hi everyone, i just bought my first c5 and after about 2 weeks it is now stuck in a buddy's driveway. i've read the sticky on this issue i just want someone to confirm my understanding before doing anything. it's the common "pull key, wait 10 seconds" and " service steering column" issue. i have a 97 a4 and the recall was performed in 05'. the car will start but as soon as i start to move the fuel shuts off. i've had my key pellet checked, as i read this could of caused the probem. not that lucky. i've taken out fuse 23 and 25 and unhooked battery for 30 minutes, again not that lucky. also i read it could be a bad battery, just replaced, so again not that lucky. so, from what i've read the only options i have is 1) remove k harness relay that was installed during recall or 2) install a new k harness relay kit. which one? and where i find directions/pics on how to do. thanks

 

Order this from Thunder racing, it will fix your problem and you'll never have to worry about it coming back.

http://www.thunderracing.com/catalog...d=220&pcid=156

 

Try this - Get in the car, jerk the wheel back and forth. Insert key and start again. No luck? I think someone told me once to jerk especially hard to the right. If that does not work try to jerk back and forth with the ignition on but car not running. I suggest you try this a few times.

If you get it going and operational do not cut if off again until you are at a location, or mechanic, you can use to install a Column Lock Block, or the column lock simulator. Read all the stickies at the top of the forum dealing with this malfunction.

When this happened to me I put in the column lock block, $50, 50 minutes, never a column problem since, good luck.

Bob

 

My 98 a-4 had the dealer installed lock done.

It eventually failed,I then took it back and they reinstalled an upgraded one

Been good to go so far,about 1 1/2 years

 

What I would do is remove the K harness, verify the actuator is in, since the K harness was installed I would guess the lock ring was removed which it should be, and then install the CLB.

Got these instructions from member jovette

1.disconnect battery cables, negative/ground first
2.remove the knee bolster under your steering column.
3.locate the column lock harness connector. It will be the 4-pin connector attached to the horizontal steel bar on the right side of your steering column. Unplug it.
4.Follow the wire harnes to the left side of your steering column and remove the K Harness relay and wire harness. It is usually zip tied to the heavy metal bracket left of the steering column.
5.Plug in your column lock wiring harness where the K Harness was plugged on the right side of the steering column.
6.Reconnect battery cables, positive / hot first
7.You have now restored your column lock assembly (ECL) back to its stock condition. If it (ECL) has not failed previously, your car should work perfectly fine until your ECL does finally fail. Then you will have a locked steering column and fuel cutoff for 6 speed and an unlocked column with fuel cutoff for an automatic tranny.
8.Order your CLB ASAP and install it into that connector on the right side of the steering column and disconnect your column lock assembly (while in the unlocked position please).

 

I also got mine from thunder racing yesterday easy install.

This site might help http://www.ls1howto.com/index.php?article=24

I unlocked my steering wheel by moving side to side with a little force, and it worked.

congratulation on your car

 

A technique that I found to be just as effective as jerking the wheel was to simply pull down on one side of the wheel while turning the key. It has an equally high success rate, but it won't wear you out if you need to do it a few times.

 

thanks everyone,

my steering wheel is not locked, as recall 4006 has been done. but since then there has been 2 updates to this original recall. 04006b and now 04006c.actually gm is not calling 04006c a recall, they just have a policy 05081 that states if you've had either 4006 or 4006b done, they will do the update 4006c at their expense. so basically, if your car has a problem because of the first two they will fix it at their expense. of course i found this out by reading and the dealer knew nothing about this policy. they would have fixed it at my expense. i will post the results when i get the car back from the dealer. thanks

 

Good luck. By the way if you have a key problem the car will not start at all. Even if you tried to push start it.

Bill

 

alright, got car back from dealer yesterday. they installed an updated kit. drove car around for about an hour. i had a chance to race my buddy in his factory five shelby cobra (302) we raced about a 1/4 mile and i ended up about 3 car lenghts ahead of him he said he's going to buy a supercharger now haha. we went got something to eat, came back out and started the car, there it was "pull key, wait 10 seconds" message. i pulled key, waited and it started without any messages. drove it home and parked it. now, i'm not very mechanically inclined which is why i took it to the dealer and chose against the clb.i just tried to fix the ac display myself and it's worse now. so as everyone recommended, i'll be trying to install a clb myself. lesson learned. thanks

 

God, I am just waiting for this to happen. Every time I put that key in I think about it. I just hope it doesn't happen hundreds of miles from home, which will probably be the case. The C6 doesn't have this issue right?