99 coupe, steering column lock message.

[S. Schaeffer]

After stopping for gas, got the steering column lock message. Tried the manual suggestion many times. Finally called CAA and had her towed to dealership. Any ideas What the cause maybe or how much it will cost 6o fix?

 

[Riley P]

Yuck. Question. When you're car is off and the key is out of it, can you still turn the steering wheel? or is the steering wheel locked?
When this happened to me, because the steering wheel could still be turned after I had the car off, I know the steering lock recall was done by GM, which obviously didn't help anything. But, I think the fix is the same no matter what.
Your best bet is to install a steering column bypass relay, which makes the computer think that the steering column pin is always retracted. I bought mine from Corvettes of Houston. Once installed, your car should work normally again. And, to safeguard this from ever happening again (incase the relay fails), I had a shop us HP Tuners to program the 2 mph fuel cutoff to 281 mph so I won't be stranded. Obviously my car will never do 281 mph. It's just the default number the shop chose as it's the maximum mph you can program.

 

[S. Schaeffer]

Thanks so much. Apparently my car had the recall fixed. I’m going to send your answer to the Dealership, so they can print it off and hand it to the mechanic. Interesting that it is such a common problem that Amazon sells the bypass module.

 

[link9]

Only one models that don't have this problem 2002 ..to 2004 automatic US version. Only.. .....No column bypass. Needed ...

 

[03 Vette]

Only one model that don't have this problem 2003 automatic convertible. .....No column bypass. Needed ...

I have a 2003, Auto, Vert, so you are saying they didn’t install the locks on these?
This was on my winter list of to do’s.

 

[link9]

I have a 2003, Auto, Vert, so you are saying they didn’t install the locks on these?
This was on my winter list of to do’s.

The manufacturer recalls apply to the following C5 Corvettes:

1997-2004 with a manual transmission (ALL 6 speed C5 Corvettes)
1997-2000 with an automatic transmission

2001-2004 European export Corvettes with an automatic transmission.
The car between 2000 to 2004 automatic transmission build for USA (ONLY ) than you don't need that ....... about Canada GM build and send 2 different kind of the Corvette the European export and American one ..so you need to make sure what kind Corvette system you have from the history for your car if your car build for USA and they send it to Canada than you don't need that ....

 

[rfh928]

After stopping for gas, got the steering column lock message. Tried the manual suggestion many times. Finally called CAA and had her towed to dealership. Any ideas What the cause maybe or how much it will cost 6o fix?

When I bought my then 6-year old 1998 M6 I had a GM dealer do the steering lock recall. A few years later the steering locked up on me...thankfully in a plaza at low speeds and not on the highway. I brought it to a different dealer...they found that since mine was originally sold in the US, it had a different recall procedure than the Canadian one and they'd done the wrong one the first time. After that 2nd procedure, I never had another issue again.

 

[S. Schaeffer]

When I bought my then 6-year old 1998 M6 I had a GM dealer do the steering lock recall. A few years later the steering locked up on me...thankfully in a plaza at low speeds and not on the highway. I brought it to a different dealer...they found that since mine was originally sold in the US, it had a different recall procedure than the Canadian one and they'd done the wrong one the first time. After that 2nd procedure, I never had another issue again.

Fixed finally as parts were delayed due to Covid. Cost of repair. $1176.86 Cnd Required replacing Lock relay and module. Made it home without issue so hopefully that’s it.

 

[rfh928]

Fixed finally as parts were delayed due to Covid. Cost of repair. $1176.86 Cnd Required replacing Lock relay and module. Made it home without issue so hopefully that’s it.

Now that you mention it they hit me up for $500 or so for an ignition switch way back then also. All in all it was another one of those defects that GM never bothered to fix properly...so left it up to vehicle owners to pick up the pieces. Funny enough the ignition switch went in our Saturn Vue that we also had at that time...and they covered the cost of that one but not for the Vette.