ALL 97 to 2000 C5 owners

[Larry Poropat]

If your car hasn't stranded you yet, it probabley will. The COLUMN LOCK message and PULL KEY - WAIT 10 MINUTES is VERY common. After having the experience and doing the research I was amazed how common it is. There is a
recall and it can be fixed. The Problem is the stranded/flatbed part.
The car will start, if you try to move it will die. Some have been able to
wiggle the steering wheel, remove fuse 25 and/or 29 and make it stop. Unhook the battery and wait 5 minutes is another suggestion.
Having followed the posts here for several months and never seeing anything about this, I feel a need to warn those of you that don't know.
Think of the worst place and time that this could happen to you.
Then get your car to a dealer while you can still actually drive it.
Larry

[Duke W.]

Re: ALL 97 to 2000 C5 owners

NCRS is focused on vintage Corvette model years '53 to '82, and a judging manual for the early C4s is about to be released. That's why you see very little about C5s on this site. Many vintage Corvette owners also own C5s, so we are not disinterested in them - it's just not the focus.

Since GM has announced an official recall on the column lock issue, all owners of record will be notified by mail to take their car to a dealer so the fix may be installed.

Duke

[Larry Poropat]

Re: ALL 97 to 2000 C5 owners

I understand about vintage. If my post saves just one person from having to
endure this, it will be worth the space. I wish someone else that knew about
this would have posted something sooner.
Larry

[John H.]

Re: ALL 97 to 2000 C5 owners

I understand this issue is being dealt with via a TSB, not a recall, so the dealers know about it (and can fix it), but the owners don't (and won't until it happens to them), except for those that are "connected" and follow the various C5 Forums.

[Richard T.]

Re: ALL 97 to 2000 C5 owners

My 99 was recalled twice for this problem. The second time they replaced a harness along with the interlock and said it's definatly fixed ! We'll see

[Clem Z.]

Re: ALL 97 to 2000 C5 owners

if you have a A-4 automatic trans the fix makes the lock inoperable by installing a lock plate with no locking notch. the 6 speeds get a capacitor installed to give the server motor a kick in the ass to make sure it starts. if you have a 6 speed you could install a A-4 lock plate but you would not have a steering lock. the early 2000 impala has a lock but my wifes quit in the unloced position and has caused no problems for 16,000 miles. they eliminated the lock on the later 2000 impalas.