Okay, I've tried to read as many posts as I can about the column lock bypass. I've got the bypass kit. Car has been locked in my garage waiting for me to put the kit in. I followed the instructions but can't get the locking motor to unlock the wheel. I plugged the cigarette plug/wire in and don't hear the little motor trying to unlock the wheel. I tried jerking the wheel back and forth while using the power cord hoping the motor would retract the pin. Nothing. I even checked the cigarette plug with my cell phone charger to make sure it's got power, it does. I think the bypass module is doing its job because I don't have the "service column lock" or "remove key wait 10 seconds" messages. I can't drive the car in and out to verify because the wheels are turned. All I want to know is how to remove the locking ring/pin? I did several searches and can't find a thread that just addresses that. I called a friend with the GM service manual and there are special tools to do it their way. I just want to bust the lock out of there to free up the wheel. Anybody have any advice on how to do that? Or a link to a thread with just that info in it? Otherwise I'm on my way out with the chisel and hammer. Thanks.

This is on my son's '99 FRC.

 

Depress the top and bottom clips on the windshield wiper and washer switch assembly.
Slide the windshield wiper and washer switch assembly away from the electric column lock to disengage.



Remove the 3 pan head tapping screws (1).
Remove the electric column lock (2) from the steering column tilt head assembly

 

Is it possible to do it that way without removing the steering wheel? I don't think so but not sure. I just did it a bit different. I took the plastic shroud's off the top/bottom of the steering column. Then I removed the wiper switch as above. Then, I used a small screwdriver and hammer and attacked the back side of the housing that encloses the locking pin. Backside being the side facing the firewall. This side is plastic so I busted it up to get into the mechanism for the locking pin. Then I gutted out the whole mess with a screwdriver and needle nose. The actual pin was the hardest to get out. The pin is hardened steel but it slides up and down (or in and out depending how you look at it) within a plastic sleeve inside the housing. It won't come out by sliding it out (toward the firewall) because it hits the large metal structure of the tilt mechanism. I had to slide it as far out as I could and then use a sharp knife to cut apart the plastic sleeve. I worked at it for awhile cutting and busting the plastic out. Then after I got that all out the hard pin came out. I almost stopped when I got everything else out but then I decided the pin could possibly slide up and lock the wheel under extremely hard acceleration/turning if it were left in. I'm happy now I got it all gutted out and removed the pin. I did try pushing the pin down away from the locking ring with the electrical plug unhooked. It would push down but as soon as I pulled out the small screwdriver I had used to push it down the pin would pop back up and lock the wheel. The fact that it did that kind of makes me think it might be wise for everybody to gut out their locks like this even if they haven't had the pin lock out after installing the c.l.b. There was a good size spring in there when I gutted it out. Test drive confirmed the c.l.b. is doing it's job and faking the body control module (b.c.m.) into thinking all is well. No messages on the d.i.c. I'm guessing the codes are probably stored from when they did show before but I'll clear them someday when I hook up my scan tool. Assuming that's possible.

Hope this helps somebody else.

 

I did think about trying to take some pictures to post here but it was awfully tight under there and my camera probably wouldn't be able to focus that close.

 

No more locked colum for you!