Service column lock message

[slowTA]

I had this problem on my '05 (15k miles) today coming home from work, it was parked in the sun all day at 90+ degrees with a quick trip around lunch.

I first hit the start button, gauges came to life but I didn't hear the column unlock and no attempt to start. I hit the start button again and no change. I may have tried accessory mode once or twice, then cycled it in and out of reverse to send the lock/unlock signal again and it eventually worked. Once home I tried again and everything was fine.

Does this require a trip to the dealer just for them to tell me they can't find an issue, or do I have to 'tell' them to change something?

[C6Maverick]

It is your steering column actuator. Servo gets weak when it gets hot and either will not fully actuate or slowly tries. If you don't hear a distinctive pop when you push start, thats your problem. Dealer gave me a hard time initially because it won't cause a fault code. Apparently they don't teach troubleshooting 101 anymore.

[slowTA]

I'm bringing this one up since my car won't start at all now. It's been pretty cold and my garage is still a good 10 degrees colder than ambient air, so 40 outside and noticeably cooler inside. I now have 18,500 on the clock. The only modification is my Sirius radio that is hardwired to a circuit for power and plumbed into the back of the radio with an FM modulator.

The last time I started the car you could tell the column lock was 'tired' since it took longer to unlock and sounded like it was struggling a bit. When I shut the car off it sounded normal, I can't remember if I tried to restart it or not when I got out (I think I just swapped it from a different parking spot at home.)

That was a few weeks ago, yesterday it sounded like it was struggling again but then it wouldn't try to start at all. I tried slipping it in and out of reverse to send the lock/unlock signal again with no luck. The 'funny' part is that the steering wheel is unlocked, so I'm thinking the actuator is stuck somewhere in the middle... unlocked enough to let the steering wheel rotate, but locked enough to keep from sending a signal to the starter relay. When I shut it off the display still reads 'Shift to Reverse' and that message goes away when I put it in reverse but the column lock doesn't make any noise as if it's trying to lock again.

This time it doesn't display the 'Service Column Lock' error and there are no codes that my scanner can detect.

I'm half tempted to try a push start just to see if that is still an option for these funky keyless go cars. With my luck doing that will dislodge the column lock and the dealer wont be able to replicate the problem... or (depending on how bad my luck is) it would lock the steering wheel as I'm driving down the road.

I'll call the dealer tomorrow after work, wish me luck.

[slowTA]

Updating this one just to say that the dealer replaced the column lock. It took them 2 weeks to do it, most of that time was waiting for the new one to come in.

Since then I drove the car about 1,000 miles. I parked the car on April 2nd after a road trip and haven't started it since. While on that trip I parked on an angle in a parking deck which set the Service Stabilitrack message. The next time I started it the message went away.

Today I got the same funky column unlocking sound, no attempt to start, AND the service stabilitrack mesage! So that's 3 months and about 1,000 miles on a new column lock!!!

I have to say that this new column lock sounded a bit different than the original, but I can't really describe it.


Is there a fuse to check that just works the column lock motor?

[markw8]

How old is the battery? A low battery is the cause of many column lock problems. Could be the problem after sitting two weeks.

Mark

[slowTA]

The battery is an Optima that is about a year and a half old. I didn't have the car on my battery tender for 9 days, but I plugged it in before I left for work this morning. I'm betting the motor is stuck somewhere in the middle like last time, but I'll try again when I get home before calling AAA.

I've had a low/dead battery in this car twice. Once it had the current to turn the starter over, but not the voltage to run the computers so it wouldn't even let me in. The other time there were no signs of life at all.

I just found a post on another forum with a bypass for the C6 column lock. It looks like only one person did it and there is no kit for it yet, but I'm sure one is on the way!

[slowTA]

Battery Tender had a bright green light on it when I got home and still no luck!