Here's a few cents to add to your two cents:

Let's suppose GM installs Optima red tops in every C5. This battery was designed for long life if used for average conditions. You, however, frequently have beach parties that involve cranking your 2000-watt stereo system for hours on end. Your battery dies within a year so instead of changing your habits, you buy a yellow top. Although it is well known that a marine-type battery will in all likelyhood have a shorter life (a slight inconvenience to you) compared to a non-deep cycle battery, you know that your yellow top can take your abuse and last at least three years.

Of course, your friends see that you've changed your battery preference and ask you if they too, should do the same. Without telling them that you frequently blast your stereo for hours, you encourage all of your friends to buy the yellow top battery. The word is out - Optima Red top batteries don't last and the word on the street is "Get the yellow top and don't worry about premature failures!"

My point? It is well known that a standard battery was never intended to be drained to almost nothing and then recharged. The factory never considered this to be a prerequisite for a battery as OEM equipment. Just because many people use the battery in a way that was never intended, does NOT mean that everyone who owns a car that has the red top should run out and replace it with a Yellow top, especially if they don't crank a high-powered stereo for hours at a time.

If those of us who do NOT grab our steering wheel never have problems with our column-lock mechanisms and based upon this poll, probably never will, then why worry or rush out to buy a solution to a problem that will not happen? I don't need to buy a Yellow top and I don't need to install a CLB if I know that my lock is not being abused.
Now if I find out that I am wrong and the locks were never tested for longevity at all (which is remotely possible), then I'll install a CLB. Until then, I'm not worried.

 

Ive got a 97 with about 47k on it, bought it with 34k, and ive never had a problem with it. I bought the CLB but havent put it in yet... i bought it only because of all the gripes ive head people on this forum having with the column. I never grab the wheel on exit, i almost always let the needles do their cycle thing on start up. im a mindful about never moving the wheel after ive stopped the car...i donno its thats why its never happened or not...but ill install that damn CLB soon anyways.

Dan

 

My theory is getting stronger by the minute!

Thanks for your input.

 

I preempted the problem on both of my C5's (a 99 and now 03 Z) so I didn't vote. I still wasn't about to play steering column lock roulette. As I hate walking.

But like many have said the percentage of actual lock ups is probably in the order of less than 10% of the total number of C5's manufactured.

Tom

 

I've had my 98 since Feb 98 and have never had the column lock up, its got 26k on the odomenter. I have replaced the original lead acid battery with the Delco AGM about 3 years back and that has held up. Now that I've mentioned it, both will probably bite the dust. Just waiting for the recall notice from GM to get the by-pass taken care of.

MAC

 

This thread really cracks me up.. I don't know how many times I've heard people say that it won't happen to them only to post later that it did.

I wish good luck to all of you that are against the CLB and hope you don't feel the same way about car insurance. Even though less than 10% of the cars on the road every get into an accident, it sure is nice to know I'm protected.

 

I guess you have runflats then! Many people have had their clutch pedal stick on the floor. Should they switch to an auto-tranny so that this would never happen? I've had alternators die in previous cars. Should I have carried around an extra one?....just curious.

 

Don't be ridiculous. Apples to oranges. But I will put it to you this way. Are you waiting until after you have an accident to buy car insurance? And it's a hell of a lot more expensive than the CLB.

Frankly, I don't care one way or another if you get the CLB or not. I just find it humorous that so many people are in denial about an engineering problem that GM is never going to address and will cost the consumer major dollars out of their pockets because they refuse to admit it. But to each his own.

As I said, good luck with your gamble.

 

I have a 1998 A4 vet I purchased new Jan. 1998. I have 50,000 miles on my car and have never had a steering wheel lock problem. My column does lock when I cut the car off but it always unlocks when I turn the key to start which is normal. I have never yanked my steering wheel for any reason. When I park my wheels are always straight. I do not plan on a CLB because I know mine will not lock up unexpectedly.

 

:

I never had column lock, and I never lock the wheel in or out on my '98. The only time it may lock is when I am cleaning the steering wheel 3 or 4 times a year. I changed my original delco after 5.5 years.

 

Had my 97 for 6 years and put 24K on it. Never had a problem with the column lock on it or its replacement an 03 Z06 with 24K on it this week. I typically don't grab the steering wheel getting in or out unless the car is on my trailer. Then I like to use the wheel to help me get in the car since the trailer fender comes to just below the door level and I need something to hold while I am dropping or lifting myself out of the seat while my feet are on the slippery fender.
Bill

 

Ahhh, but you never mentioned whether you bought non-runflats! Is it possible that you gamble in some ways but not others? Read on, my friend; the posts beneath yours add the strength of the grab-wheel-to-exit theory. So far, only one person has babied the wheel and still had his column lock, but that was after a total of six years.

Please keep in mind, folks that I am not trying to admonish those who install the bypass, use runflats, or upgrade their alarm system. I am simply trying to determine if a particular action is causing the lock to fail.

 

No problem so far with my '03 Coupe (knocking on wood and stuff like that)

 

my 2004 roadster automatic is a daily driver since June 15 and has about 2100 miles with no problems. I use the steering wheel getting in but not getting out. Top down fun

 

No, I didn't answer your question because it makes no sense. Please educate yourself about Z06 tires. They don't come as runflats.

Again, good luck with your gamble.

 

Your car doesn't have a column lock anyway, so there's nothing for you to worry about.

 

did this the last time i checked the air levels in the tires...got back in and tried to start the car with my Silverado key

 

 

To all those folks who are "really cracked up" over the reluctance of some to put the CLB on their car, I ask: What would you do if you had a '97 or a '98 and knew there was a high probability of incompatibility and throwing codes? Someone with a '97/'98 even posted that CofH refused to sell them a CLB due to the high rate of returns. Is it still worth the hassle prior to the new recall?

Let's be bluntly honest: I'd do this CLB fix in a heartbeat if I had a '99 or newer C5... but what about '97s and '98s? Supposedly, we will be the first to get the 2004 recall fix... which should actually work on the A4s. Even if I had a '97 or '98 MN6, I would buy the recall parts and do the damn install myself. It's got to be better than the hassles of early model year CLB incompatibility.

Monk

 

Well My 02 locked up around 24K. I let the dealer fix it under warranty. My MN6 was not part of the recall...per the dealer

I never grab my wheel getting in or out.

I had a new alternator & battery installed before it locked up


My Theory is GM just needs to fix the problem. BTW several dealer told me the CLB will void your warranty (that is why I was bit by the column lock). :mad