Jet-Jock

LOL you made that painful but funny. I suppose that is static voltage? I'm just curious but what voltage do you show with key on, engine off, from the DIC or gage display?

Do you get the message on every start or just first start of the day?

What causes that message is low voltage on the bus, from the top of my head I think it's 11.8 (don't hold me to that). Often that situation is the first sign of impending battery issues.

knewblewkorvette

Yes
Don't know but I'll go find out.
Every start
and just one time today, I could not reset the message
I have a yellow top Optima installed which is getting up there in years. I do have a spare yellow top that I could change out with, but damn, it's frickin' hot out there

BLUICIDE

Get a bypass. Read the history. Continue to use your trickle charger, especially if your car is a weekend driver. I did replace my Delco battery w/ another with the required reserve power. I'll never see that "warning" again. Sigh of relief, best insurance. Even after that, had the A4 get stuck in park, Follow this site, you'll eventually decide to follow advice. The thing is, determine what or what has not been done to your Vette. You might already have a bypass that is hampering your efforts to circumvent it. How do I know??? Best of luck, and, nice Vette!

Jet-Jock

http://vettetube.com/view_video.php?...25f49408d959ca

This video parts 1 & 2 describe what's happening, he may mention the minimum value. Also, make sure that battery has a minimum RC 120 rating. (reserve capacity)

knewblewkorvette

????????????
isn't each cell 2.1 volts times 6 cells equals 12.6 volts at full charge

BLUICIDE

Even though you get the "warning" after your efforts, unless you get a correct resistance to the PCM, you're doomed to be locked. The CLB renews the proper circuitry requirement (Ohms). There are other threads that indicate should you have a "dealership" / fix, remove it, get the CLB (resistor) you need. Thing is, you'tr gonna need it sooner than faster. I carry a spare. Too, be advised that unplugging "it" and plugging it back in works. That reveals antiquated connectors, harnesses, ground points. Not to worry, since you can use a DMM, right? C5's like being paid attention to. Send me your email, I'll send you .docs to shorten your search time(s).

ronssito

Yep ...

CLB (column lock bypass)
new battery (assuming it's old)
trickle charger (if not daily driven)

problem solved

Razmo

Hi guys,

Would someone mind suggesting the best place to purchase the Column Lock Simulator (bypass)..?

Thanks,
Raz

frsr06

Google "Compliance Parts" - Richard will set you up with the best fix on the market for under $50.

BLUICIDE

YouTube LMC5. Buddy of mine used it. Costs less than some others, simple installation, similar to others. Had I known about it, I would have chosen it over what I did select. Both styles work.

Nrader88

Hey, From my experiance, it was cased by low batter voltage id check you batter then drive the car a bit and the coder should go away!

BLUICIDE

and/or an improperly (stripped) NEG batt term can cause MAYHEM That's why I carry spares, in the glovebox, with batt wrench, all the time. Shops always seem to get that wrong for some reason, I guess thinking you'll pannick and bring it back? WTF?

Razmo

This is my hope. However, I had expected I would need to pull fuse #25 to clear the "service column lock" message? Sounding like it may just disappear ..What's strange about my situation, I'm experiencing no other trouble other than the column not locking...? She is a 6 speed manual..

She had been sitting for a little while without a tender and replaced the battery as it was time, which is about a year old now. She then sat some more, again without a tender. I think I noticed the "service column lock" sometime after I replaced the battery, which again, the car sat for some time after I replaced the battery or ever put it on a tender after installing.

I have been noticing the battery feeling weak when starting.. She sitting the battery tender now. Battery is a Bosch. RC mins @ 25a: 100amps. How important is it that the RC min be 120?

Crossing my fingers

Raz

Razmo

Regarding the LMC5, if I need to bypass, it's seems guys are experiencing trouble with LMC5 mod after some time, no..?

Raz

Mac-427

I've installed the Column Lock Bypass on my 99 FRC and my current 2001 Z-06. In both cases, I did so before problems occurred and have been delighted with the results. The Bypass install was somewhat tedious as it involved the removal of under dash panels. On the other hand, it was plug and play, so I didn't have to fool with the "brown wire" modification. The LMC-5 install is simpler to install, and I'm sure, just as effective. I recommend doing one or the the other before getting stranded with a lockup.

