Steering Lock: cut one wire. /switch optional

bdl99 · 06-18-2012, 03:08 PM

There are lots of discussions in various threads and I have received several PMs asking my take on the pros and cons of each solution. I've always responded privately up until now and didn't post publicly because I thought that some might think I'm biased. Those who know me or have dealt with me will know that I'm not like that at all. I'm happy to adjust the information below if the facts are incorrect and of course can be backed up with data.

Before I go any further I first want to acknowledged Fritz's work, because without it the plug and play harness wouldn't have been created and I'm sure that the pull the fuse solution wouldn't have either. Or at the very least the other solutions wouldn't have been developed as quickly because Fritz's work proved that removing the power from the lock while in the unlocked state was the key to a solution. Regardless of which solution you go for most of the credit really lies with Fritz.

Pros and Cons of Plug and Play harness vs Pulling the fuse

Plug and Play Harness

Pros:
The easiest and quickest solution to perform where no trim needs to be removed whatsoever

Full instructions provided with pictures and a video of the install process

Fully reversible, either temporarily via switch or by just removing the harness and returning car to factory state

It only cuts the power to the lock and not the ECU. When pulling the fuse the power is also removed from the ECU. Some have speculated that this has no downside and that appears to be the case except the delays in starting that many have seen.

Cons:
It costs $50

Pull the fuse:

Pros:
There is nothing to buy

It is also reversible - Just put the fuse back in

Cons:
Although straight forward, it is not as quick and easy to install as the harness. Some have broken clips etc and you do need to be careful, but to be completely unbiased many have done this without issues.

As mentioned above it does appear that this solution does sometimes cause delays in starting. There are theories that the ECU will learn and adjusting for this and that might be the case. However, typically with ECUs they learn by acquiring data and if that is the case it would normally log that data. The data the ECU would be logging is that it issued a pulse to activate the relay but didn't receive the confirmation via the positive feed from the relay to the ECU. If it is really doing this I would expect this data to be presented/reported when a Consult unit is attached by the dealer. To date no one has confirmed if this happens or not.

Dwight Frye · 06-18-2012, 06:03 PM

To the pros for the harness, it only requires a tiny screwdriver blade to press down the lock tab on the factory connector at lock, and a set of diagonal cutters or scissors to trim the extra plastic on the zip ties after you tidy up the harness under your dash. And a small flashlight or trouble light to help see what you are doing. Install is very fast. Removing it would be equally a breeze, and no worries about what might be going on in the ECU due to the fuse being pulled.
As for the $50 being in the con column, it was worth that much to me for the intellectual property of those that figured it out, designed the harness, sourced the raw materials, tested, packed, shipped, dealt with PayPal and everything else involved. Plus the time save not ******* around under the hood pulling the fusebox out and reinstalling it. And my peace of mind is worth a few bucks too.

redline727 · 06-19-2012, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dwight Frye

To the pros for the harness, it only requires a tiny screwdriver blade to press down the lock tab on the factory connector at lock, and a set of diagonal cutters or scissors to trim the extra plastic on the zip ties after you tidy up the harness under your dash. And a small flashlight or trouble light to help see what you are doing. Install is very fast. Removing it would be equally a breeze, and no worries about what might be going on in the ECU due to the fuse being pulled.
As for the $50 being in the con column, it was worth that much to me for the intellectual property of those that figured it out, designed the harness, sourced the raw materials, tested, packed, shipped, dealt with PayPal and everything else involved. Plus the time save not ******* around under the hood pulling the fusebox out and reinstalling it. And my peace of mind is worth a few bucks too.

I second this. $50 was well worth it. Bc I look at it as saving me $500 + tax + towing + saving the stress of Not having to watch my car go up a flat bed by someone who could give a fu€|< about my car + being without a car if my lock failed.

Even if I didn't per order before the fuse method came out I still will have got the harness. I was never a fan of doing anything to the fuse box in any of my cars. Even going all the way back to the fast and furious days of interior neon lights and people tapping the power wire under a fuse haha.

Now I get in my car and hit the start button with no worries if the lock will fail

Bboyeruga · 10-16-2012, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bdl99

pros and cons of plug and play harness vs pulling the fuse

plug and play harness

pros:
the easiest and quickest solution to perform where no trim needs to be removed whatsoever

full instructions provided with pictures and a video of the install process

fully reversible, either temporarily via switch or by just removing the harness and returning car to factory state

it only cuts the power to the lock and not the ecu. When pulling the fuse the power is also removed from the ecu. Some have speculated that this has no downside and that appears to be the case except the delays in starting that many have seen.

cons:
it costs $50

pull the fuse:

pros:
there is nothing to buy

it is also reversible - just put the fuse back in

cons:
although straight forward, it is not as quick and easy to install as the harness. Some have broken clips etc and you do need to be careful, but to be completely unbiased many have done this without issues.

