The "steering locked" problem - and a temp solution!

[triumph2.5man]

Hi folks! Still trundling around in your Meggies, you mad impetuous fools?! (Sorry, just joking - they are great cars....when they are working....)
Meg 2 dci 1.5. 2003, 85k on the clock. Daughter drove it 50 miles and stopped for a short while. On return to the car it would not start. Error message on display was "steering locked". Good old dad! Help! Tried both keycards - clutching at straws!
I have seen this message before and it does not (believe it or not) necessarily mean that the steering is in fact locked but could indicate some other electronic fault!
I did all the usual - rebooted by disconnecting the battery. Checked all the electrics under the bonnet looking for signs of water ingress. It was all in pristine condition. The only water was on my head and back! The relevant fuse was intact. After several hours (during which I got thoroughly soaked!) I was forced to admit defeat as it was impossible to start the car. The immobiliser will not come off until it receives a signal from the steering lock. For obvious reasons the car could not be towed. It had to be given a lift 50 miles home. Luckily the front wheels were more or less facing forward. I would NEVER own a Megane unless full recovery was available.
Once back home, I set to and solved the problem in about a minute! (Oh the benefit of hindsight). I removed the lower part of the column shroud (2 small torx screws) thus exposing the steering lock with its left hand threaded single screw T30. I gave it a couple of sharp taps with a hammer and bingo, the steering unlocked! The dulcet tones of the bolt clicking open were music to my ears! Something was stuck inside. I realise this is not a temporary cure but during the last month it has been started many, many times without failure. Daughter has been shown the offending item, supplied with a small hammer and told where to tap if it happens again!
The alternative would be a lifted tow to Monsewer Renault and parting with £500. Sadly most folk will be forced to take this option.

A few notes from me.
1) The steering lock is designed so that it can be removed from the column only when it is UNLOCKED. (What would be the point of a lock if you easily overcome it by removing it??)
2) When working on the car, the Renault guys use the diagnostic tool to release the lock. However if the lock is faulty, it could be impossible to unlock. Brute force would then be needed with subsequent damage.
3)Buying a replacement lock from a scrappie would be difficult if for example, the keycard was not present with the vehicle or the car could not be started because of damage or similar. Most likely the whole steering column would be sold with the lock in situ.
4)New lock would need decoding but this would happen automatically (as per Haynes Manuel.)
5)The lock is not simply a steel bar moved either way with a simple solenoid. Oh no, it's much more fiendishly clever than that. It contains a small motor with gearing, an internally-threaded rod (which is in fact the bolt), a cam and micro switches (to put it briefly).
I am itching to take one apart but have been unable to find one. I am reluctant at this stage to take ours apart in case I damage it. It looks as if it will come apart quite easily although, like a keycard, it was never intended to.
6) I called at my local R dealer workshop (very helpful!) to ask if I could acquire a broken lock. Upon replacement, they are thrown away but there were not any available at the time of my call.
7) If anyone has a broken or unwanted lock, please send me a PM. I can pay postage. After dissecting one, I will be more than happy to report back to you with my findings.

Meanwhile I hope that what I have written here will help somebody, somewhere.
Mike

[davelowe]

Mike, as ever, your posts are brilliant.

Despite the 'improvements' that vehicle manufacturers offer, it is good know that the 'manual adjustment tool' (aka hammer) still does its impeccable work!

As an aside, I carry a decent sized claw hammer in the glovebox - not for illegal purposes, just as peace of mind should I ever crash into water. I don't trust the electronics to work to allow me to escape via a door or window....

[tomalamix]

the locking mechanism doesnt need to be coded for the car, if you swap it with another car it will work as usual. ive not done this my self but a few folks told me this, ive got no reason not to believe them. if you are in the way to buy one try this one and then rip your apart

cheers

[sean6545]

The steering lock is part of the immobiliser system Once a steering lock has been coded to one car, that's it. You cannot use it on another car.

To unlock the steering lock With the diagnostic tool you have to lock the airbag ecu.

[AlexB]

This was already discussed. A second-hand lock can be reset by clearing (to 0xFF) data in the serial EEPROM chip inside.

