LMC5 or not?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 1,365
Likes: 471
From: S.E. Pennsylvania
LMC5 or not?
I have a '98 and the column locks each time I remove the key. It also unlocks when I insert the key. No column lock recall was ever performed on my car. After 22 years of this function locking and unlocking correctly, working perfectly, would it be possible that no alteration (LMC5) should be done? I read posts on here where members install it and then have issues after. I don't want to cause an issue that I don't currently have.
I'm aware that most of you highly recommend that the LMC5 should be installed anyway.
I'm aware that most of you highly recommend that the LMC5 should be installed anyway.
Popular Reply
Nov 28, 2020, 09:38 AM
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 3,399
Likes: 1,339
From: Havre de Grace Maryland
I have one in the car but never installed it as of yet. I installed one on my former 01 and don't cherish crawling around in the footwell again. I keep a tender on battery so its always fully charged, rolling the dice at this point. I subscribe to the old saying, if it ain't broke don't fix it but this one is a bit different. I'll eventually get to it.
I also subscribe by the Murphy's Law, “If something can go wrong, it will.” An addition to this law reads, “and usually at the worst time.” You have been warned.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 3,399
Likes: 1,339
From: Havre de Grace Maryland
The only issue I had after the LMC5 install was sometimes the message to pull key wait 10 seconds would appear. That was resolved when I did the 'Brown Wire' optional procedure explained in the kit. The install was simple for both procedures. Like yours, my 04 never had the correction done. But I decided to install the LMC5 anyway so the steering wheel lock issue is no longer a worry.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2010
Posts: 3,969
Likes: 386
From: Chandler AZ
I have a '98 and the column locks each time I remove the key. It also unlocks when I insert the key. No column lock recall was ever performed on my car. After 22 years of this function locking and unlocking correctly, working perfectly, would it be possible that no alteration (LMC5) should be done? I read posts on here where members install it and then have issues after. I don't want to cause an issue that I don't currently have.
I'm aware that most of you highly recommend that the LMC5 should be installed anyway.
I'm aware that most of you highly recommend that the LMC5 should be installed anyway.
Stranded at movie theater in July after watching Jaws, luckily I was able to pull battery and gf gave me ride home, battery was a little weak, charged it went back after about 4 hours, took several tries and finally got it unlocked.
Drove home parked in garage, no more driving until putting that LMC5 on with brown wire mod.
Before that took trip to L.A. area would have been really bad to get stranded far from home.
You should buy the kit, one day it WILL get you, I ignored it for years thinking I was ok.
Administrator
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My advice, install the kit. Seems like a column locking happens at the most inopportune time.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,496
Likes: 856
From: Walhalla South Carolina
I have one in the car but never installed it as of yet. I installed one on my former 01 and don't cherish crawling around in the footwell again. I keep a tender on battery so its always fully charged, rolling the dice at this point. I subscribe to the old saying, if it ain't broke don't fix it but this one is a bit different. I'll eventually get to it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2014
Posts: 3,399
Likes: 1,339
From: Havre de Grace Maryland
I have one in the car but never installed it as of yet. I installed one on my former 01 and don't cherish crawling around in the footwell again. I keep a tender on battery so its always fully charged, rolling the dice at this point. I subscribe to the old saying, if it ain't broke don't fix it but this one is a bit different. I'll eventually get to it.
I also subscribe by the Murphy's Law, “If something can go wrong, it will.” An addition to this law reads, “and usually at the worst time.” You have been warned.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 389
Likes: 170
From: Rhode Island
St. Jude Donor '21
I've only had my c5 for a year and a half. its a 99. I tried to determine if there were any outstanding recalls on it. went to 2 different sites and put in vin. nothing came up. does that mean the lmc5 has been fixed?
in another thread, someone said if you can turn the steering wheel with the car off, then there is no issue. But all these threads about column locking up has me concerned.
Also, i see references to lmc5 kit, but also a bypass kit. are they the same? which is the one to buy if i decide to do it? I see 3 different ones on Amazon alone.
in another thread, someone said if you can turn the steering wheel with the car off, then there is no issue. But all these threads about column locking up has me concerned.
