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I had my column lock-up this morning while driving to work. Fortunately I was only going about 15 MPH. The car's been stuck in a bad neighborhood since then, and I haven't yet found a dealer that will work on them so I guess it's stuck there all night since it's already past 6PM here!
Anyway, how do I just remove the column lock? I've been by my local dealer and also the dealer I bought it from two years ago when the recall came-out, and both of them have refused to work on it. Now that it's an emergency, they want cash and both were talking middle of next week before they could get around to it. I'm sick of the problems. What do I do just to drive the car? Will a hammer work? Just kidding...
2 things can work, take the wheel shake it back and fourth against the lock and turn the key on. If that dosnt work, you need a t25 torx, take the lower column cover off, hit the silver unit on the right side of the column with a hammer and then turn the key on.
If you wernt joking about the column being locked.
holy hell, it locked while you were driving??? If you had been on the freeway, that would've been a huge problem...should I be concerned about this before I'm on the track doing 100+?
The jerking back and forth while turning the key on/off usually works to free it up. It takes some effort to do it, but don't give up. Sometimes the cooler temperatures of evening will allow the pin to retract from the locking ring. Your best solution might be to just install the Column lock bypass module after you get it unlocked. It is installed in the circuit to the locking motor and won't ever let it lock again. I had one on my 99 till I let GM do the recall work and take out the locking ring. Instructions to install the CLB are at instructions
Thanks Z06Tech. I've already done the disconnect the battery and remove fuse #25 several times. I just walked back to the car to try your suggestion. I took the 2 screws out, but I couldn't get the bottom cover off. The tilt wheel handle sticks through a hole in the bottom. How do I get the panel off? I've got the hammer ready.
This is frustrating. The car is in a bad place, but I don't want to pay to have it towed to somewhere that won't work on it only to have to pay to get it towed again to a different dealership. It happened before 10AM, and I still wasn't able to get something done. Purerock105, I'm going to try your suggestion, then I might just spend the night with it if I can't get it loose.
Purerock105, I'm going to try your suggestion, then I might just spend the night with it if I can't get it loose.
It's not something I'd recommend first, but as a last resort. When
my car was towed the dealer for CL in 2000, my tech guy did right
in front of me. I was like...okay
There is a little metal tab that is on the steering wheel side of the tilt handle, its a lock tab, you have to pry on that tab, not to hard it can break off, while prying, pull the handle out, sometimes they pop right out, others they need to be wiggled and a little more pull. Once the handle and screws are out of the way, its clipped to the top half of the column cover, pull down, in the front, it will come undone, then you will see the silver ECL on the right side of the column.
I got it unstuck about 2 hours after my last post. As I saw suggested in another thread here, I ran the A/C for a while on high, banged the steering wheel back and forth, and then it retracted. It's stuck again, so I've got to do that again before I drive to work. I'm taking back roads just in case. Today I'm going to call around to dealers again to see if I can find one willing to do the recall work. There's one about 40 miles away that I forgot to call yesterday, so I still have some hope.
I know it's been said a million times on the forum already but what a shame for a car like this to have this issue. I got my CLB from C of Houston yesterday. Taking today off and going to the garage now to install. I hit 1000 miles this morning taking my son to school and I feel lucky that I haven't had the problem. Now... off to prevent the bad 'hood scene!
I've been trying to order one from them since yesterday, but they're attempting to use a Microsoft product on their web site so it doesn't work very well. I keep getting the "Error Executing Database Query in F:\wwwroot\eshazaam\COH\storeorder_temp. cfm. INSERT INTO storeorders_temp (orderid, itemid, dateordered, customerid..." when submitting. Of course, that's only a partial solution. The pin is still in place and can still lock-up the column. I'm still looking for a solution that gets rid of the pin.
So I finally had the dreaded Steering Column Lock service happen three times in one week in my 2002 C5 Z06. I am somewhat isolated since I live in Central Europe, so I pulled fuses 23 25 and 29, and it worked the first two times, but stayed locked after the third time, and I had to tow my car home. I uncovered the steering column and found the steel pin holding the column, and hit it with a chisel, and it popped back down. In the end, I got a dremel and sawed it off. I now want to reprogram the PCM so that the fuel cutoff doesnt happen at 2mph...I have two laptops here with USB ,etc..IE somewhat modern. So my question is , what do I need to change this parameter? I am not interested in tuning my C5, I just want to change this parameter ...so can anyone either post or link me to a post on our forum on how to do this? Any help is appreciated. And yes the CLM bypass kit is ordered and on the way, but it takes forever out here, and I want to be safe.
Change from 2mph to 200 mph is one way. The exact steps required vary based on the software you're using.
Looks like the mph in your screenshot is editable, if you change it can you write the new value to the car's software?
If the screenshot is a different cuttoff situation what happens if you right-click on "Column Lock Fuel Cut VSS"?
Good luck Marc.
Cheers
Thanks, but not my screenshot I downloaded it from another post, but I couldnt get an answer (it was a 15 year old post) on what software, what cable, etc to use, and still looking.
Just to update everyone a year later....mostly because I am in Central Europe and don't have many resources....my 2002 Z06 had the CLB installed in 2005, and it was fine for 19 years, but as I stated, it now happens often..so I got a dremel and sawed the locking pin clearly off. I then took the car to a tuning shop and had the fuel cutoff set to 200 MPH...no problems every since. I did make a small mistake and not catch the pin when it was cut off, and it fell somewhere into the column, and it now makes contact intermittently which activates the horn! so I pulled the fuse for the horn and drive the car in this condition..Ill use a magnetic wand and find the metal tab later this summer.
How to remove column lock?
I downloaded it from another post, but I couldnt get an answer (it was a 15 year old post) on what software, what cable, etc to use, and still looking.
