I dropped in on my dealer today to discuss some of the concerns forum members have expressed about the column lock device malfunctioning. The service manager in effect stated that with any device which is mass produced there is going to be a few defective items. I do not doubt that some members have faced difficulties, but perhaps there needs to be a more thorough and balanced report before installing the bypass. After all the column lock is there to deter theft. Theft may be a much greater threat than column lock malfunctioning.

 

A column lock is a poor way to deter theft. If a criminal wants your car he will get it. The only person the column lock deters from driving the car off is the owner.

 

How many people do you know who have had their Corvette stolen?

How many people do you know who have had their column lock?

How many of those who had their car stolen would pay $50.00 to be guaranteed to not have it stolen?

Get a CLB and forget about it!

 

I personally know of no one who has had their car stolen. I personally know of no one who has had column lock problems. I have also heard people say that the CLB can cause problems. There are people who have written in who have experienced problems and I do not doubt their statements. My point was that 1000s of the units were made and the number of stories I have heard of is tiny in comparison. I have also heard just as many people say that they had stereo problems, alignment problems, computer problems, etc., etc., etc. You cannot mass produce something and not have a few problems. What I did was to speak to my dealer to hear that side of it. I would suggest everyone hear all sides, get accurate information on the extent of the problem, weigh all advantages & disadvantages, and make an informed decision. In most cases like this there is not one "right " decision.

 

now that's a good one!

 

If you want to get an idea of how many Corvettes have had the column lock problem in your area, especially if you are in a large city, contact the largest tow company with flat bed trucks, ask them. Some of the stories they will provide will be freightening.

When my column locked in Portland, Oregon, I went with the truck to the dealership. I asked the driver if he had seen this problem before and he just laughed. He had towed one in the day before and said he had probably been personally involved in transporting a dozen. Others in his company had the same experience.

The only reason you aren't hearing about columns locking more frequently now is because most C5 owners already have the bypass installed. It is easily the most common "Mod" for C5s..... and with very good reason.....

Terry

 

I believe there was someone on this very forum who put forward this voice of reason argument and dismissed the ubiquitous nature of the column lock problem and then had to eat his words when it happened to him. The problem occurs throughout the production cycle from 1997 to 2004 and I doubt every instance is posted here. However variable mass production may be, the fact remains that GM have never ever tried to address the problem or improve the design, just tried to cover it up. If your idea of fun is even considering the risk of being stranded in pouring rain 100 miles from nowhere while your car fails to operate as it should, that's your choice. To me, that's like surfing the net without an anti-virus or firewall - it may not happen but why risk it. Being several thousand miles from a Chevy dealer makes the CLB more of an obvious choice for me. LOL.

 

I have a friend with a Honda who's had column lock problems. I suspect that every manufacturer occasionally has one go bad. There are people who swear that shark cartilage helps with arthritis, but the medical profession may have statistics to suggest otherwise. Listening to a few people is fine, but getting a big picture is more important.
There are additional issues that one must consider. First of all, mods can void a warranty and forum participants do make mods that would void their warranty. Before taking the advice of a forum participant the warranty question should be answered by a dealer. Secondly, disabling the column lock might leave you in the cold, insurance-wise, should your car be stolen. Just because your insurance company gave the go ahead to disable this feature does not mean that mine would.
Dealers can provide bad information, as you know, so I am not stating that the dealers have the last word. When I bought my 2004 Z06 I was informed the 12-disc Delco changer could not be linked with my CD player. I later learned that it could. But some forum participants told me the Delco would play CDs I made and some said it would not. My CDs are playing on my main unit, but not on the Delco.
One forum member stated that his column locked while he was driving and he had an accident. Don't try to tell me that GM would leave the device in a car if this were happening with any regularity. Another forum participant stated his CLB caused other problems.
I am convinced that GM had serious problems with their original column lock. If there had only been minor problems would they have issued a recall? How many forum participants who report problems experienced them before the recall? I have not criticized forum participants who installed the CLB nor have I criticized anyone for reporting their problems. I haven't even criticized participants who stated that installing the CLB was a no-brainer. IMO there are clearly important questions to answer before proceeding and if you want to criticize me for reporting them, and reporting GM's position that is certainly your privilege. Hopefully a clash of opinions will lead each person to a good decision.

 

Charles7Mitchell,

I believe everyone here understands your questions and doubts related to the column lock issue. It has been discussed and evaluated more than any other single issue on this forum.

I see that you are relatively new to the Forum and are exploring the various issues that relate to your Corvette and its drivability. You may want to do a search of the column lock problem to retrieve more info on this subject. Every issue you have brought forward has been discussed in depth a thousand times over the years-- from insurance questions to warranty coverage. A frequent debate is a good thing to let new owners know the risks many of us have encountered.

If you're still skeptical about the need for the bypass, don't buy one. Join some of the rest of us who felt the same way and hope for the best. The column locked three times on my '00 Coupe to finally convince me...... and absolutely nothing about its design has changed for my '04.......

For those who don't install the bypass a few suggestions:

1. Always carry your Vin number in your wallet. If you have to walk far from your vehicle, you'll need to provide it to GM Roadside Service to confirm your vehicle is still under warranty. If your vehicle is no longer under warantee, GM won't pay the tow to the nearest dealer. Always tell Roadside Service your car is in a dangerous location, otherwise you'll wait several hours for the tow.

2. If you are parking in a remote or dangerous area far from communication or transportation, consider leaving your key in the ignition to prevent the lock from engaging... Carry your second key with you on trips so you can lock the car.

3. Never, NEVER park your Corvette in a location unaccessable by a large flatbed tow truck (parking garages, narrow and busy large city streets, etc). Remember, you will be unable to move the steering wheel and the car will have to be lined up with the flatbed to be loaded. The freeing of the lock will have to be done where the car is parked by a Chevy tech at the scene..... very, very expensive.

The only option to the flatbed is having the car towed by a regular wrecker ..... you can imagine the damage and the horror seeing you Corvette towed like that, but that's another story....

Terry

 

Agreed but, the column lock issue can leave you stranded and unable to drive your car. Most of the other problems don't do this. And considering GM has done nothing to actually fix the column lock mechanism is the reason why owners are so upset. Yes for the auto's they removed it for the recall but this still is not a fix of the mechanism itself. How about a redesign? Oh but wait, GM has washed their hands of the C5 now that the C6 is out.

 

Charles7Mitchell, I take it you have a 6 speed. Did you discuss with your dealer friend about installing the GM harness K on the 6 speed ? I'd like to know if anyone with a 6 speed has used the GM harness K instead of a CLB. Save the Wave.>George

 

Some people with 6 speeds have installed the Harness K. Unfortunately because it costs more and is more complicated to install than those aftermarket bypasses many haven't. If it were me, I would get the Harness K because it's GM approved and then there is no chance of it messing up my BCM.

 

I never heard of the GM harness K and thanks for mentioning it. I have the 2004 Z06 with a 7 year warranty. The dealer said only that all was well and I was good to go. Perhaps I am taking a chance, but if things go wrong the service manager has some explaining to do. At this point I am going to sit tight and take my chances. For those who have suggested that this is a foolish approach, if things go wrong you won't have to say "I told you so." I'll say it for you.

 

Actually I'm with you. I have not had the recall done to my 2003 Z06 and have no plans to, only because it doesn't fix the problem. I have not had a column lock as of yet. If I do then I will most likely get the Harness K.

 

Crap, today I got the service column lock message on my DIC. Only the column doesn't seem to be locking at all when I lock the car. This isn't a bad thing except that the message keeps showing up. I'm hesitating to take it into the dealership because I'm sure they will then do the column lock recall, which I don't want done.

 

Shylor, Since you have a six speed, go have the recall done and have the recall cleared (for resale) and put the CLB in.

Do you a tune in it? Not sure if they reflash every year or not?

 

An aftermarket Column Lock Bypass can damage the BCM so I won't be doing that anytime soon. My column did NOT lock up. I just got the service column lock message on the DIC. The column does NOT seem to be locking as it should when locking the car. That is all that is happening.

 

Considering the amount of CLB's now installed in C5's, I would think an issue would have been widespread. The BCM failures seems to coincidental, at best. But, you've made an informed decision and so be it. Hey, I know a to-remain-unnamed dealer who will install the CLB when they do the recall, who knows who is right!

Just a shame GM did not use the information to fix the problem. They clearly recognized the problem as evidenced by the people who received compensation from GM for the CLB's (installed prior to the recall). Since I just bought a new Avalanche, I guess the joke is on me!

 

GM has a bypass that does work and doesn't damage the BCM, it's called the Harness K. It does cost a bit more than those aftermarket bypasses and is harder to install but, it sends the correct voltages to the BCM.

Not all but some people have had issues with their BCM's and didn't realize the aftermarket bypass they installed to be the cause. I for one, do not want to find out later an inexpensive aftermarket bypass cost me an expensive part like the BCM.

 

See what happens when you spend time away from the forum, you become an uninformed dumba$$, guess I have some catching up to do!

Thanks for the info, not sure how I missed that!

It'll be interesting to see what the retailer and manufacturer of my CLB responds to my e-mail with.

For now, the CLB stays in the car...Of course, I live in Indiana and my green grass has a white covering on it...Winter came early this year.