VF Holden Commodore Issues and Faults

[Anthony121]

So im not sure if this is an issue yet or not...but I've noticed lately i do not hear the locking mechanism working anymore for the keyless start.
Normally when id unlock the car and jump inside and press the start button id hear the noise the steering column makes a split second just before the car actually starts. When switching off the vehicle and opening the drivers door id hear the mechanism activating again.
Now for the past week i don't hear it working at all.

I dont use my car as often as i did before so could this be causing the issue being left used for long periods of time?
Also had 6 months or so ago the random pop up msg of remote not detected (even though it would start up fine) but thankfully i haven't seen that msg in a while now.

So has anyone else noticed or had this issue happen to your VF/WN?

My Redline is doing this too intermittently. It was at the dealers with the last service and it didn't do it with the service guy but when we finally stopped to get out the car, it didn't lock. The paperwork said he couldn't fault it. It seems to only happen sometimes. A bit of a PITA and hope to get it back to the dealer before warranty runs out.

 

[BLOWN-WH]

i have had the key issue. Solution was to replace the battery in the remote. Did not quite understand your first issue.

Yeah i had to go through 3 sets of batteries until it stopped doing that problem. Tried Maxell and within 1 week same issue, tried Duracell same thing again switched to Energizer and thankfully it stopped there. Have left some back up batteries in the centre console just in case

As for the first issue its as Anthony121 mentioned on the post after yours.
I believe its the steering wheel locking mechanism pin. All vehicles that have a keyless 'GO' start feature work in the manner of the pin releasing it self just before the engine fires up and re locks once you open the drivers door. Mine is not activating at all it seems.

My Redline is doing this too intermittently. It was at the dealers with the last service and it didn't do it with the service guy but when we finally stopped to get out the car, it didn't lock. The paperwork said he couldn't fault it. It seems to only happen sometimes. A bit of a PITA and hope to get it back to the dealer before warranty runs out.

Cheers @Anthony121 thanks for confirming you're having the same issues. I looked all last night and couldn't find any posts/threads with the similar issue and it was driving me nuts LOL.

When i purchased the Caprice nearly 3 years ago and was using it more often that issue was never present now since the start of the year i maybe drive it once every 3-4 weeks and probably from last month is when i realised the first time i didn't hear it working (the locking mechanism) but didnt pay attention thinking to my self maybe i just didnt hear it etc.
Last night though i made sure it was all quiet around the garage when i started it up and yeah didnt hear it release and surely didnt hear it activate once i got back home so im guessing it was never active in the first place???

Ive received no error message in the dash thankfully so as you say i hope its just a 'once in a while' thing that can occur sometimes.

The only thing that has me a little stressed & paranoid now is incase i drive somewhere and switch the car off and then it refuses to start due to that particular issue?? I truly hope that never occurs :/

 

[BLOWN-WH]

Well it looks like i jinxed my self by saying I hadn't received any error msg before cause this afternoon that used the car and switched it off i received that error msg 'Service Steering Column Lock'

I did notice before i started it when i unlocked it via the remote soon as i grabbed the door handle and opened the drivers door i heard the mechanism activate on the steering wheel. Im pretty sure it shouldn't be making any noises just from opening the door ???
When i started it up it made that 'zzzzz' noise as it normally should....drove around for 15 mins came back home switched it off and opened the drivers door but it did not make the steering locking noise so im guessing here is where it didnt activate the lock/pin. The horn chipped 3 times and the service column lock message appeared for the first time.

Is this something only the dealership can deal with now or are there any other procedures/tips i could try my self?
Would any codes appear under a OBD2 scan if its shown the error msg?

 

[Forg]

Apparently the steering has an electrically operated lock, and when you turn the car on it unlocks the steering; but I only know about it from reading about it on this forum, I've never actually noticed it engage or disengage in our VF. Maybe if BLOWN-VH was hearing it, that was an indicator that something wasn't quite as it should have been all along? Or maybe it's just become inaudible as per most VF's & WN's?

*edit*
Oops, posts appeared after I said the paragraph above!

