PYRO1

I'm taking mine in this AM... I'm not looking forward to this... I talked to one owner of a Z-o6 here that had taken his in and he said all they did was flash the computer. Are they suposed to do more than this? If so what. If this is all they do and I have a lock issue are they then liable?

Thanks, Jeff

Gray Ghost

It's my understanding that all they do for the MN6 is flash the computer. The purpose is to prevent column lock while the vehicle is in motion. The program change merely cuts fuel to the engine when column lock occurs. It does nothing to prevent the column lock itself.

Patches

Here is the latest recall. Note especially the text in blue.:

1997-2004: Recall: Electronic Column Lock System
Subject:
GMP04-112 - 04006A - Electronic Column Lock System

MODELS:
CERTAIN 1997-2004 CHEVROLET CORVETTE EQUIPPED WITH A MANUAL TRANSMISSION, 1997-2000 CHEVROLET CORVETTE EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION, AND CERTAIN 2001-2004 CHEVROLET CORVETTE EQUIPPED WITH AN AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION – EUROPEAN EXPORT ONLY.

PRODUCT SAFETY RECALL #04006A - DATED: JULY 26, 2004

NOTE:
THIS BULLETIN CANCELS AND REPLACES BULLETIN 04006, ISSUED APRIL 2004. ADDITIONAL VEHICLES HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE POPULATION. THIS BULLETIN DOES NOT INCLUDE A SERVICE PROCEDURE FOR 1997 MANUALS AND EXPORT AUTOMATICS, OR 1998 MANUALS AND EXPORT AUTOMATICS BUILT THROUGH 5-25-98. THE BULLETIN WILL BE REVISED WHEN PARTS FOR THESE VEHICLES ARE AVAILABLE. ALL COPIES OF BULLETIN 04006 SHOULD BE DESTROYED.

DESCRIPTION:
General Motors has decided that a defect, which relates to motor vehicle safety, exists in certain 1997-2004 model year Chevrolet Corvette vehicles. When you remove the ignition key, the electronic column lock (ECL) system prevents turning of the steering wheel. When the vehicle is started, it unlocks the steering. Two conditions can prevent steering while the vehicle is moving:

1. The vehicle is designed so that if the column fails to unlock when the vehicle is started, the fuel supply will be shut off if the driver tries to move the vehicle. If voltage at the powertrain control module is low or interrupted, however, the fuel shut off may not occur and the vehicle can be accelerated while the steering is locked.

2. During quick cranks, the ECL lock pin may not withdraw fully and, in vehicles where there is abnormally low clearance to the lock plate, there may be contact between the pin and lock plate. This can cause a noise or ratcheting when the steering wheel is turned or, if there is insufficient clearance, the steering wheel cannot be turned.

If one of these conditions occurs, a crash could occur without warning.
Dealers are to remove the column lock plate on U.S. and Canadian vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission. After the service correction, the steering column will no longer lock when the key is removed.

On vehicles equipped with a manual transmission, and export vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, dealers are to 1) reprogram the PCM, and 2) verify there is adequate lock plate clearance and, if necessary, replace the lock plate. After the service correction, the steering column will continue to lock when the key is removed.
Refer to the Product Safety Recall Bulletin #04006A for further information.

EFFECTIVE DATE:
Owner mailing is scheduled to begin August 2, 2004.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

Part Number Description Quantity/Vehicle
88952427 Harness Kit, Strg Whl Theft Dtrnt Lk Shorting (automatics except export vehicles) 1
88952428 Wire Kit, Strg Whl Theft Dtrnt Lk (1998-2000 manuals & export automatics) 1 (If Req'd)
26056108 Nut, Strg Whl 1 (If Req'd)
26094767 Plate, Strg Shf Lk (manuals except exports) 1 (If Req'd)
88964588 Plate, Strg Shf Lk (export) 1 (If Req'd)
05694191 Ring, Strg Shf Lk Plt Ret 1 (If Req'd)

© Copyright General Motors Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

leadfoot4

Patches, does verification of "lock plate clearance" involve removing the steering wheel, or any other major components? Like most others, I'm reluctant to let the dealer touch my car, unless ABSOLUTELY necessary. Especially when I haven't had any problems with the car....except when I briefly had a CLB in place.

Thanks for any input you can provide!

AFVETTE

I have a by-pass installed and I wonder if I should remove it before getting the recall done or just leave alone and let them do the recall. That happened on my 99 and they never said a thing about the "PIN" being retracted. It never caused any issues but having the recall done came in handy when I sold my 99 this past May. The prospective buyer wanted the VIN to get a "service and recall history" on the car.

As I understand it RECALLS expire at some point and GM will no longer address the issue or be held responsible - any truth in this?

I'm taking my 03 in for the recall and I wonder if I should remove the by-pass, then re-install it after the recall is done?