as mentioned above it does appear that this solution does sometimes cause delays in starting. There are theories that the ecu will learn and adjusting for this and that might be the case. However, typically with ecus they learn by acquiring data and if that is the case it would normally log that data. The data the ecu would be logging is that it issued a pulse to activate the relay but didn't receive the confirmation via the positive feed from the relay to the ecu. If it is really doing this i would expect this data to be presented/reported when a consult unit is attached by the dealer. To date no one has confirmed if this happens or not.

fyi

D370z · 07-12-2012, 04:03 PM

Hello I have a 2009 nissan 370z i got stranded and dont know how to get the steering wheel into unlock mode anyone help? Then after i get it to unlock mode Ill remove the fuze then hopfully will start.

onzedge · 07-12-2012, 04:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by D370z

Hello I have a 2009 nissan 370z i got stranded and dont know how to get the steering wheel into unlock mode anyone help? Then after i get it to unlock mode Ill remove the fuze then hopfully will start.

It does not work on the 470Z that you say you drive.

JDs370Z · 08-11-2012, 11:54 AM

Just wanted to add that I ordered and received my harness...everything has gone perfectly. Ordering was easy, it showed up right on time, and the install took less than 3 minutes start to finish. Very easy and the piece of mind is totally worth it. If you haven't ordered the harness yet, do it.

iceman21_23 · 07-12-2012, 04:04 PM

^ it wont unlock if its already failed.

Six · 10-07-2012, 03:54 PM

Found the site when searching for solutions to the Z not starting.

Tried the "tapping" method and got her back home and into the garage!

Just ordered the harness.

Awesome!

bdl99 · 10-08-2012, 02:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Six

Found the site when searching for solutions to the Z not starting.

Tried the "tapping" method and got her back home and into the garage!

Just ordered the harness.

Awesome!

Order shipped. Thanks.

SalA · 10-09-2012, 11:09 AM

PM Sent & Order Placed

carboy281 · 10-09-2012, 02:58 PM

Where can I order this harness?? LMK thanks!!

bdl99 · 10-09-2012, 07:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carboy281

Where can I order this harness?? LMK thanks!!

Here you go:
Steering Lock Harness - Car Kit Company

Bboyeruga · 10-08-2012, 04:36 PM

Excited to get this installed. Just ordered. Nothing would be more embarrassing than being stuck somewhere because of such a ridiculous reason. GF would never let me live it down.

UPDATE: Received this 3 days after ordering. Insane responsiveness. Can't wait to install tomorrow. Thanks for everything.

UPDATE 2: Installed this morning. Like most have said, the hardest part was getting my seat adjusted back to where I like it after installation. I will note that you should bring wire cutters (or pliers) and a short flathead screwdriver with you the first time. It's not exactly the easiest position to get in and out of and you don't want to have to do it more than once...

GaleForce · 10-09-2012, 09:19 PM

Ordered mine. Thanks.

06-18-2012, 03:08 PM	#1 (permalink)
bdl99 Base Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: NJ Posts: 244 Drives: Nissan GT-R 2011 Rep Power: 15	There are lots of discussions in various threads and I have received several PMs asking my take on the pros and cons of each solution. I've always responded privately up until now and didn't post publicly because I thought that some might think I'm biased. Those who know me or have dealt with me will know that I'm not like that at all. I'm happy to adjust the information below if the facts are incorrect and of course can be backed up with data. Before I go any further I first want to acknowledged Fritz's work, because without it the plug and play harness wouldn't have been created and I'm sure that the pull the fuse solution wouldn't have either. Or at the very least the other solutions wouldn't have been developed as quickly because Fritz's work proved that removing the power from the lock while in the unlocked state was the key to a solution. Regardless of which solution you go for most of the credit really lies with Fritz. Pros and Cons of Plug and Play harness vs Pulling the fuse Plug and Play Harness *Pros:* The easiest and quickest solution to perform where no trim needs to be removed whatsoever Full instructions provided with pictures and a video of the install process Fully reversible, either temporarily via switch or by just removing the harness and returning car to factory state It only cuts the power to the lock and not the ECU. When pulling the fuse the power is also removed from the ECU. Some have speculated that this has no downside and that appears to be the case except the delays in starting that many have seen. *Cons:* It costs $50 Pull the fuse: *Pros:* There is nothing to buy It is also reversible - Just put the fuse back in *Cons:* Although straight forward, it is not as quick and easy to install as the harness. Some have broken clips etc and you do need to be careful, but to be completely unbiased many have done this without issues. As mentioned above it does appear that this solution does sometimes cause delays in starting. There are theories that the ECU will learn and adjusting for this and that might be the case. However, typically with ECUs they learn by acquiring data and if that is the case it would normally log that data. The data the ECU would be logging is that it issued a pulse to activate the relay but didn't receive the confirmation via the positive feed from the relay to the ECU. If it is really doing this I would expect this data to be presented/reported when a Consult unit is attached by the dealer. To date no one has confirmed if this happens or not.