I've had the "service steering column" error before, said a rude word or two to myself, posted about it here & was told that if you pull on the steering wheel while starting the car the sensor that decides something's not quite right can get confused. I didn't know whether I'd done that, as I wasn't thinking about it - however I haven't seen the error since I've been aware of whether I was touching the wheel while starting the car.

You're sure you weren't touching the wheel while starting?

 

[Sir Les]

My 2014 VF (with keyless entry) has always made the little "zzzzz" noise of the pin unlocking and locking when starting the car and upon opening the door after the engine is turned off. However, I'm always very careful to leave the wheel in the straight-ahead position when parking, and not to touch the wheel when starting. So far, so good...........

As far as going to the dealer to fix the OP's error message is concerned, I would think a competent auto electrician should be able to diagnose and fix the problem, and probably at a cheaper cost. The two operative words here are of course competent and probably......

 

[BLOWN-WH]

Apparently the steering has an electrically operated lock, and when you turn the car on it unlocks the steering; but I only know about it from reading about it on this forum, I've never actually noticed it engage or disengage in our VF. Maybe if BLOWN-VH was hearing it, that was an indicator that something wasn't quite as it should have been all along? Or maybe it's just become inaudible as per most VF's & WN's?

*edit*
Oops, posts appeared after I said the paragraph above!

I've had the "service steering column" error before, said a rude word or two to myself, posted about it here & was told that if you pull on the steering wheel while starting the car the sensor that decides something's not quite right can get confused. I didn't know whether I'd done that, as I wasn't thinking about it - however I haven't seen the error since I've been aware of whether I was touching the wheel while starting the car.

You're sure you weren't touching the wheel while starting?

All vehicles that are fitted with a keyless start will make some kind of noise when it releases or engages the lock pin on the steering column. A few other cars that we own in my family VW/Mercedes that have the same keyless go system they too all make the 'zzzz' noise when you go to start the car. Probably some cars perhaps are a little more noisy than others or if your environment around is slightly more noisy you probably would even notice the noise in the first place.

As for touching the wheel when starting.. no i never do that.

My 2014 VF (with keyless entry) has always made the little "zzzzz" noise of the pin unlocking and locking when starting the car and upon opening the door after the engine is turned off. However, I'm always very careful to leave the wheel in the straight-ahead position when parking, and not to touch the wheel when starting. So far, so good...........

As far as going to the dealer to fix the OP's error message is concerned, I would think a competent auto electrician should be able to diagnose and fix the problem, and probably at a cheaper cost. The two operative words here are of course competent and probably......

Ive always centred the steering wheel when parking. Actually even in my older cars that have the good old fashioned hydraulic power steering i always centre the wheel just out of habit LOL.

Ive owned my Caprice V for almost 3 years and for the 2 years that i used it every couple times a week it never once popped a message up about the steering lock service. For the last year though i havnt been driving it much and yeah all of a sudden the issue happened now..

 

[Hq King]

All vehicles that are fitted with a keyless start will make some kind of noise when it releases or engages the lock pin on the steering column. A few other cars that we own in my family VW/Mercedes that have the same keyless go system they too all make the 'zzzz' noise when you go to start the car. Probably some cars perhaps are a little more noisy than others or if your environment around is slightly more noisy you probably would even notice the noise in the first place.

As for touching the wheel when starting.. no i never do that.



Ive always centred the steering wheel when parking. Actually even in my older cars that have the good old fashioned hydraulic power steering i always centre the wheel just out of habit LOL.

Ive owned my Caprice V for almost 3 years and for the 2 years that i used it every couple times a week it never once popped a message up about the steering lock service. For the last year though i havnt been driving it much and yeah all of a sudden the issue happened now..

I think you found the problem ( haven't been driving it much ) shame on you lol

 

[BLOWN-WH]

I think you found the problem ( haven't been driving it much ) shame on you lol

Hahaha i so hope its only from that
Trust me if i could be driving it more often i certainly would be!

 

[Harry78]

..

 

[vywgn]

I have noticed on my silver vf the front and back bumper look different shades compared to the rest of the car in certain light is this normal ?

Yes it is as the they are painted at a different location and time to the car