caliz06ryder

So the 04 z06 would not have the clb problem rite...

Zuti

You are correct. After a clutch install last week, we had a low battery that caused the column lock. I had already had the Feb 06 recall done and still got the lock with a low battery. The dealership picked it up ('98MN6) and after a call to GM, installed part 88965331 as a replacement for the Feb 06 recall. They covered everything including the towing. Kudos to Mike and his team at Uftring in Washington, IL.

caliz06ryder

my car has 7k miles (commemorative ed z06) i just got it is there any recalls that i should check out on my z.

CMC1998

Does anyone know if Chevy will do the latest recall if I am the second owner. I have a 98 6spd with less than 1000 miles. My car has not had any problems and has had the fuel reprograming done. I am just trying to be proactive here.

SEE3ER

I bought a 99 2 months ago, and brought it to a dealer for the recall work with no problems!

CMC1998

Thanks. Did they perform the 4006C recall . This was the most recent recall. Were you having any problems or trying to be proactive ?

SEE3ER

I forget the number, but it WAS the most recent.
Was having no problems...but according to the masses, I WOULD be at anytime. Since the recall, no problems either.

CMC1998

I'm on hold with Chevy Customer Service as we speak. They are telling me they cant find recall 04006C. This is unreal !

CMC1998

OK here is the update. Chevy said there is no updated recall and the original recall is closed out. I then gave her the Bulletin # 05081 and she put me on hold for 10 minutes. She then came back and told me that If I'm having problems, to take it to the same dealer that does my service, and they would fix it under the Service Policy Bulletin,and this needed to be done before 2/28/08. Three times She asked me when I would bring it in so I finally told her next week. She also advised to tell the dealer the "special policy bulletin # 05081" I got the impression they are sheltering the problem and do not want the word RECALL associated with the problem.
Now its off to the dealer. I guess since this " Special Policy " expires during the winter, I will have it done before the bad weather sets in. Does anyone know a dealer in North NJ that is familiar with the repair?

Rikk427

I'm trying to deal with a dealership right now in Culpeper VA over my steering column lock. It broke down at my fathers house over the weekend (about an hour and a half from my place). I called Chevrolets 1 (800) # and they told me to take it to the closest dealer. If its the problem covered under warranty they would fix it and reimburse me for the tow. Today the dealership is telling me that the recall (4006C) was "preformed June 07". If that's true I didn't know anything about it. In any event they are telling me the problem is the solenoid and not covered under the recall. They are telling me it needs part # 88965331. From what I understand there was a "special policy bulletin # 05081" that covered this part # 88965331. They want to charge me over $500.00 to fix this. Any advice????

CMC1998

Did you have the car in the shop in June 07 for any other repairs?

Rikk427

I don't remember. Good chance it was. I just got off the phone with them a few minutes ago and told them to fix it. I need to get my fathers truck (which im borrowing back to him). They are giving me a whopping 10% discount! only $475.00! Im sooooooo bitter right now. I would love to have them fix it just so I can drive it through their showroom window! Anyone want a 1998 corvette?

scott01

I just purchased an 01 Z06 and 2 weeks later received the cl message and was able to wait 10 seconds and then start the car. I thought about what had happened later that night and got on the web....long story short i discovered the CL nightmare. Before this car i drove a mustang and knew very little about Corvettes. I read 30 pages on this CL issue. One week later it happened again....just like everyone said it would. Well, i had already ordered the CBL from COH. Car never started since the bcm thought the column was locked and then sent a message to the pcm to cut the fuel. Had it towed on a flat bed to the dealer, found out the performed both recalls 04006b and 04006c and removed the lockplate...even with the lock plate out though, the computer/bcm thinks there is still an issue and tells the pcm to cut fuel. Dealer tries to replicate the problem and it starts for them...so i look like an idiot....but they see the codes in the computer. There confused, takes them 4 hours later in phone calls to me and GM. I tell them the harness k/relay is bad. Well, found out the previous owner had the CBL from Corvettes of Houston installed, but when they performed the recall, the dealership UNPLUGGED it. The dealership doesn't understand how to fix the issue....they spoke to a few people about the aftermarket CBL and they decided to reconnect the CBL and disconnect the harness k. Got the car back and so far so good KNOCK on WOOD. Damn dealer...hell after reading all this info here and me providing them with info from here and CBL info.....they said damn kid, you knew more about this issue then we did. Oh, at first they just wanted to charge me $507 for a new column motor....i was like NO....the motor isn't even locking the steering column anymore because the locking plate has been removed already. 4 hours later $0 spend, GM harness k 04006c DISCONNECTED, and CBL reconnected... and drove the car home that day.

