SLO VETTE

"Pull Key, Wait 10 Sec": Just got this message on the DIC this morning on my new '04 Z06 (has about 4,500 miles). Thinking it was a precursor to column lock, I parked it, and took the beater car to work instead rather than get stranded...

Was it the precursor to column lock, or could it have been something else? The column lock actuator worked fine, engaging & disengaging no problem. But, I did not move the car in gear, so it didn't have the opportunity to potentially lock up.

Unfreakinbelievable. If it's column lock, it happened also on my '99 C5--after which I installed the bypass kit and never worried about it again. The GM engineer who designed this ought to be strung up by the short hairs. Better yet, Dave hill should be left in a bad, bad neighborhood with a C5 that's just gone into column lock.

In any event, I'm not driving the car until I install the Thunder Racing CLB kit in the trunk this weekend.

Suggestions appreciated. Thanks.

ztheusa

Good idea!

Sho-nuff

You're about to column lock.

Boomer 2

jjvet

I don,t beleive the CLB will help you if you install it in the TRUNK. Just my opinion and I could be wromg.

Bill Dearborn

It does not neccesarily mean anything. I had that message several times on my 97 during the 6 years I owned it and never had a CLB problem. If you heard the lock move back and forth and could turn the steering wheel it wasn't going to lock up on you while you were driving. The only issue is when it doesn't unlock.
Bill

Matt69-ZO6

Might as well install the CLB, you'll always be worried about now that you have had a warning - even though it might have not be a CL warning. What's $50 for piece of mind? Install it and move on!

GRAYVETTE

Had this happen several times on my 03. Waited the ten seconds, started the vehicle and never had a problem. I had a 99 Hardtop and when I got this message the column did lock up but not while the car was moving. Incidentally the 03 was subject to a recall for this issue. The recall was performed and haven't received this message since. It did seem that the only time I got this message on the 03 was when it was pretty cold outside.

Fastgenious

I have an 04 Z06 and if I get in the car and jam the key in and turn in a hurry, I will sometimes get the "ten second" message. It happened to me a couple of times and since then I have taken my time inserting the key and turning slowly before starting. I have not had the warning since. I am in the Software business and to me it sounds like a software problem. Turn the key and wait a few seconds before starting the vette. Zero problems since I have started doing this...

EHS

It's exactly like a reboot on your computer, which is what one of the car's computers is doing.

Not necessarily related to the column lock.

Yellow03ZO6

that happened to me before it has nothing to do with your column lock. read your owners manual, it is part of your theft deterent system, the chip on your key. if its damaged or dirty like a piece of lint it cant be read. dont believe the hype on the column lock i have 17000 miles on my 03 zo6 and let chevy do the recall on it and never had any trouble with the steering column lock.

pnielsen

SLO VETTE

CLB KIT INSTALLED!!!

No more, "Bzzzzzzt 'click'!" Now it's smooth & quiet as silk at startup & shut down.

Thanks guys. And thanks to whoever makes the Thunder Racing CLB kit. Looks like it said "JMX somethingorother" on there.

Time to go give it a Zaino bath...

EHS

Just curious, what do you use for theft deterrent now, to prevent the car from being rolled?

"The Club?"

SLO VETTE

hardly. do you think a pro who really wants a vette is going to get stopped by a factory column lock? flatbed, tools of the trade--if they want it, they'll get it. that's why i also have insurance...

wait till you get stranded someday at 1 a.m. due to column lock. then see what i (and hundreds--thousands?--of other forum members are talking about when we praise the virtues of the various CLB kits out there).

EHS

Not beating a dead horse, just know what c4c5specialist tells me, who does all the work on my car. You've been around this forum long enough to know who he is.

My car has 55k miles on it, with not even a hint of a problem. The recall was done anyway, and only improved the performance, thanks to an adjusted PCM program.

You can search for c5c5specialist's post on this and the other fora, and read about the problems he's seen with the CLB from the other side, including bad BCM modules as a result of the CLB.

So, I prefer to trust and rely on someone who deals with this every day, and has more training and experience in this area than virtually all those "thousands" of forum members who "praise the virtues" of the CLB, as you put it.

In this case, I will go with experience, knowledge, and talent over "mod fever."

Good luck with your mod. Hope it works out for you.

Cheers.

SLO VETTE

those are interesting posts (albeit 2 years old) on the potential bcm failure due to clb kits. never heard of or seen that problem. hope i never come across it! c4c5specialist definitely knows his stuff, he's responded to some questions i've had in the past.

the problem i'm most concerned with is repeated posts about having the current factory recall done for m6 cars (those without the clb kits in there), and then seeing a point of failure yet again. i don't want that risk, don't want a dealer to touch my car if at all possible, and have thus chosen to install the bypass kit myself.

i put in the original "c5 solutions" bypass kit in my '99 (w/an a4 tranny) shortly after i got it, and proceeded to put on almost 50k miles without a steering column or bcm glitch. while i recently sold the car, as far as i know, the kit is still going strong (i talk to the owner now & then). i hope to achieve the same results this time around in the new car and the new kit.

the expense in lost time/productivity, hassle, and potential life-threatening situations due to column lock is worth finding whatever solution you're comfortable with that fixes the problem...permanently.

TheDVS1

Well, I hope you continue to have many more trouble-free miles, yellow. However, based on the fact that GM has it's own K-harness bypass kit for automatics, and the never-ending CL recall, I'd say that there's definitely a problem with the design. I'd hardly call it "hype"!

EHS

slovette -- Wow! You actually did a search -- that's what I like about us "oldtimers."

In any event, you found my thoughts (and c4c5's) on the subject, and you know he gives great advice -- if nothing else, the "recall reflash" did wonders fopr my A/F ratios with the Blackwing, BBK TB, LS6 manifold and other stuff I have installed. That alone made it worth it -- and oh, the fuel sensor business seems addressed as well.

All the best,

AZ99FRC

Well, I installed the CLB shortly after I got my new '99 and had 50k trouble free miles with it in almost five years. Then, after my daughter got the car, the problems that C5 specialist warns about did happen. Fried relays, sensors, etc caused a "pull key wait ten seconds" condition followed by a "service column lock" message that could not be cleared using all the tricks. Luckliy, the BCM survived so the damage was limited to a tow job and a 500 buck repair job. Just because something hasn't happened frequently or to many people, doesn't mean it can't happen. There are many C5 runing out there now with 4 to 5 year old CLBs installed that are IMO ripe for this to happen to them. The pity is, the recall won't fix it really so we are stuck with a Hobson's choice on whether or not to leave an old CLB in. I took the one out from the 99 ( I didn't have the recall done either because it would screw up my custom tune. I am runing one in my '04 and am trying to decide what the hell to do with it. I do know, from experience, that those who advise to just install the CLB and never have another worry are not fully informed.