Column Lock Question
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 418
Likes: 1
From: Metro Atlanta Georgia
Column Lock Question
I read the sticky about the subject and would still like to ask a specific question about my particular car. '04 m6.
My vin is not in the list of recalls. If I understand correctly, that means mine has been reprogramed. That means I can still have the lock problem, I will just get a fuel cut and be stranded. I still need the bypass. Am I correct? Or am I still confused.
By the way, I've only had the car three days so go easy on me.
My vin is not in the list of recalls. If I understand correctly, that means mine has been reprogramed. That means I can still have the lock problem, I will just get a fuel cut and be stranded. I still need the bypass. Am I correct? Or am I still confused.
By the way, I've only had the car three days so go easy on me.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 9,369
Likes: 4
From: Zephyrhills, Florida
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13
I'm not up on where an '04 stands on the issue although someone with "real world" experience will hopefully jump in. Does the steering wheel lock on the '04 ??
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,847
Likes: 794
From: Longview Texas
My 2004 Z06 column locked from the factory. I removed the lockplate and installed the Harness K kit about 3 years ago, before the actual recall on the manual cars, and have not had any trouble.
However, this was before GM started having problems with relay failures in the column lock bypass kits.
From what I understand about the fuel cut off issue. The car was always programmed to cut the fuel if the BCM got a signal that the column was locked, or it could not tell the position of the column lock, to keep you from driving the car with the column locked. There were certain low voltage conditions where the column could be locked, and the PCM would not get the signal from the BCM within the allotted time to cut the fuel, so the reprogram was supposed to correct that condition.
The column lock actuators on the 04s are "supposed" to be more reliable, but I would recommend that you remove the lockplate and install a bypass relay (either the Harness K or an aftermarket CLB) so that you don't have to worry about the column locking in the future.
If the lockplate is removed, even though the column cannot lock, if the bypass relay fails and the BCM does not get the right signal that the column is unlocked, it will still cut the fuel. If this happens, at least you will not have to deal with a locked column, just the electrical relay problem.
However, this was before GM started having problems with relay failures in the column lock bypass kits.
From what I understand about the fuel cut off issue. The car was always programmed to cut the fuel if the BCM got a signal that the column was locked, or it could not tell the position of the column lock, to keep you from driving the car with the column locked. There were certain low voltage conditions where the column could be locked, and the PCM would not get the signal from the BCM within the allotted time to cut the fuel, so the reprogram was supposed to correct that condition.
The column lock actuators on the 04s are "supposed" to be more reliable, but I would recommend that you remove the lockplate and install a bypass relay (either the Harness K or an aftermarket CLB) so that you don't have to worry about the column locking in the future.
If the lockplate is removed, even though the column cannot lock, if the bypass relay fails and the BCM does not get the right signal that the column is unlocked, it will still cut the fuel. If this happens, at least you will not have to deal with a locked column, just the electrical relay problem.
