Column lock oddity
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,406
Likes: 0
From: Albuquerque NM
Column lock oddity
So I have read through all the column lock posts that I have found and did not find the answer for my situation - or I possibly missed it.
Today I got the ol "Service Steering Column Lock" message on the DIC. However, the car still turns and drives normally.
The car is a 2003 MN6. I bought it used last June, from a Ford dealer.
When I used to turn the car off, I would hear the motor locking the steering wheel. Now, I no longer hear it, and the steering wheel does not lock.
Any ideas?
Today I got the ol "Service Steering Column Lock" message on the DIC. However, the car still turns and drives normally.
The car is a 2003 MN6. I bought it used last June, from a Ford dealer.
When I used to turn the car off, I would hear the motor locking the steering wheel. Now, I no longer hear it, and the steering wheel does not lock.
Any ideas?
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,217
Likes: 5
From: Stark County Ohio
As you know, this has been discussed to death. Please do a search AND read the sticky at the top of C5 Tech.
My take is if you want piece of mind install the CLB and be done with the issue.
Your column (steering) will no longer lock, but you will not be stranded. You can’t have both a locking column and piece of mind that the issue is resolved once and for all.
It appears that your column lock failed in the “Unlock” position; otherwise your car would not be drivable.
Do you hear a ratcheting sound – the sound of the lock bolt rubbing the lock plate? If you do now or anytime in the future you MUST have the lock plate disc removed from the steering shaft.
The plate can be removed and a non-locking plate substituted, or you can have the original lock plate machined to eliminate the locking slots on the outer rim of the lock plate.
My take is if you want piece of mind install the CLB and be done with the issue.
Your column (steering) will no longer lock, but you will not be stranded. You can’t have both a locking column and piece of mind that the issue is resolved once and for all.
It appears that your column lock failed in the “Unlock” position; otherwise your car would not be drivable.
Do you hear a ratcheting sound – the sound of the lock bolt rubbing the lock plate? If you do now or anytime in the future you MUST have the lock plate disc removed from the steering shaft.
The plate can be removed and a non-locking plate substituted, or you can have the original lock plate machined to eliminate the locking slots on the outer rim of the lock plate.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 1,406
Likes: 0
From: Albuquerque NM
Thanks for the input. I'll look into that relay tomorrow. Might be worth mentioning that it never does tell me to pull the key and wait 10 seconds. just simply says "service column lock".
Burning Brakes
Joined: Aug 2006
Posts: 1,217
Likes: 5
From: Stark County Ohio
Pull key…………
This usually indicates a fault where the BCM fails to read or receives an incorrect resistance value from the chip on the key. This is separate from “Service Column Lock”.
Thoroughly cleaning the chip contacts on the key usually clears up this problem.
Sometimes the pellet reading contacts on the switch are dirty or failing.
