ATTENTION!! 2009-2010 owners with steering lock/wont start issues

BlueDog007

Here's my situation. My battery seems like it's been dying for several weeks. I had it tested about a week ago and Autozone said it was bad. Last night, it was 25 degrees and it wouldn't start. The yellow key signal on the left side of the steering wheel is on. I tried to jump start it with my Tundra after charging for about 15 minutes and get nothing. No sound of turnover or anything. The steering wheel isn't locked as I had to move it our of the driveway so I could get another car out of the garage. I can turn the wheel manually in both directions. The windows will not roll up or down, the lights DO work, the radio does NOT work, the lights above the review mirror do work. When I push the start button, nothing happens.

My first thought is to change the battery. I took the FOB to a battery place today who tested the FOB battery and said it was about dead and they put in a new battery. I certainly hope my only issue is the car battery and not the steering lock issue talked about on this thread.

At this point, what should I do? I definitely don't want to take it to the dealer and shell out $1,400. Does the car need to be running to remove the fuse mentioned in this thread? Also, it doesn't look real easy to replace the battery. Does anyone have any advice on how do do it? Or have a YouTube video or something? I'm all about saving money to get the Z running again. Any help is appreciated. Thanks in advance!

jchammond

after thoroughly testing all of your fuses; Try smacking the steering lock with a rubber mallet,etc...while simultaneously pressing start button w/brake pressed.
sounds like your ignition is not powering up & could be the internal's in the steering lock not letting it power up.
Does your fob lock & unlock doors?
have you removed key from fob & tried inserting it in slot on left side of steering column?

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BlueDog007

Yes, my fob will lock and unlock the doors. I did put the entire fob in the key slot but didn't remove the key from the fob. Will that make a difference? Also, where exactly is the steering lock I need to smack?

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BlueDog007

Update: I put a brand new battery in the car today, but I still have the yellow key icon showing up on the left side of the steering wheel. I can't get the car to ACC. Do I have to get to ACC in order to remove the fuse? Or can I pull the fuse and bypass this BS? Also, now the windows are falling about 1 inch everytime I open and close the door. And I can't roll them back up. This is a MAJOR pain in the Arsenal. Please help!!!

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jchammond

Ignition has to be turned on before removing fuse, windows will work up & down,radio will work,dash light icons will illuminate.
As JARBlue put it (beat that steering lock like it owes you money).
Be sure key fob is near & you are pressing start button while simultaneously beating on steering lock.
Hopefully it will power up & then remove fuse.
Then you'll have to retime your windows.

__________________
MazWorx built long block | FI-TT-100 Stage 2.75 | IPT built 7A/T

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BlueDog007

Well, I ended up having to shell out about $1,200 to get this fixed. I have a whopping 1 year warranty on the new piece too which makes me feel real comfortable (lol). How can I tell if I have a newer unit which will not give me issues in the future? And does anyone have tue contact information for Nissan? I'm going after them to get my money back.

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SouthArk370Z

IIRC, Rev D is the latest version of the ESCL. The revision letter is printed on the label on the ESCL - stick your head under the dash and have a look. But it is also prone to failure, so pull the fuse.

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JARblue

It doesn't matter what revision you have; they are all prone to issues. That's why Nissan removed it entirely in 2011. There were instances of the Rev D units failing even before Nissan issued a recall for A, B, and C revisions.

If you had a new unit installed, then it was a Rev D. Pull the fuse immediately

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karthick

Guys, I just sent a demand letter to Nissan about my steering wheel control lock unit, which just died. They have 10 days to settle the matter, before I take the case to small claims. Wish me luck.

dbw

My 370z according to Nissan Canada falls outside of the range of cars affected. That said it happened to me last winter and left me stranded in -11f weather. After waiting for the better part of 2 hours a tow truck took me and the car to the dealer. It took close to a week to get the parts and have me on my way. I called Nissan Canada and was told my car was not one of those affected. I suggested politely that they were wrong as my car was in getting fixed for this issue. They came back and said again my car was not one of those affected....they would not acknowledge what I said as to my car being in the garage.

Either the person was sampling our prime ministers favorite new product or I was speaking with the janitor.

I am still pissed about this. In this part of the world should it fail in winter it could lead to fatal consequences should there not be appropriate survival gear in the car....and the majority of people do not carry this. My understanding is that the latest iteration of this steering lock did not fix the problem.

blackbird

Is there a Nissan North America?If so, go yell at them.

JARblue

Correct. The best solution is to disconnect the ESCL entirely regardless of what version is in your car. Even the cars that are on the recall list get the shitty Rev D module (probably the exact same revision that failed on you).

As a thank you to Nissan, you might consider hurling the failed lock through one of your dealer's showroom windows ala that Discount Tire commercial from the 70s.

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EazyD

What's the intended purpose of the ESCL? Security? Theft deterrent? What are we losing if we disconnect it?

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Pearl White 2010 370Z Sport, Stillen CBE, tint, K&N drop-in filters, GT-R start button, Kenwood DNX-6980 with backup cam, LED bulbs, Raceseng shift knob.

SouthArk370Z

It's a theft deterrent.

Other than locking the steering column, absolutely nothing (say it again, huh).

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Mankind has progressed past the need for war but we haven't evolved that far. - NachoMahma

omgzmbz

My husband ran into this with the 2010 370z he just bought. He couldn't get it out of lock mode and he made a video of his fix for this: