor
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 176
Likes: 0
From: San Diego CA
Very good! Yeah i had to revert back to my 99 cavalier with a smashed in door while i was waiting for my part. Doesnt turn so many heads!