Please help! Unlocking steering column!!
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 117
Likes: 4
From: Delavan, Wisconsin
Please help! Unlocking steering column!!
Hi everyone, can you please help me with this!? Its a 05 M6 that I cant get the steering column to unlock. The code comes up on the dash, I put a new corvettes of Houston bypass eliminator in and the car starts up every time but the steering wheel is still locked and along with the code on the dash. How do I get the steering wheel unlocked!?!? Please help me I'm losing my mind with this!
Race Director
Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 16,838
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From: T-Town WA
2016 C6 of Year Finalist
Hi everyone, can you please help me with this!? Its a 05 M6 that I cant get the steering column to unlock. The code comes up on the dash, I put a new corvettes of Houston bypass eliminator in and the car starts up every time but the steering wheel is still locked and along with the code on the dash. How do I get the steering wheel unlocked!?!? Please help me I'm losing my mind with this!
I would call Houston and ask them.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 12,501
Likes: 3,627
Lock ribbon cable broken, lock gears bound up, or SLCM when south, and why you can not get the steering lock to go to the unlocked position to start with.
Best bet is to send the eliminator back, and just take the car to the dealer to have the TSB done.
What the dealer does is pulls the steering wheel to remove the lock plate, swap it out with a plate that the lock shaft will not engauge to lock the wheel up, then re-flashes the BCM to take both the Steering lock and SLCM out of play for every; so you never have the problem with either again. The dealer charges about $450.
If you know someone that has a tech 2, then you can do the steering wheel disc change yourself (it about $20, and so you don't have to go deeper to pull the lock as well), then get a TDS account for $40 for two years to reflash the BCM yourself as well.
Best bet is to send the eliminator back, and just take the car to the dealer to have the TSB done.
What the dealer does is pulls the steering wheel to remove the lock plate, swap it out with a plate that the lock shaft will not engauge to lock the wheel up, then re-flashes the BCM to take both the Steering lock and SLCM out of play for every; so you never have the problem with either again. The dealer charges about $450.
If you know someone that has a tech 2, then you can do the steering wheel disc change yourself (it about $20, and so you don't have to go deeper to pull the lock as well), then get a TDS account for $40 for two years to reflash the BCM yourself as well.
Last edited by Dano523; Jun 9, 2020 at 04:25 PM.
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Dec 2018
Posts: 117
Likes: 4
From: Delavan, Wisconsin
So I was able to unlock the steering compliment by jumping it with my battery. I then reinstalled the bypass eliminator and then started the car. The car started and The steering stayed unlocked! I turned it off and did it multiple times and everything worked....
But the thing that I don’t get tho is the “steering column locked” code still keeps coming up on th dash.....so It still broke??
But the thing that I don’t get tho is the “steering column locked” code still keeps coming up on th dash.....so It still broke??
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2013
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Likes: 3,627
So I was able to unlock the steering compliment by jumping it with my battery. I then reinstalled the bypass eliminator and then started the car. The car started and The steering stayed unlocked! I turned it off and did it multiple times and everything worked....
But the thing that I don’t get tho is the “steering column locked” code still keeps coming up on th dash.....so It still broke??
But the thing that I don’t get tho is the “steering column locked” code still keeps coming up on th dash.....so It still broke??
Problem with the steering column lock module itself (the black box that you plugged the eliminator into). GM no longer has new ones, and the whole reason that they can out with the re-flash to just take it and the lock out of play. So since you need at new SCLM (or at least it repaired), just go with the Re-flash to take the lock system entirely out of play.
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Race Director
Joined: Sep 2009
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From: Eastern
Dana knows what he is talking about. He is likely the most knowledgeable member on this forum on all C6 related problems.
Make an appointment at your nearest GM dealer and ask if they can do the TSB 18- NA-846 for the 2005 manual column lock.
You will never have to worry about that issue again, or you can play around with the column lock eliminator if you want an ongoing issue.
Make an appointment at your nearest GM dealer and ask if they can do the TSB 18- NA-846 for the 2005 manual column lock.
You will never have to worry about that issue again, or you can play around with the column lock eliminator if you want an ongoing issue.
Race Director
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Give a GM dealer a call to let him know that you want to have the GM TSB 18-NA-346 Disable completed on your car. They will order in the needed steering column lock parts, and once the dealer has the parts, will give you a call to bring the car in. They will pull the steering wheel to install the new replacement locking disc, and then reflash the BCM using TDS.
Should only take them a few hours, and the price should be around $450.
Should only take them a few hours, and the price should be around $450.
Pro
Joined: Jun 2017
Posts: 566
Likes: 277
From: Amarillo TX
I went by my local GM dealer (Auto Nation) today to schedule the TSB repair. They quoted me $300 labor, $25 parts, plus some tax. About what I was anticipating. Said it would probably take '3-4 real hours', although the book called for two. Made an appointment for next Thursday, as they had to order the necessary parts. The service technician told me that 'without the lock, the car will be much easier to steal' (not worried about that), and that in doing 'close to 100 Corvettes over the years, he has had two that have had the aluminum portion of the steering wheel gall to the steering shaft and he had to destroy the wheel to remove it'. Told him if that happens, I'll get an aftermarket wheel for him. He also applauded my decision to not go with the aftermarket module that will 'eventually fail'.
Hopefully, this cures my 'won't start and the damn chime keeps dinging' issue.
Hopefully, this cures my 'won't start and the damn chime keeps dinging' issue.
2nd Gear
Joined: Feb 2021
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Unlock by jumping with your battery?
So I was able to unlock the steering compliment by jumping it with my battery. I then reinstalled the bypass eliminator and then started the car. The car started and The steering stayed unlocked! I turned it off and did it multiple times and everything worked....
But the thing that I don’t get tho is the “steering column locked” code still keeps coming up on th dash.....so It still broke??
But the thing that I don’t get tho is the “steering column locked” code still keeps coming up on th dash.....so It still broke??
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2013
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Top left and bottom left are your voltage sides to lock and unlock the steering column, while the right top and bottom are the resistance readings of the column lock in the locked and unlock position.
So, The top left hand pin should get positive 12 volts, and the left lower pin should get 12V negative to move the motor/ lock shaft into the unlock position. To get the lock back into the locked position, you just reverse the polarity on the pins.
Also, make sure that the steering wheel is not bound up to one side, so the motor can move the locking rod more freely.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...mn-lock-4.html
2nd Gear
Joined: Feb 2021
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Top left and bottom left are your voltage sides to lock and unlock the steering column, while the right top and bottom are the resistance readings of the column lock in the locked and unlock position.
So, The top left hand pin should get positive 12 volts, and the left lower pin should get 12V negative to move the motor/ lock shaft into the unlock position. To get the lock back into the locked position, you just reverse the polarity on the pins.
Also, make sure that the steering wheel is not bound up to one side, so the motor can move the locking rod more freely.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...mn-lock-4.html
Race Director
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Trace the ribbon off the connector, and use two sewing pins on the motor side of the ribbon to power the lock motor to get it fire the locking latch open.
Short of that, would need to start pulling the steering column apart to either unlock the motor by hand, or change/mod the locking disc so the latch no longer has the steering wheel locked.