BLUICIDE

Paul Koerner's videos on the C5 column lock issue and he spent a lot of time talking about the proper battery for the C5. He said the C5 should have a battery with a Reserve Capacity (RC) of 120. "Bosch" battery? I've had a coupla CODES/ALERTS since, but, as mentioned, was due to simple things. Battery terminals loose/stripped... If you can find it, watch/listen to Paul Koerner's videos on the C5 column lock issue. Very informative. ALL of your electrical connections MUST BE verified to be solid and corrosion free. I've learned that our C5's are rather particular about communications between the BCM/PCM/MOUSE... It's easiest to check for the "simple"things. What's your battery voltage before start? During start? Does it come up after start? If so to what? Doors open? Day? Night? WTH? Codes? Etc.. DO NOT get stuck with a locked column. Almost happened to me one very hot August afternoon appx 500-miles from home. Heat, multiple starts, low-VDC, BAM. You better believe the next thing I did was get a new battery, terminals, CLB, you name it. Sure, had the Alert... replaced a cheap side-post terminal. The lil nut that fits into/thru the NEG cable end that attaches to the batt. Presto. Good luck.

Razmo

Thanks guys.. I had planned on checking the voltage with the negative lead unplugged.

Currently, I'm aiming for an AC Delco with an RC of 120, if I find the battery showing less than 12.5 at no load.

Should I also try loading the system with the ignition on, no start, and check voltage for at least 12.5 with the negative lead attached..?

Raz

66dts-v

I got a few wires off when I did my LMC5 install. Richard answered the phone, walked me through it, got it worked out and I was all good. Not only a GREAT product, but his level of service was awesome.

Just sayin.

BLUICIDE

Sure, you can, would be interesting to see those results. Otherwise;

Just go by the date code on the battery. See if you can find a parts distribution warehouse. THAT’S WHERE THE FRESH BATTERIES ARE. The date codes will actually be “pre dated”, meaning, the date indicates the battery hasn’t even been “born” yet. Why? Because when these distribution centers get the batteries, they distribute them to their retail stores, and, (get this) are expected to sit on the shelves for a period of time to when the date code actually goes into effect. In other words, I bought a battery so new, I rescued it from sitting in a parts store. The guys explained it to me in such language.

The warranty date code is located on the top label of the battery. The first character is either a P or S. The next two digits determine the month, the third digit is year and the fourth digit indicates the manufacturing plant. For example, P 094N means the battery was made in September 2004 in the New Brunswick factory.



Originally Posted by mdemolina
Get ready for a good laugh... well, acually, it's not that funny that dealers are doing this to people...

I took you alls advice and decided to go back and exchange the battery... I had called in advance and explained to them that I wanted to exchange my "new" one year old battery for a fresh one. He looked up my car and said, "Come on down. We have the correct AC Delco battery in stock" .

When I get there the guy takes the first battery I got back, does all the paper work, and sends me to the cashier to pay the difference (total price close to $100 dollars). I do all this and he comes out of the back with a factory plastic wrapped AC Delco battery. I look at the date stamp and it says P053R. As we have learned the P doesn't stand for anything the 05 stands for MAY and the 3 stands for 2003 ! I asked the guy about it and he said "yea, there is a stack of them, and they are all the same". I said "look at the 'green eye' device, do you see any green?" he said "no it's black". I asked do you know that means this battery is TOTALLY discharged?" he went in the back and when he came out he said "they are all the same".

I asked for my money back and I left.

Happy ending though. Found a dealer that had one with a code of P106R.

Dated but accurate.

nvusgt

So I'm going to throw a wrench in here. I've tried new batteries, checked grounds, even got a column lock bypass and it didn't fix the message. The bypass kept the lock from locking and the cutoff from killing the car but I still have the damn message, every single time I start it.

When I removed the bypass, it just so happened the problem fixed itself, no message, no lock, like nothing ever happened. However that was only temporary and it all came back, so I was forced to install the bypass just so I could drive the car and I've lived with the message.

Does anyone know if I get the LMC5 will it fix the message?