[triumph2.5man]

Hi again folks! I promised you a sequel to my earlier post and true to my word, here it is! No doubt it will be a long ‘un. Sorry.
I wrote the previous missive in May. The steering lock behaved impeccably for 6 months and then stuck again. A light tap with the panel pin hammer and it unlocked. It reached the point where it began to stick at least once most days and this forced me “off the fence” to take action. I never did locate an old unit so there was no option but to work on the one in the car. Having examined it carefully, it looked as if the metal cover could be removed, but then what? First problem was to remove the retaining bolt, the one with the left hand thread. The bolt was in fact loose and could neither be tightened nor loosened. Good start! After a lot of pushing and pulling I managed to extract it from the column. Having worked loose, evidently it was sitting at an angle which caused it to bind in the fixing hole in the column bracket.
With the lock on the workbench it was obvious that the alloy cover could easily be unclipped and removed. When I removed the thicker part surrounding the socket, an odd shaped piece of plastic was forced out by a small spring and dropped onto the bench. I knew at once what this was – heart stopped– a tamper proof device! Curses. The piece of plastic was holding back a hardened metal pin. Once removed, the pin dropped into the lock bolt thus preventing its removal. Had the lock still been on the car, removal would have been impossible by any means other than a lot of brute force and damage! This would happen to anybody attempting to overcome the lock in situ.
But hey, no problemo, I had the lock in my hand. Look carefully at photo 4. At the top left hand side of the lock is an oblong nylon block which contains the spring that activates the pin (which can just be seen at the bottom of the block). There was no way I could force the pin back (insufficient room) so I drilled out the nylon block and the pin fell out. Phew! I decided I did not need the pin and made the decision not to replace it. When the lock is in place on the column, the block is not accessible – all very secure and fiendishly clever! Incidentally the lock is made by Valeo.
Now what? The lock mechanism is mounted in what is basically a plastic box held together by plastic clips and easily dismantled. Some of the clips cracked but did not prevent reassembly.
With the lock mechanism on view I could see how it worked. It resembled a central locking unit, powered by a small motor. The spring that fires the bolt into the column can be seen.
At this point I found the lock mechanism could be lifted from the case but decided not to risk it at this stage. The electrical contacts were below the mechanism and were not visible. I am sure the bolt could be wound back by turning the gear physically.
I felt that the original fault was down to either 1) mechanism sticking or 2) poor electrical contact.
As the lock interior seemed completely dry I took the easy option and gave all the moving parts a light blast of light wax lubricant and reassembled it. Before bolting back in place I reconnected the plug and tested it. Guess what? It worked every time! The LH thread bolt went straight back in.
Should it play up again, I will take it apart again and dismantle further. I am fortunate in that I am a retired old b****r and my time is not money. Don’t expect your Renault mechanic to attempt this!
I am pleased to say that I did this work over two weeks ago and the car has been started many times subsequently with no problems. The small hammer is still in the parcel shelf though………
Have a look at the photos and ask if you have any questions. Have a butcher’s at the lock retaining bolt. It has grooves machined in the shank and when the steering is locked, it is these grooves that prevent the retaining bolt from being removed.
All the best to you all. Hope I have not bored you.
Mike (still driving around in a 42 year old Triumph that I have owned for 37 years! How much longer can we both go on?? How much longer will daughter no 1 keep the Meggy which is nearing 10 years old? So many questions!)

[AlexB]

Hi Mike,

This is almost exactly what I did recently in order to pass MOT, which was described in my post in October. The lock was not holding well in my case. Apparently, this was due to the retaining bolt catching on the locking bolt and limiting its travel.

So, I removed the lock while keeping ignition on, took it apart, fished out the tamper-proof device (the white nylon block in your second last photo) with a small screwdriver, then went further than you... I removed the locking bolt from the plastic assembly and ground off the metal around its part which meets the groove in the retaining bolt. Then, I increased the travel of the locking bolt by 1.2mm by grinding off some metal from its two parts that act as the stops. Thus, the travel of the locking bolt was increased, and it became possible to undo the retaining bolt when the lock is locked. So, if it fails, I can always remove and repair it. They say that the relays inside sometimes fail, but can be replaced with a £2 part from Maplins... The whole thing took me about an hour, which is a significant saving in terms of time compared to taking the car to a garage.

In your case, I am almost sure, the groove in the threaded retaining bolt caught the locking bolt, as the former became loose. Grinding off the corresponding part of the locking bolt might be a solution.