My99Vet

I took my 99 MN6 to the dealership after calling and setting up an appointment. The service advisor stated that he is familiar with the recall and he will have the car set up to be fixed on the scheduled appointment day. My car arrived at 7:30 a.m. on a flatbed, the cost for towing was $85.00. The technacian was trying to unlock the column in the service aisle. I was watching as he was jerking the steering wheel and hitting on the column. I was very close to throwing any object I could find and aim at his head. He finally gave up and started taking the steering wheel and internal contents apart. He shows me the lock plate and tells me that it was supposed to be removed with the last recall, but it was still in the cloumn. He also stated that he replaced the K harness, which according to the service history was already replaced. As the car was completed I approached the cashier who informed me that my "portion" of the bill was $399.71 along with the $85.00 that I paid for towing. I blew up and said that it was an ongoing problem and showed them the letters that I had already given to the service advisor. The bull**** coming from these idiots was unreal. I paid the bill just to get in my car and leave. I called Chevrolet and they are sending me a reimbursement claim form. They stated that if it is determined that I am eligible for a refund, I will receive the payment. I really think that all Corvette owners affected by this problem should joing together and slap a class action lawsuit on General Motors, that will get some attention.

C5-BRUCE

I've not logged into the CF for several months and I'm amazed the SCL issue is still going strong. I read the last 15 or so posts and can see part of the problem here involves either a misunderstanding, or misinformation. Let me see if I can straighten this out for everyone?

I could go back in time to 2001 and reference GM bulletins on the subject but I don't think that is necessary. In July of 2004, GM issued a RECALL for the SCL known as document #04006. Subsequent revisions to it have taken it to 04006C which for the most part added additional procedures and part numbers. All previous revisions have been obsoleted.

It's important to understand why this [safety] recall was required, and what it actually did. Recalls are always safety related and mandated by the Feds. In this case the recall was issued to insure the fuel flow would be shut-off any time the column lock was engaged. There had been reports of owners being able to drive their cars in this condition. It had nothing to do with preventing the column from locking when it shouldn't.

The work to be done varied by type of transmission. For automatics the column lock would be removed, ending the lock-up problem once and for all. No software update to the PCM was required.

Manual transmissions weren't as lucky, the column lock had to remain functional (Fed law). GM installed (flash) a software update to the PCM which insured (?) no fuel would flow when the column was locked. GM understood the customer's frustration with unintentional lock-ups and (1) added a procedure to replace the wiring harness and (2) inspect or replace the column locking plate should it be found to be faulty (bolt to socket binding). At this point in time, removing the locking plate from manual transmission cars was not possible as the Fed's still required the device for theft prevention. Automatics could be locked in Park.

I can only imagine some amount of terror occured at GM when they learned some of the replacement wiring harnesses were defective. This is why some owners had the harness replaced more than once.

A safety recall is MANDATORY not optional! Every car effected was flagged in GM's service computer and the flag remained open until the recall work had been performed. This is why owners may never have known the work had been completed, although it was always noted as being done on the service invoice.

A major problem occured with this procedure. Flashing the PCM, as required by the recall, wiped out any custom tuning an owner might have had done, resetting the PCM to GM factory specifications. Even if the custom program had been saved, such as in LS1Edit, it could not be reloaded because the sequence number changed in the PCM when GM flashed it. The program could only be used for reference in building a new (and expensive) program, then reloading.

Part of what I read in the previous posts having to do with dealers, and their apparent inability to find documents, may be caused by the reference to "recall". What I've described above is the recall, and what follows is NOT! It's best to refer to the specific document number.

In mid-late 2005 the federal requirement for having a column lock in manual transmission cars was rescinded. GM was as frustrated with all the column lock problems as were the owners. In February of 2006, GM issued Special Policy Adjustment #05081 which was not federally mandated, not safety related, and therefore NOT a recall. When talking with your dealer, don't refer to this document as a recall as it will likely confuse them (but shouldn't)?

Although GM's intent was honorable, that being to once and for all eliminate problems associated with the column lock, they really confused the issues with the release of #05081. They realized there would be significant cost involved by removing every column locking plate from thousands of cars, but believed it would be less than continuing the cost of repair/towing associated with lock-up problems. So, they attempted to limit their liability in several ways, which is why this document is so confusing.

