Service steering column lock nugget

[lmoengnr]

It might be that I pulled on it hard as I was getting out of the car the night before...

I slipped on the wet drive way getting out of the car, must have loaded up the steering wheel.
Had the message the next time I started it,

 

[426Cuda]

I thought that the error message is about the ‘steering lock’ rather than the ‘steering’ itself?

My immediate impression was that there might have been load on the steering column when it was locked (such as the car moved slightly after it was parked). I do recall in the older cars that used a key to unlock the steering, that turning the key could be hard if there was any load on the steering column. The user manual (for the older cars) recommended turning the wheel slightly to take the pressure off the locking mechanism. I don’t know what the equivalent advice is for cars with electric steering locks.

Correct. The message is related to the steering lock, not the steering rack.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

I slipped on the wet drive way getting out of the car, must have loaded up the steering wheel.
Had the message the next time I started it,

You sure you were not maggot trying to push yourself out of the car ? Lol

Anyway...i guess in your case the msg did not reappear ?

 

[Hyperduc]

Until next time......

 

[lmoengnr]

You sure you were not maggot trying to push yourself out of the car ? Lol

Anyway...i guess in your case the msg did not reappear ?

Just a one off message, haven't seen it again.

 

[monstar]

My relationship with this car is like being a victim in a domestic violence relationship. Beats me up and i wanna get out...
Gives me some love and i wanna stay together until death do us appart and forget about the bad things..

Until next time......

Act as if you are taking out the garbage and sneak down the local Police station and file an incident report, you know, just in case. Then you’ve got a history file if the bitch tries it again

 

[Ron Burgundy]

Act as if you are taking out the garbage and sneak down the local Police station and file an incident report, you know, just in case. Then you’ve got a history file if the bitch tries it again

For sure
The coppers dont give a **** but best to report

 

[Woodman]

I've owned a 2002 Chevrolet Corvette C5 since 2003. Google Column Lock C5 and you will see what a massive issue this has been for Corvette C5 owners. That little "zzzzzzz" sound you hear from behind the steering wheel when you press the ignition button is a solenoid withdrawing (ignition on) or pushing (ignition off) a pin that locks the steering wheel. The old technology that worked well was a small pin that was moved by the ignition key as the driver turned the key, with no electronics involved.
I was dismayed when I heard that little "zzzzz" the first time I started a VF Commodore.
Like about 50% of Covette C5 owners I ended up getting the dreaded "Service Column Lock" message. The message indicates that the solenoid has not withdrawn the locking pin and the Powertrain Control Module has implemented a fuel shut- off at 5Km/hr. ie the car is immobile.
When I say 50% I am not exaggerating. The failure rate for this system has been massive in Corvette C5's.

The GM response to the problem was to issue a recall involving a software reflash and then to ignore it. The aftermarket came out with all sorts of loom by-pass plug ins that were hit and miss in terms of efficacy.

This is what I did: I pulled the steering wheel off and dug down into the column until I could get a thin cut-off wheel on a 4" grinder up to the locking pin that was extended into the toothed locking plate and I cut the pin off. This unlocked the steering wheel. I the used tuning software on a lap top to alter the fuel cut-off function in the PCM. Then I could drive the car.

Off course the solenoid started working again immediately and to this day the solenoid does its little "zzzzz" on the now shortened non- engaging locking pin.

My take on the failure was that due to grounding issues in the loom the BCM failed to communicate with the solenoid that activates the locking pin and the BCM registered that the car was running but the solenoid had failed to unlock the steering column (even though it had) and so the BCM sets the appropriate code (Steering Column Lock Failure) and implements the fuel cut-off function in which the car will idle but not run.

C5's have significant grounding issues ( they have a strange system of bringing all the ground wires to a central plastic case that corrodes) and I believe that when the column lock and the BCM and\or PCM have trouble communicating then the BCM sets trouble codes and shuts the system down.

So here we go with the VF's.

I have no knowledge of locking pin activation while cars have been at speed. It is an issue that occurs at start up and seems to be associated with lack of communication between modules in the system due to faulty grounding, low battery power or broken wires.

 

[DanielSS-V]

I had the same message in my 2013 VF a few days after I got the car. I was parked in a shopping centre carpark on a decline. I nudged the wheel as you would with a car that has a conventional steering column lock and turned the car off and on again and message went away. Haven't seen it since. Not particularly keen to give Holden a get out of gaol card, but this might be one time they can have one. I think this message can appear for a number of reasons, not necessarily the worst ones either.

One thing I have also noticed with my car at least, is the cars software is riddled with bugs. I've lost count of the number of weird things that have happened that are often fixed, by just effectively rebooting the car. My avatar being one of them, when the Nav decided to show where I lived from the point of view of a Chevy SS.

 

[426Cuda]

I've owned a 2002 Chevrolet Corvette C5 since 2003. Google Column Lock C5 and you will see what a massive issue this has been for Corvette C5 owners. That little "zzzzzzz" sound you hear from behind the steering wheel when you press the ignition button is a solenoid withdrawing (ignition on) or pushing (ignition off) a pin that locks the steering wheel. The old technology that worked well was a small pin that was moved by the ignition key as the driver turned the key, with no electronics involved.
I was dismayed when I heard that little "zzzzz" the first time I started a VF Commodore.
Like about 50% of Covette C5 owners I ended up getting the dreaded "Service Column Lock" message. The message indicates that the solenoid has not withdrawn the locking pin and the Powertrain Control Module has implemented a fuel shut- off at 5Km/hr. ie the car is immobile.
When I say 50% I am not exaggerating. The failure rate for this system has been massive in Corvette C5's.

The GM response to the problem was to issue a recall involving a software reflash and then to ignore it. The aftermarket came out with all sorts of loom by-pass plug ins that were hit and miss in terms of efficacy.

This is what I did: I pulled the steering wheel off and dug down into the column until I could get a thin cut-off wheel on a 4" grinder up to the locking pin that was extended into the toothed locking plate and I cut the pin off. This unlocked the steering wheel. I the used tuning software on a lap top to alter the fuel cut-off function in the PCM. Then I could drive the car.

Off course the solenoid started working again immediately and to this day the solenoid does its little "zzzzz" on the now shortened non- engaging locking pin.

My take on the failure was that due to grounding issues in the loom the BCM failed to communicate with the solenoid that activates the locking pin and the BCM registered that the car was running but the solenoid had failed to unlock the steering column (even though it had) and so the BCM sets the appropriate code (Steering Column Lock Failure) and implements the fuel cut-off function in which the car will idle but not run.

C5's have significant grounding issues ( they have a strange system of bringing all the ground wires to a central plastic case that corrodes) and I believe that when the column lock and the BCM and\or PCM have trouble communicating then the BCM sets trouble codes and shuts the system down.

So here we go with the VF's.

I have no knowledge of locking pin activation while cars have been at speed. It is an issue that occurs at start up and seems to be associated with lack of communication between modules in the system due to faulty grounding, low battery power or broken wires.

Interesting. How old was your C5 when the problem first presented?

VF's have no earthing issues. I suspect anyone getting the message in their VF has bumped the steering wheel as it's locking or unlocking. E.g. wheel in right hand, left hand reaches for the start stop button and the right hand pulls slightly on the wheel. Fault recorded for next start. Knees knocking the wheel, or reaching in through the window, through or over the steering wheel to press the start button.
I know this can cause the fault message, as I did this in mine in 2013. Once. I discussed with Holden and they advised not to move the wheel during start/stop. I have not had an issue since.