[triumph2.5man]

Thanks for that Alex. Looks as if we have been treading the same path! I will remember your advice if the lock starts playing up again.
Cheers, Mike

[tomalamix]

Regards the coding issue, in fact i didnt see anything that can be programmed on the locking device. during the overhaul process did you notices any PCB or anything else that can be programmed or identify the lock electronically? i was told that this device doesnt need any coding at all, just to confirm that.

cheers

[triumph2.5man]

Hi Tom, that is a very good question and one I had hoped to answer. However I did not delve deeper into the lock than removing the lid. I was taking it one step at a time and did not want to push my luck too far. Removing the mechanical parts (easy but possibly not so easy to put back) would give access to the electronic bits below. Perhaps Alex B can supply the answer as he stripped his lock completely? Do the electric bits consist solely of micro switches (as in a central locking door switch) or is there an IC in there? Alex mentions a relay in the lock.
The Haynes manual says a replacement lock can be fitted and will work without any coding. I know you can't always believe what H says but if it is correct, does this also apply to a lock that was used in another vehicle? If our lock plays up again I will delve deeper but at the moment it is working perfectly. A little bit of lubricant did the trick and evidently the problem was mechanical rather than electronic. I (almost) wish it would fail so I can dismantle it again and I will certainly be modifying the latch (as Alex did) to enable the lock to be withdrawn if the lock should fail in future.
I would love to know what the Renault technicians do when a lock jams like this and cannot be released in the normal way by using the computer system. Supplying and fitting a new (and expensive!) steering column and lock? - or do they use a big hammer and wrecking bar!
locks can be bought on ebay from scrappies but invariably they have the column attached and thus cost more to buy. I imagine that this is because when a wrecked car arrives in the yard, no battery, no keycard, the lock cannot be undone and removed. However, if what Haynes says is correct, it would be possible to connect the plug from your car, plug into the replacement (complete with column attached) and undo it by pressing the start button.
A lot of theory (and waffle!) here but it would be great to hear from somebody who has actually done the job. We need the facts! Over to you Alex B!
Sorry for delay in replying.
Regards, Mike

[tomalamix]

No problem for the late reply and thanks for it.

lests wait that someone can confirm this because, like youve said and im almost sure, the locking mechanism doesnt need any coding and you can use one from another car. This info can help other users by the way.

cheers

[AlexB]

Yes, there is a PCB inside, and there is a serial flash memory chip on it. The PCB is not shown in the photos. In the second photo it is on the opposite side of the box. The chip is soldered into the PCB.

Regards the coding issue, in fact i didnt see anything that can be programmed on the locking device. during the overhaul process did you notices any PCB or anything else that can be programmed or identify the lock electronically? i was told that this device doesnt need any coding at all, just to confirm that.

cheers

[tomalamix]

so it needs to be erased with FFF's on the eeprom to be used on other car...thanks for the info, it can be useful

cheers

[victorhora]

Hello friend!

I was having a problem with my Megane that's exactly like this one:

"When removing the keycard you could hear the electronic steering lock click in, but you could still turn the steering wheel. I didn't get any warning messages though."

From this topic: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5159&p=38107

I saw that a guy gave your opinion on that matter, by saying that it could be a "shear head bolt. i.e. when it's tightened to a certain torque the head comes off to prevent it being removed."

The thing is that I asked for a mechanic (not the Renault dealer) to check that fault from me...

Apparently the guy tried to remove the electric steering column lock without unlocking the steering wheel first, and he says that it appears that the bolt is "broken"...

So I kindly ask for help... do you know if only this bolt can be changed somehow? Or maybe only changing the lock should fix it?

I'm thinking about towing the car to the Renault dealer and ask them to try to fix it or replace the part only the lock... Changing the steering column lock will cost something around £500.00 here in Brazil...

I really don't want to buy a WHOLE new steering column along with the lock, here in Brazil that could end up costing something like £1.500.00!!!!

Thanks in advance!

[triumph2.5man]

Ola Victor! I'm sorry that nobody replied to your last post two months ago. I have only just seen it. If you are still with us, (if you are still a Megane owner!) can I ask how you got on with your steering lock problem? Sheer-headed bolt? The one in our car is not. Perhaps the mechanic did not realise it has a left hand thread and in attempting to undo it in the wrong direction, broke the head off!
Do please let us know as we all have a thirst for knowledge here in the UK!

Incidentally, for anybody interested, after the little squirt of light oil that I put into our lock quite a few months ago, it has not stuck since. Don't want to speak too soon but the little hammer is still in the door compartment.........!
Mike