Owners believed they could simply drive in to their dealers and have the locking plate removed. Not so. If you had a lock-up, but hadn't had the recall work in 04006C performed, under #05081 the dealer was to perform the recall work and send you on your merry way. If you had a lock-up after the recall work had been performed, the dealer was instructed to remove the locking plate. This work would be done free of charge, regardless of ownership, through February 29, 2008.

This raises the question of what happens if you have a lock-up after 2/29/08. It would seem to suggest the cost of removing the plate must be paid for by the owner? An open ended question which probably will not be addressed by GM until that date?

Further, removing the locking plated doesn't address the issue of fuel flow. There are several ways the PCM can be tricked into believing the column is locked, even if there is no locking plate. One is a low battery, and there are others. Even installing the by-pass kit will not insure the fuel won't be shut-off. GM need to remove the software instructions in the PCM before we can completely relax.

Lastly (I hope), some of you have reported being charged hundreds of dollars to replace the column lock motor, which on the surface is rediculious! Here's what's happening, and why the owner is getting trapped [screwed]!

The recall, 04006C, is a federal requirement and not optional. Under the terms of #05081, if you have a lock-up but haven't had the recall work done, it must be done first, and the car has to leave the dealer with a full functional column lock. If the column lock motor is no longer functional, it has to be replaced before the dealer can do the recall and bless it as being fully functional. The motor is NOT covered under the recall, only under the original or extended factory warranty. I'd consider this a "loophole" that needs to be addressed by GM so that the column locking plate can simply be removed without having to go through the recall procedure.

That's it. Sure hope you had as much fun reading that as I did writing it.

CMC1998

Thanks for the info Bruce. You seem to have the situation under wraps so let me ask you a question. My car ( 6spd) had the first reprograming done, but no other action. If I install the CLB, then I should not have a locked column issue, but at some point the fuel flow could be effected preventing the car from being driven and thus forcing me to the dealer. It is my understanding that Chevy WILL NOT reverse the fuel flow recall. Do you think I should go in for the 05081 or just install the CLB??? What does Chevy do when a car comes in with the fuel flow restricted?? Thanks

C5-BRUCE

The CLB was available before the first PCM flash was available. Those who had the recall done, AND then bought the CLB found it wouldn't work. The reason was not the PCM flash but due to the change and replacement of the wiring harness. A quick redesign of the CLB was made and no further compatibility issues occured.

Should you buy the CLB or have #05081 done? Remember that you can't just drive into the dealer and have the work done - you need to have a lock-up first, or at least that's what the plan was. Today we've found that some dealers do it by request, others don't. In theory, either will accomplish the same thing, although #05081 physically removes the locking plate.

There are a large percentage of owners who have been through umpteen "fixes" by GM and don't trust this one to really fix anything either. They opt for the CLB and personally that would be my choice as well. I've never installed one but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express and the directions seem fairly straight forward, although scary. There are very good pictoral directions available, likely here on the CF - just do a search. IF you DIY, you need to enjoy standing on your head.

CMC1998

Thanks again Bruce. My computer reset was done back in 2000, and I just purchased a CLB last week, so I would think it is the updated version. So if I understand you, when the fuel reflash was done, they changed the wiring harness as well? I thought that was a different phase of the repair nightmare ( the "B" phase).

C5-BRUCE

This is where things get a bit confusing. GM released DSC771, 7-10-2001 with the subject stated as "01044-Corvette Electronic Column Lock". Bulletin #01044 was the attachment defining the procedure which only involved replacement of the wiring harness, kit #88952428 designated for "for all manual transmission Corvettes in the US & Canada". It also involved automatics but I haven't included that information here.

Recall 04006C (7-2004) also called for a replacement of the harness, designating the P/N as 89023816 and specifying it for "US Vehicles Only". This was a P/N change from the July 2001 bulletin. It also refered to P/N 88952428 as now being for '98-'2000 Canadian and Export [vehicles]".

So, to answer your question, there were two wiring harness changes, one in July of 2001 and another in June 2004. Where I'm having a problem is with what you said about having the "computer reset" done in 2000? That wasn't available until 2004 under Recall 04006.

C5TORCHED

My 98 A4 column locked up(only electonically-plate was removed) cutting off the fuel. I remove the harness K and reconnected factory ECL to BCM, reset fuse 25. Temp fix that is working-- turns out the relay in the harness K went bad. I went to GM to ask them to replace the harness K or just the relay, they looked up my VIN # and stated the recall mod was done back in 2005, and the recall is now closed. What are my options, do I fall under the Speciality Policy 05081???HELP