DIY: 2009 - 2010 Steering Wheel Lock Fix w/ Pics!

omgzmbz

my husband ran into this with the 2010 370z he just bought and he figured out another fix if you cannot get it out of lock mode
http://370z.tube/steeringlock

GrayGhost

Well i just had the pleasure of running into this same issue.... Does anyone know what actually fails in the steering lock?


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SouthArk370Z

There are some internal switches that don't get actuated. Someone took one apart and posted pictures in a thread.

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Hi-Step'n370Z

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To me, this seems like the perfect fix, and for only $50.00.

Since most of the effected Z's are now out of warranty anyway, I'd be concerned about Auto Insurance coverage in case of anything related to the disconnection of an anti theft device.

However, having said that; I would like to find out if a wire harness from the 2012, where Nissan simply omitted the lock altogether, would be an even better fix, as there wouldn't be a lock at all, even though disconnected electrically, that could somehow jar itself into lock position. I imagine this is not possible, but wanted to mention it in regard to the more tech savvy Forum members analysis.

I'd like to know if they just added a section to replace the lock connectors, or if the new replaced harness is full length piece, and how difficult would it be to install, and if the 2012 harness wiring will even work in the older Z's.

SouthArk370Z

No, a harness alone will not work. If the ESCLhas to be present or the car will not start. Read through some of the disabling-the-ESCL posts for more info.

If I were worried about theft coverage, I'd call my insurance company and see what they say about it.

__________________
Steering Lock Links - Search The370Z Bookmarklet - FSM @ NICOclub
Mankind has progressed past the need for war but we haven't evolved that far. - NachoMahma

Hi-Step'n370Z

Thank you for the clarification on the harness replacement. Now I know that no matter the fix that's chosen, the lock has to remain in-line.

Re: theft coverage; of course running it by the insurance company is the thing to do. I just added it to possibly help those who didn't think about it, and just did the disable procedure. If they did know that a claim may be denied because of the disable, but chose to do it anyway, then they knew the possible risk.

Have you seen the harness by-pass from Car Kit? It looks like the way to go. Simple to do, and simple to revert back should one want to someday. On their web page, they have a great video showing the whole, very simple, procedure. I'd be interested in hearing how you feel about the harness.

Here's the web address:
Steering Lock Harness - Car Kit Company[/B]]Steering Lock Harness - Car Kit Company

SouthArk370Z

I have only seen pictures of the bypass but based on the feedback on this site it is a well-built product, that, as you say, is simple to install and uninstall.

Which is better, bypass or fuse, is a toss up, IMNSHO. The IPDM (where the fuse is) is not the easiest thing to get to but it's not that difficult and it's not like you will be removing/inserting the fuse often (probably only once). The main advantage that I see to the fuse method is cost - $0 vs $50.

Either method will accomplish exactly the same thing - cutting power to the ESCL motor - so go with whichever one you prefer.

__________________
Steering Lock Links - Search The370Z Bookmarklet - FSM @ NICOclub
Mankind has progressed past the need for war but we haven't evolved that far. - NachoMahma

Hi-Step'n370Z

After reading what seemed like a million posts, I've decided to buy the harness by-pass cable from Car Kit.

But I do have a question; is there a difference between cutting the brown wire, which essentially is what the by-pass cable does, and pulling the fuse?

I ask this because of one of the posts I read that reported problems that resulted after pulling the fuse.

It said, in at least one reported case, that with pulling the fuse, the passenger air bag, and or, the child safety seat may not work properly.

And also that there was a slight delay from when the start button was pushed, and the engine actually cranked over, but stated that it doesn't happen all the time, and the delay is short.

So, is there a difference in the circuit flow / operation between cutting the brown wire, and pulling the fuse?

I'd appreciate some clarity on this from someone who's more tech savvy regarding this issue than I am. Thanks.

tjlazer

Why didn’t you pull the fuse?

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2009 370Z Monterey Blue,Nismo Conversion,RE-11's, K&N Typhoon intakes,Blue Kickplates,Homelink,FI 18" CBE,ERZ HFCs,Hotchkis sways, Swift Spec-R, EVO-R Highwing, UPREV

370Z_Fan

Because I could not get it past LOCK and I didn't have a mallet/hammer handy.

fa3262

Hey guys

So my steering lock failed and so I cut the brown wire. The steering lock has been disengaged and I can go into acc mode with no issues but when I try actually start the car, the whole thing either shorts out and turns off or makes a loud blurring noise (like someone’s being electrocuted constantly). I have also pulled the fuse out and this makes no difference. Im panicking now and not sure what to do as I can’t even start my car

SouthArk370Z

It sounds like the locking pin may not have been fully retracted when you cut the brown wire. If that is the case, you need to reinsert the fuse and reconnect the brown wire, hit on the ESCL until the locking pin actuates the internal switch(es), then pull the fuse (and/or disconnect the brown wire). See link in my sig for more info.

__________________
Steering Lock Links - Search The370Z Bookmarklet - FSM @ NICOclub
Mankind has progressed past the need for war but we haven't evolved that far. - NachoMahma

TXSpeedDemon

I recently went through this issues. Stuck in the parking lot without the ability to turn the car on. Steering wheel would still turn, so not fully locked, but unable to get car into ACC or ON positions with starter button.

I first did the pink wire grounding trick to start the car to get her home. Once home I pulled the fuse. Was still getting the yellow key light on dash intermittently (tried replacing battery), so figured I should replace the faulty module.

I went with this replacement from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/WATERWICH-Com...ve%2C90&sr=1-1

It worked great, and was a pretty easy swap. Found some instructions on Youtube and followed those. a few things to note:
- I do not think you need to remove the lower plastic piece under the steering wheel, nor the metal shield. I did both, but am pretty sure I could have accessed the module without removing the other pieces.
- Someone mentioned using small needle nose pliers to remove the breakaway bolts. this worked great for me. no need to pull out the Dremel in that tight space
- the replacement piece is larger than the stock one. it fits fine, but it prevents you from being able to access the bolts once installed. It comes with new breakaway bolts, but once installed you won't be able to access them like you can with the stock module. So instead of installing the new breakaway bolts i used the Dremel on the stock breakaway bolts to turn them into flathead screws by cutting a small groove into them BEFORE installing on the car. Now should I need to replace this module later, I can remove those bolts with a stubby screwdriver.

All together about a 2 hours job start to finish. Yellow key light went away upon installation of new module.

Tena

My steering lock did not fail. But I want to remove it. I am preparing the car only for competition and the lock is heavy and annoying. Is there any method to remove it and not get an error due to lack of a module? Thank you.