Steering Lock: Cutting the Brownie
 

ALL CREDIT GOES TO FRITZ FOR THE GREAT R&D ON OUR STEERING LOCK AND ITS INNER WORKINGS - LINK

The hardest part about this whole deal is getting comfortable enough to work, I had a couple of new wheel boxes that were just the right height next to the car to make a level place to lay on my back and look up under the dash at the steering lock. I put some blankets and horse pads (I have a couple of horses) in the foot well to lie on and put my head.

Once you get your place to lay all nice, put your car in ACC (steering lock should disengage, should be able to hear it).

Car will start beeping (PITA) – I put ear plugs in at this point.

Get a little LED flashlight or headlight so you can see up in there.

The wire loom holding the wires going to the steering lock socket has a wire tie connected to it above the metal steering lock, cut that wire tie and it will be easier to get the plug out of the socket – be careful cutting.

I used a Snap-on curved pik tool to get the plug out of the socket – THE NOTCHED PART OF THE PLUG IS ON THE TOP – The pik tool helped a ton getting the plug out of the socket.

The real hard part is done!

If you are not too big (I’m 6 foot and 200lbs.) you can then slide in on your side facing the front and gently pull the plug downward to be able to work on it.

Once the plug is out the wires are covered with wire loom and tape, with your small cutters, cut back the wire loom/tape so you don’t have to cut the brown wire right flush with the socket, if you cut the wrong wire (highly unlikely) flush with the socket it would be next to impossible to do a splice repair and you would be up sheet creek.

I cut the wire loom up a couple of inches, removed more tape and exposed the wiring, this made it much simpler to cut and retape the brown wire.

ALL THIS TIME THE CAR IS BEEPING!! – PITA!!

Tape up the wires, plug in the socket and done – viola!, no more steering lock.

Make a nice work bed...
http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/p...Lock-Pic-1.jpg

I used this tool to remove the plug...
http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/p...Lock-Pic-2.jpg

After the plug is out of the socket it is easier to work on laying on your side, don't cut the brown wire too short at the socket just in case.
http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/p...ck-Pic-3-1.jpg

Thanks for the diy. This is great for someone who's ok cutting a wire.

Good job :tup:

rhd, very many thanks, twofold.

Pics were sorely needed! Job done......and really great too.

That B.......buzzer noise:
Fuse box at driver's left foot.
The 11th fuse on the left side of the fuse array. That is the third from the bottom.
Remove it to prevent buzzer noise.

Removing it does other, nice to me, things when the fuse is put back.
It re-sets the clock to 1.
It re-sets the computer
It re-sets the two trip meters to zero (plus the computer one)
I therefore added a switch between the two legs of the fuse
(The computer's readouts go blank until switched on...stationary or on-the-move. )

One gets:
Ability to play the radio/CD with the door open (important to me on a hot day)
Elapsed trip time from the clock (starts at 1.00...hey, there's a clock on my wrist!)
Elapsed seat time (from the computer)
Fresh trip mileage from zero, in 3 places
Trip fuel consumption/average speed etc

So the switch is turned off after most trips..and one does not forget to switch it on for the next, as the computer is unlit.


Fritz

You guys should go and read this.

http://www.the370z.com/diy-section-d...lved-real.html

More than one way to skin a cat, er... a 370Z steering lock! LOL

:tiphat:

Yeah but this is free ,and no cutting up the car.lol:icon17:

Don't have to cut the wire, just remove the 10 amp fuse labeled steering lock. Takes 10 minutes.

cutting wire takes 15sec... :icon17:

Getting the plug out of the socket is a major PITA. I spent over an hour trying to remove it. Finally I grabbed some small needle nose pliers and it came right out. The pliers were able to engage the little piece of plastic that holds it all together. (I chase to purchase the plug and play adapter.) This is a piece of cake once you remove the plug.

The tab is on the top side but is pretty much impossible to get to by hand. Just press the tab down with a tiny flat screwdriver and it pops right out easily.

Yeah the tab pissed my off when i first tried by hand.

If you reconnect the brown wire, will the steering lock work again?

DON'T cut the wire. Pull the fuse instead. Took me 5 minutes. I've done 3 cars so far including mine. :tup:

I'd hit the like button 3 times but we are limited to 1.:shakes head: