This message has recently appeared on my 00 vette. No problems as of yet, but does anyone know what this means and what the easy means of correcting the problem would be?

Thanks

 

When the Key is out of the Ignition will the steering wheel be locked and if not what may be wrong?
Thanks
jeff

 

no column doesnt lock with key out of the ignition

 

Then your '00 has probably had the factory coloumn lock recall performed, during which they 1) removed the steering wheel lock plate and 2) installed the K Harness, which is prone to failure, which is probably why you are now seeing the column lock message.

I had the same thing happen to my '00 A4, shorty after I purchased it, and after getting the pull key and wait 10 seconds message several times, I finally got a total failure, where the car would start, but engine would die, when placed into gear and moved over 1mph.

The fix was to remove the knee bolster below the steering wheel, and remove the K Harness, and hook up the steering column lock actuator wiring back to pre-recall configuration........car then started and ran fine with no messages. As an additional insurance policy against future failures, I ordered and later installed the Column Lock Bypass (CLB) from Thunder Racing. (Actually, Thunder Racing calls it a column lock simulator)

 

Hey guys...

I had the CLB installed at the dealer under the recall. I went back maybe 6 months later for an oil change and guess what? CLB has failed! I got into it with the dealer... I asked, "How can the CLB be a problem if GM removed it from my car during the recall?"

The manager had a blank stare... couldn't answer the question.

Needless to say, rather than remove the CLB code from the computer, the 'fix' was a latching relay that everyone is so familiar with... which is what failed in my case.

The 'solution' was to re-install the CLB kit from GM... and the dealer charged me for it because it wasn't under warantee!

After a call to GM, the cost of the kit was refunded but the dealer refused to back down from the labor charges... even though all they had to do was swap a relay. Needless to say, I will never go to City Chevrolet in OKC again.

But here is a twist: The last time I did an oil change, I went to reset the oil life monitor... I turned on the key, hit the gas a few times... and guess what popped up? You guessed it! SERVICE COLUMN LOCK!

I turned the key off, back on, and hit the gas a few more times. Everything reset to normal. I think I'll be resetting the oil life monitor from the dash from now on.

Anyone else have this issue?

Mark

 

Does it matter that my steering wheel doesnt lock? Or am i just in the early stages and can expect it to lock in the near future?

 

If your column does not lock now and you can still hear the actuator cycle when you turn on the key, then the lockplate has been removed so there is no physical way the column can lock.
The problem comes in when the actuator simulator relay fails, and the BCM cannot determine the actuator position, thereby cutting off the fuel. Cutting the fuel will keep you from driving the car, but at least the column will not be locked.
Get the dealer to check if the Harness K kit was installed on a previous recall, and verify that the relay in the harness has not failed.

 

It's been a while since I visited this issue and I have some questions. Are you the only owner of this car? If not, do you have access to previous service records? GM's system can provide only records performed by dealers.

If the column doesn't lock when the key is removed, it indicates that "something" has been done to disable it. It would be helpful to know exactly what was done before going forward with any additional serviceing. The #1 cause of the "service column lock" message, other than having a locked column, is low battery voltage. Since you have a 2000 car, this may very likely be the cause.

The current GM "recall" being discussed, where the SCL is disabled, is NOT a recall at all. It's called a Special Policy Adjustment #05081 (2-8-06) and includes the work described in Recall Buletin #0406C. The work is only performed on cars that have a locked column, meaning you can't just take your car in and have the work done as a preventative measure. It is offered free of charge through 2-29-08 regardless of ownership.

Because of this stipulation I highly recommend purchasing the aftermarket CLB kit and installing it yourself.

 

I had the recall done on my 02 MN6 back in Jan 05 (although admittedly the MN6 cars just get a flash update - no physical changes to the mechanism). About 3 weeks ago, the actual lock actuator failed (I don't remember the 2 BCM specific codes anymore - but there is a section in the service manual that addresses the codes - one for unlock failed and one for lock failed) and had to be replaced. I would imagine that since it is a mechanical part failure will eventually occur, and because of the way the circuit is designed, disable the car.

I didn't get a real good look at the replacement assembly that was put in my car, but it did seem to have some differences to the one originally in the car. My guess would be that they have changed the lock plate in some way to reduce the chance of the lock pin *accidentally* engaging. I can say for sure that before the replacement, I almost never had to move the wheel for the lock to be engaged and now I can move the wheel several degrees before it bumps against the lock.

In my opinion, only those people who have installed the *aftermarket* column lock bypass/simulator or have found another way to completely remove the actuator from the equation (GM's recall does not accomplish this) are going to be immune from this problem. The GM recall on the automatics only removes the lock plate and installs a K harness with a new relay (also apparently prone to failure), the actuator is still connected and functional - still leaving the car vulnerable to column lock failure.