C-5 Column lock

[Mike R.]

Hi
I have a 97 6 speed that I have had in storage for a year and a half.
I just put plates and insurance on it and when I went to drive it the other day and the steering column is locked up and I can't turn the wheel. Now I know that they have a recall on this because I have got cards in the mail but since the car was in storage I never took it in.
My question is there any easy way to disable this system so I can drive it to the dealer for the recall?

Thanks
Mike

[Warren F.]

Re: C-5 Column lock

Mike,

This was a hot topic over on the Corvetteforum website. Several owners were able to disengage the electronic pin that engages into the column lock ring, by violently jerking the wheel side to side. I would assume the key needs to be in the "on" position of course.

[Mike R.]

Re: C-5 Column lock

Thanks Warren, I'll give that a try.

[Tom R.]

Re: C-5 Column lock

I didn't have that problem until I honored the recall, took my 00 in and they flashed the prom (that's the fix for 6 speeds). On autos, they replace or install the column lock bypass kit.

I was in a parking lot having stopped for lunch. When I came out...it had locked up. I made the call to AAA, the truck was arriving when my aggravation took over and I violently jerked the steering wheel. It unlocked and I drove him. That day I ordred the bypass kit from some place in Houston and installed it over the weekend. Pretty straight forward. Do a search on archives at the corvette forum and you'll get a ton of stuff

[Mike R.]

Re: C-5 Column lock

Thanks Tom, I'll check it out.

[Jack U.]

Re: C-5 Column lock

To my knowledge, starting in 2001 the column lock problem was fixed on the automatics.

I heard after much trouble with the recall, Chevy decided to just remove the part that caused the column lock. Check with your local dealership. They may do the work for free.

[Clem Z.]

i think this problem is caused by drivers

pulling themselves up out of the seat using the steering wheel after the wheel is locked and binding up the lock pin and that is why shaking the the wheel sometimes will free it up. the first GM fix was to get more voltage to the servo motor so it would have more "kick" to unlock JMHO.

[Clem Z.]

any electrical genius out there who want

build their own CLB i have the instructions. email me

[Mike R.]

Re: any electrical genius out there who want

Thanks.......but I just spent 2 hours reading all the horror stories on the corvette forum about how people who have taken there cars to the dealers to have this fixed and its still the same old stuff, they go to pick up there cars and it ain't fix and it it ends up to be the beginning of a whole host of trips to the dealer ships.........its no wonder GM is in the shape they are, there are a lot of unhappy corvette owners out there because gm won't fix the problem correctly thats been going on since 1998.
I did get my column to unlock by putting my battery charger on the battery with a 40 amp boost (even though the battery was charged and green eye was green) and it unlocked.
Corvettes of houston makes a work around for this problem ( A CLB)that every one seems to like (its there #1 selling item) ........thats the way I'm going to go.

[Clem Z.]

i owned 2 C-5s,97 and a 99 with the column

lock and never had a problem and that is why i think if you pull yourself out of the seat with the steering wheel causes the problem. it was just this year that the federal govt gave GM permission to remove the locks form the cars as it was a mandated anti thieft device. my wifes 2000 impala also had the column lock and in 4 years it never gave a problem

[Mike R.]

Re: i owned 2 C-5s,97 and a 99 with the column

Thanks for the info Clem.............but I don't pull myself out of the car by the steering wheel (but I can see that could be a possible cause if your getting the steering column out of wack), but I will say that I can understand peoples fustration, once you've had it lock up on you your afraid to drive the car. there were many people at the corvette forum who had there vehicle towed more than once to the dealership only to have it happen again.
thanks again
Mike