Last week I got the 10 sec drill, everything worked ok. Friday, I got the 10 sec and column lock both and after a few twists of the wheel, turns of the key, it unlocked. Unfortunately, today it locked up and nothing would unlock it, so I started experimenting. With over an hour of experimenting, the following worked.

Leave key in car with engine running.
Remove fuse #25 (under passenger seat in fuse box, look on diagram).
Now while car is still running, the DIC is blank, you can turn the steering wheel, and the column lock is released. However, if I pulled forward, the car died.
Put the fuse back in.
Start car.

Now the car started fine for me and after a number of tests, everything is still ok, the Service Column Lock no longer comes on and the car drives and handles normally.

I'm glad I finally got it to work, but yes, I'm taking it to the dealer to get the new fix. I figure I'd better not push my luck before the thing totally fails.

 

I have a question about pulling the #25 fuse while the engine is running. I wonder if it would work to turn off the engine, pull the fuse, then restart. Stop the engine and replace the fuse.

It sure would be nice to hear from someone else that your procedure or my variation worked for them.

 

I did that---stop the engine, pull the key, pull the fuse, restart the engine (still says "Service Column Lock"), stop it and put fuse it...and it didn't work. I also stopped the engine, pulled the fuse, waited a minute, replaced the fuse and started the car and it still had the column locked. I tried a number of different combinations and the only thing that worked was pulling the fuse while the car was running. For some reason it unlocked the column, though it didn't correct the "drive slow" mode. That was corrected after re-inserting the fuse again. Then everything was ok. I've started it 5-6 times since and it works fine right now.

 

FunDriver,

Your method is now in a Word document on my HD.

Let's hope someone else tries your method soon so we have better proof that the method works and not just that you got lucky. Many members have had their coulums lock and for no reason some time passes and then the lock works again---all with nobody doing anything.

If this procedure works consistently I would bet it will become the standard and that it will do away with buying the CLB.

 

Thanks for posting.

- Charley

 

While the fuse trick sounds promising, I'm not entirely convinced this is a safe operation. While fuses can blow, that is not the same thing as removing them during normal operation.

I would be interested to hear if anyone attempts this with just the car electrical on, and without the engine running. This would be a little safer and should have the same effect (electrically...). From my one experience with this, it looks like a litte brute-force on the steering wheel during ignition is the best solution so far.

 

Yes, the first time last week I got the warning, pulled the key, waited, and it worked ok. The next time, a couple days later when it happened, I did the same thing but after re-inserting the key, the column locked. After some hard turning of the wheel and moving the key back and forth, it unlocked.

This last time however, it would not unlock even with hard turns on the wheel, etc. That's when I started experimenting with some information from an old column lock post on the Forum. Finally, after many different combinations of key, wheel turn, fuse, etc. the column unlocked when the car was running and the fuse pulled, but not before.

Sarjeant...I tried the hard turning of the wheel and it didn't work. I also tried pulling the fuse with the electrical on and it didn't work either. It may just be coincidence, but when the car was running and the fuse pulled, it was like it had never locked in the first place. I didn't hear any clicking or other indication that it had cleared...I just got in and it was unlocked and the wheels would turn. I then started to pull forward and the car died. I then started it again and everything was fine...no DIC code or anything. Could the extra benefit of power steering have helped with the engine running? What would make a difference between the car running and not running? I don't know...all I know is that it worked that way and I hope I never have to test it again.

By the way, the dealer can't work on it before Friday so I'm going to leave it in the garage until then. I could get the COH bypass but will wait to see what the dealer can do first.

 

How many miles did you have on your Vette before this happened?

 

Great info FunDriver. And I am glad you got to work okay.

Thanks

Mav

 

30,600 miles. After all that time and all those miles, I thought that I had beaten the Column Lock bug...so don't rely too much on your luck! :yesnod: On the other hand, I had also asked the dealer to fix it while I was in the shop several times for other matters and they said it wasn't a recall so I had to wait until it occurred!


[Modified by FunDriver, 11:22 PM 9/23/2002]

 

Thanks for sharing your success.
I printed out your fix and will keep a copy in the glove box just in case.
You may very well come to the rescue one dark and rainy night!

 

I sure hope it never comes to that! But in fact, my experimenting started from a copy that I, too, had printed out from the Forum. That solution didn't work, but it gave me the idea about removing fuse #25.

By the way, that fuse is kind of hard to get out without some needle-nosed pliers---and a flashlight would be helpful too since, as I recall, when I pulled the fuse the passenger courtesy light also went out, so you don't have that light source when re-inserting the fuse.

Good luck to you. :cheers:


[Modified by FunDriver, 12:01 AM 9/25/2002]

 

FunDriver, Thanks for sharing the info on the pliers and flashlight. That's something only an unfortunate experience teaches. With my luck, if this happens it will be on a dark & rainy night in the middle of nowhere. Now I'll be prepared!

 

FunDriver,

Is there a fuse puller inside the fuse box? Isn't there a fuse puller in the fuse panel next to the battery? Will either of these pullers work?

 

Another good recovery! Thanks for posting this!