Tom

CAJUNY2KC5

Tom:

My understanding is that dealers will remove the by-pass kits when doing the recall. I think it is an "either -or" situation for them. I could be wrong but you might consider removing it before you have the recall done.

1Vetteluver

I own a 2004 and the first owner had the recall in september of 2004, he said they didn"t do anything he never got a message on computer, I purchased the corvette 4 years ago and the message came on about a month ago Service steering lock, I went to dealer last week and they couldn't find a code they called GM engineering and was told to take steering column a part at cost to me they will not respect old recall. i wanted to know if there are any class action suits against GM AND If any member had any sucess with GM ..Thank you Vetteluver 80

v6turbo87

The first problem here is taking it to the dealer! All that anyone needs an LMC5 module from Compliance Parts. Follow the directions, install it and do the brown wire mod and be done with it! Total cost is under $50. None of the previous GM recalls solved the problem. The LMC5 does.

jdvann

Do not take to dealer....
DO I NEED AN LMC5 Column Lock Fix or Prevention?
The answer is YES if you have one of the following C5 Corvettes:
1997-2004 with a manual transmission
1997-2000 with an automatic transmission
2001-2004 European export Corvettes with an automatic
transmission
This means that over 126,000 Corvettes are susceptible to this debilitating problem. It is very likely that every one of them WILL experience failure of the steering column lock system at some time. Domestic 2001-2004 Corvettes with an automatic transmission have not been the subject of a recall for the column lock problem. Of course, since you can install an LMC5 in ANY 1997-2004 Corvette, you'll be covered regardless. You can always just keep an LMC5 and wrenches in the glove box, should you ever experience any column lock problems.
Over the years, the manufacturer implemented multiple recall procedures that added, modified, or removed various components. These sometimes fixed the problem for a while, and sometimes caused problems of their own. The manufacturer is no longer doing all recall work for free. Dealer service will now cost typically hundreds of dollars, with no guarantee that the problem will be fixed, and most importantly, that the problem won’t return!
**************************************** ****************************
Purchase the LMC5 from compliance parts and forget about the column lock issues forever.

jackthelad

Some mis-inormation here, the recall notice shown above is far from the full story. The "A" recall was only the second of four, not the "latest".

Recalls were, 04006, 04006A, 0406B and 04006C.

The extract below if from version C, note that the lock plate gets removed completely for US and some Canadian vehicles, so the column cannot lock - the part in bold is what was different from previous attempts to fix the problem. This is the fix version that the local dealer did on my '98 about 5 years ago - at no charge, after some wrangling.

Dealers are to remove the column lock plate on U.S. and Canadian vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission and U.S. vehicles equipped with a manual transmission. After the service correction, the steering column will no longer lock when the key is removed.


On Canadian and export vehicles equipped with a manual transmission, and export vehicles equipped with an automatic transmission, dealers are to 1) reprogram the PCM, and 2) verify there is adequate lock plate clearance and, if necessary, replace the lock plate. After the service correction, the steering column will continue to lock when the key is removed.

Vehicles Involved

Involved are certain 1997-2004 model year Chevrolet Corvettes equipped with a manual transmission, 1997-2000 Chevrolet Corvette equipped with an automatic transmission, and 2001-2004 Chevrolet Corvette equipped with automatic transmission (European export only), built within these VIN breakpoints:

73Corvette

Pounder

RoninC5

Don't use the dealer .....LMC5 as mentioned above... If you already used the dealer, install one anyway

dbgoodwin

Well, what the dealer did for my car was zip tie some random harness (think it was called the k harness or something) under the dash. They didn't actually hook it up, just literally stuck it under the dash.

73Corvette

That is kinda funny? Does the K harness work sorta like osmosis?

73Corvette

Jeff... IF your avatar pic is actually YOU I would go JUST LIKE that to the GM and strike that exact pose and demand they fix this issue...after he pees himself he'll probably just do whatever you want done to the car... so, they can install your LMC5 for you

dbgoodwin

Apparently not as my column locked up on me a few years after I bought it

I wouldn't have even known it was there if I hadn't seen it randomly when I had my lower dash out and wondered what it was.

CJ1957

Installed the lmc5 about a month ago without doing the brown wire mod because I can easily get back in there if I have to. Well, I had to! After the initial install all was fine and no remove keys for 10 sec. message. But, in the last couple of days the message creeped back into my DIC.

I see this thread that was brought back from 2004 and the replies left today pushed me out to the garage to do the "brown wire mod and snip the lmc5 brown loop.

That's what I did and after 10 ignition starts, so far so good. No message and I get to drive faster than 2 miles an hour.

Thanks for resurrecting this thread.

jdvann

The beauty of the LMC5 is it bypasses all that GM stuff even their attempted fixes.

dbgoodwin

Yeah I know, I already had an lmc5 at that point but I went ahead and ripped out the garbage GM had stuck down there anyways.