08-11-2012, 11:54 AM	#7 (permalink)
JDs370Z Base Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Richmond, VA Posts: 12 Drives: 370 Z with Sport pkg Rep Power: 16	Just wanted to add that I ordered and received my harness...everything has gone perfectly. Ordering was easy, it showed up right on time, and the install took less than 3 minutes start to finish. Very easy and the piece of mind is totally worth it. If you haven't ordered the harness yet, do it. bdl99 likes this.

07-12-2012, 04:04 PM	#8 (permalink)
iceman21_23 Track Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: league city, tx Posts: 757 Drives: 09' Solid Red 370z Rep Power: 18	^ it wont unlock if its already failed. __________________ Zele front bumper cf front lip, Seibon TS Hood, Work GS2, Ings+1 side skirts Takeda CAI Litespeed Exhaust

10-07-2012, 03:54 PM	#9 (permalink)
Six Base Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: TX Posts: 3 Drives: 09 370Z MB M6 Rep Power: 13	Found the site when searching for solutions to the Z not starting. Tried the "tapping" method and got her back home and into the garage! Just ordered the harness. Awesome! bdl99, GaleForce and BrianSoCal like this.

10-09-2012, 11:09 AM	#11 (permalink)
SalA Base Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Milton, GA Posts: 247 Drives: 17 Nissan GT-R Rep Power: 16	PM Sent & Order Placed __________________ 2017 Pearl White GT-R Premium \|Full Bolt-On E85 From Speed by Design\| Last edited by SalA; 10-11-2012 at 01:02 PM.

06-18-2012, 06:03 PM	#2 (permalink)
Dwight Frye Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Occupied California Posts: 423 Drives: '09 Tour/Sport/6MT Rep Power: 16	To the pros for the harness, it only requires a tiny screwdriver blade to press down the lock tab on the factory connector at lock, and a set of diagonal cutters or scissors to trim the extra plastic on the zip ties after you tidy up the harness under your dash. And a small flashlight or trouble light to help see what you are doing. Install is very fast. Removing it would be equally a breeze, and no worries about what might be going on in the ECU due to the fuse being pulled. As for the $50 being in the con column, it was worth that much to me for the intellectual property of those that figured it out, designed the harness, sourced the raw materials, tested, packed, shipped, dealt with PayPal and everything else involved. Plus the time save not ******* around under the hood pulling the fusebox out and reinstalling it. And my peace of mind is worth a few bucks too.

07-12-2012, 04:03 PM	#5 (permalink)
D370z Base Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Location: Portland Posts: 49 Drives: 2009 black 370z Rep Power: 13	Hello I have a 2009 nissan 370z i got stranded and dont know how to get the steering wheel into unlock mode anyone help? Then after i get it to unlock mode Ill remove the fuze then hopfully will start.

10-09-2012, 02:58 PM	#12 (permalink)
carboy281 Base Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Houston Posts: 66 Drives: 370z 40th Rep Power: 14	Order Where can I order this harness?? LMK thanks!!

10-08-2012, 04:36 PM	#14 (permalink)
Bboyeruga Base Member Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Atlanta Posts: 44 Drives: Nissan 370Z 40th Ann Rep Power: 14	Excited to get this installed. Just ordered. Nothing would be more embarrassing than being stuck somewhere because of such a ridiculous reason. GF would never let me live it down. UPDATE: Received this 3 days after ordering. Insane responsiveness. Can't wait to install tomorrow. Thanks for everything. UPDATE 2: Installed this morning. Like most have said, the hardest part was getting my seat adjusted back to where I like it after installation. I will note that you should bring wire cutters (or pliers) and a short flathead screwdriver with you the first time. It's not exactly the easiest position to get in and out of and you don't want to have to do it more than once... bdl99 likes this. __________________ Nissan 40th Anniversary 370Z - Build # 127 / 1000 - Produced December 24th 2009 in Tochigi, Japan Last edited by Bboyeruga; 10-12-2012 at 09:30 AM.

10-09-2012, 09:19 PM	#15 (permalink)
GaleForce A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Ontario, Canada Posts: 21,749 Drives: Varis Arising II Rep Power: 51865	Ordered mine. Thanks. __________________ >>>GaleForce's Build<<< >>>FaceBook @3GsCustoms<<<>>>Instagram @GaleForce370z<<< Varis Kamikaze-Z

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