Also, i see references to lmc5 kit, but also a bypass kit. are they the same? which is the one to buy if i decide to do it? I see 3 different ones on Amazon alone.
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Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,496
Likes: 856
From: Walhalla South Carolina
I've only had my c5 for a year and a half. its a 99. I tried to determine if there were any outstanding recalls on it. went to 2 different sites and put in vin. nothing came up. does that mean the lmc5 has been fixed?
in another thread, someone said if you can turn the steering wheel with the car off, then there is no issue. But all these threads about column locking up has me concerned.
Also, i see references to lmc5 kit, but also a bypass kit. are they the same? which is the one to buy if i decide to do it? I see 3 different ones on Amazon alone.
in another thread, someone said if you can turn the steering wheel with the car off, then there is no issue. But all these threads about column locking up has me concerned.
Also, i see references to lmc5 kit, but also a bypass kit. are they the same? which is the one to buy if i decide to do it? I see 3 different ones on Amazon alone.
Racer
Joined: Oct 2020
Posts: 389
Likes: 170
From: Rhode Island
St. Jude Donor '21
Try turning your wheel with car off, if it turns someone took the car in for the recall yrs ago but this was a GM bandaid only and your car is apt to have the column lock and message again especially if you have a weak battery, this triggers the column lock and message condition. There are 2 components to fix the issue that I am aware of, the LMC5 being most popular. Compliance Eng. Out of California designed it and you can get it from them. Google them. Hope this helps.
yes, i found Compliance eng and they have an excellent video on youtube for installing it. $40 from them. not bad.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 7,430
Likes: 4,829
From: BEST Corn-Nation
2015 C5 of the Year Winner
The LMC5 is the most common fix these days. I have had the "column lock bypass" installed in my '98 since 2007 without any issues. It's definitely not the same thing but it does work also. I did buy an LMC5 a couple years ago just as a backup in case I need it. You also have to consider that if your car has had the GM recall done on it then they most likely did the 2 mph fuel cutoff at that time also. If they did and you get the message before you install one 9f these fixes then you won't be able to drive the car anywhere until the problem is fixed. I had my cutoff tuned to 200 mph so that won't be an issue anymore either.
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 4,496
Likes: 856
From: Walhalla South Carolina
I never read where you said the wheel turns when car is off. If it does YES it had the recall done from previous owner. Video is very helpful.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 400
Likes: 28
From: St. Paul (smokey!) MN
I asked my self the same question. I went ahead and installed it, there has been no down side. It is one of those situations where prevention of a problem is far easier than dealing with the problem once it arises. I decided it was better to install it in my own garage when convenient for me than dealing with a locked steering wheel in a parking lot someplace, possibly at night.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2016
Posts: 2,398
Likes: 768
From: jefferson texas
My '99 never had a problem and then out of the blue it locked up, luckily in my driveway. Going back I thought that if it hadn't happened in the last 17 years it wasn't going to. WRONG!!!! Get the LMC5 and do yourself a huge favor. I go with rrwirsi's post above concerning things going wrong.
Last edited by friou; Nov 29, 2020 at 08:27 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 3,473
Likes: 691
From: West Virginia
The Feb 2006 GM recall (04006C) fixes the problem. I had it done around 2010 and no issues since. Chevy dealer did it for free, no need for an aftermarket fix. Completely diasables the lock mechanism.
Last edited by jackthelad; Nov 28, 2020 at 09:30 PM.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 400
Likes: 28
From: St. Paul (smokey!) MN
The recall only disables the lock on C5s with an automatic transmission.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2015
Posts: 1,421
Likes: 302
From: CSRA, SC
my 2002 worked fine until it didn't in 2015. Left me stuck at my apartment complex's mailbox. At a minimum, it's worth having on hand for when it does fail. But it will fail at the gas station after you fill up and you'll be asking to borrow a paperclip from a crackhead so you can release the BCM pins and laying over the passenger door sill with your legs out in the road where some idiot in a lifted brodozer he financed at 14% will run over your feet.
