I got the dreaded column lock again after being fixed 4 years ago under the recall... Should this still be covered by the recall or will i have to use my warranty. Do they have to reflash my PCM?

 

Don't rely on the GM column lock recall....Fix it for good with column lock bypass!!!

 

Dealer will probably not fix it a second time under the recall.
If your lockplate has been removed and a Harness K relay installed, you may be able to remove the relay and reconnect the column lock actuator back to stock (as long as you can still hear the actuator working).

Can you give more details of what exactly is not working?
ie Does the column not unlock? Does the column unlock, but the fuel cuts off when you try to drive it?

 

On my 02 Z06, clumn lock is a sign of a low battery. Throwing the caharger on the battery for a few hours has always fixed it.

Yours may be different, but this has been my experience.

 

The column is locked so I cannot drive the car. The wheel is turned slightly to the left. It was towed from a restaurant to the dealership here in Plano.. The car was taken in under the 2004 recall in December 2004. The fix back then was to reflash the BCM and have the fuel cut off for all 6 speed cars. The lockplate was never removed. They only removed lockplates on cars with an auto transmission.. The recall was revised in 2006 to include all 6 speed manual cars with a GM kit and harness. This has not been done yet. Hopefully they can fix it right this time with no charge. The service advisor will call me Monday with more information.. The lockplate needs to go!!

 

yep..theres your problem..


CLB = never again on a flatbed for this issue

 

come to think of it I saw a system charge fault on the dic the other day. The alternator is putting out 13.5-14.0 volts, however I have not checked the battery to see if it holds at least a 12.5 charge overnight.

 

It's a little late now, but turning the wheel a bit to relieve pressure on the lock plate will sometimes unlock the column... or so I have read.

 

Maybe overkill, but if you never had the last recall done, I would request the dealer go ahead and remove the lockplate.
Then you just have to deal with satisfying the BCM.
If your actuator still works, you can just leave it connected and the BCM should be satisfied.
If your actuator does not work, then you can install an aftermarket column lock bypass relay to simulate the actuator.

The GM Harness K relay should work, even with the actuator disconnected, but you may not want to mess with trying that.

 

Would I still have to worry about the fuel cut off?

 

If the BCM does not get the correct signal that the column is not locked, it will still cut the fuel when you try to drive it.

You need either the actuator, or a column lock simulator relay to send the correct signal back to the BCM.

 

thanks tex

 

I promised I would keep you updated with feedback from my Column Lock issue. As you know, I had the car towed to the dealership on Saturday. They finally called me yesterday morning. Telling me the actuator or motor needed to be replaced and a new improved relay harness would be installed in place of the k harness installed from the first recall in 2004 Kieth the service tech called my extended warranty company (Mercury) and they approved every thing with no problems.. He said most companies will not warranty this job/// So I got lucky. Here comes the funny part.. I went to pick the car up this morning and guess what??? They pulled the car up and it was bucking and surging and stalled.. Fuel cut off issue?? I wish I could have looked at the codes that were thrown,, Anyhow Kieth was a little embarressed, as there were other customers waiting on thier cars and looking at mine wondering what the heck was going on.. Needless to say its a good thing it happened there at the dealership. I was really on the fence on even letting them touch the car in the first place, knowing the CLB was the only real solution to the problem and I would have to take it upon myself to do this very simple job.. I still think I made a good descision considering the actuator had to be replaced.. I never would have got the car home. The total cost so far is $600 plus $120 for towing the car into the dealership.. My out of pocket deductible on my extended warranty is $100 and my Automobile Insurance will take care of the towing bill in full. I will let you know the rest of the story when they figure out what the problem is.. If I can just get home to my garage I will be happy and install the clb

 

I would bet the dealer still set the fuel cut off to 2 mph.

Find a shop or someone with a HP Tuner Suite or EFI Live, and change the fuel cut off from 2 mph to 250 mph - or whatever you desire.

 

Give us a call, as you can see the dealership "fix" is not working, besides the CLB, Chuck CoW also does a computer fix that will take care of the problem for good. Here is our number # 914-332-0049


Mrs. CoW