" Steering not locked "

[bornshowman]

Hi all,

After reading past posts I realize I'm up the creek but wonder if you could soften the blow for me.

My car was 'driven' to the garage to fix a dodgy electrical problem which meant the battery would run flat after 6hrs if not driven.
3hrs later garage phones to tell me they have

" corrected the fault ( radio fitted by me months ago! oops ) but now we have a different one ARE YOU SITTING DOWN......you need a new 6 pin steering lock unit that costs 300! " The car was driven to the garage now its dead, to the garage owners response " sometimes with cars... these things happen ".

He says it does this when trying to start ...Insert card as normal, clutch down, press start ( as normal ) then:
STEERING LOCKED.....no turnover just clicks
PULL OUT CARD
STEERING UNLOCKED

Too cut a long story short can you answer these Q's?

1. Is there anything I can check before forking out £300?
I have scrolled the net looking for an answer that its deffo this unit & asked the mechanic to try some things out before ordering, supposedly he has: checked 3 fuses round possitive battery terminal, checked steering lock fuse next to the battery by taking it out keeping foot on clutch & brake whilst replasing the fuse, quickly pressing the start button 11 times, massaged wires going to main ECU unit whilst someone looking at dash for changes & checked the power steering fluid.

2. My Megane is Left Hand Drive ( i'm in spain ) are the units Left or Right handed, ( I know they have to be paired with the car, thinking of getting 1 off ebay)

3. I'm worried he's gonna say the whole steering coloum is gonna need replacing, is there anyway I'll know if he's FUBAR'ed it by not disengaging the steering mechanism before removal or turning the screw the wrong way?

Any info would be great!
Merry Christmas

[AlexB]

Hi Showman from Spain,

From your message it is clear that you have little idea of what you are talking about, and that the garage people are probably taking you for a ride. Do you know the model of your car and its basic service/repair history? These cars do not have any power steering fluid, as the steering is electric...

I doubt that the steering lock just died without any previous indication of the problem. Yes, it is possible that they either broke or readjusted the bolt of the lock for whatever reason. It is also possible that they disturbed the wiring to the lock. The lock itself is a very robust design, which is unlikely to fail internally. However, if the bolt is moved one way or the other, it jams the latch inside the lock. The bolt can be easily broken as it has a special torque limiting neck. It also has a special groove preventing its removal when the lock is engaged.

I suggest you start with assessing the situation. Do you trust the garage? Are they competent? Do you want to take a legal action?.. I can advise you on the technical aspects only.

Start with the lock - if the bolt is broken, then the lock will have to be destroyed. Then look at the battery. If there was any (ANY!) trouble with it, and it is more than 5 years old, then replace it with a new Bosch S5 unit. Inspect the areas touched by the mechanic. Remove any modifications related to your radio and anything else. Then cycle the ignition on-off without engaging the starter (pressing Start for 5 seconds while not touching the pedals) and rotate the bolt both ways just slightly. Do the same while hitting the lock with a light hammer. When the lock disengages - remove the bolt (with ignition on). Once the bolt is removed, the lock can be removed, opened and repaired, which possibly involves grinding off some metal from the latch, so it never touched the bolt.

The lock can be accessed from under the steering wheel after removing the plastic trim from the column. It is held in place with four screws.

Regarding the steering column, I doubt that it can be broken as a result of lock malfunction.

[bornshowman]

Thanks for you reply Alex B.

I will take everything on board when I pay them a visit tomorrow. What I can't understand is how they were anywhere near it in the 1st place?

Over the phone, the mechanic described the part whilst he had it in his hand. does that mean I'm safe from further cost. From what I read in your post if he tried to take it off I in the engaged position he would have buggered the column & wouldn't be able to get it out?

Thanks Again
John

[bornshowman]

Back from garage.

Thinking it's deffo the steering lock unit that is gone.....Bo**ocks!

Tried folks suggestions on here including various start button techniques & gently hitting bolt with a hammer. Still same problem:
Enter car
prompted to Insert Card
dip clutch....press start
3 clicks heard from unit under steering wheel
Steering Not Locked, service light on ( and I'm sure I saw the red imobiliser light flashing too )

Electronics working fine from what I tested: hedlights, internal clock etc.

Gutted the airbag light didn't come on too..from previous threads I know this can be easily fixed by 'wiggling' the wiring loom under the seat.
When I asked the mechanic what excatly happened he said he had fixed the botch job on the stereo & was about to pull car out of the garage when it all kicked off. He went nowhere near the unit & was as baffled as me.

If anyone can offer any more info before I purchase one at 12pm on Monday 14th tht would be great.
Thanks

[bornshowman]

Monday 24th even!

[AlexB]

You and your mechanic are very brave people, as you were trying to lock a malfunctioning steering lock while it was still attached to the column! If it gets stuck in the locked position, it will be a cold chisel time...

This is the reason I've cut off everything from my lock, which may prevent its removal.

The lock is not supposed to give 3 clicks. This may indicate malfunction of the end switch inside it. Does it actually lock the column?

[bornshowman]

Thanks for the reply AlexB.

No the column does not lock & I am able to turn wheels from one full lock to the other with abit of effort.

John

[AlexB]

Hi John,
Looks like it's broken. If it were just jammed, it would be clicking just once. There might be a problem with the end switch, which detects the position of the latch. So, the motor misses the end position, which results in clicking. It's easy to take it apart, or just get replacement from eBay.

[bornshowman]

Cheers AlexB,

I'll tell the mechanic to take it apart & have a tinker with it when they open tomoz, will also tell him about this 'end switch'. Have found a clean unit on Ebay for £100 but trying all possibilities before I folk out for it & wait forever on the Spainish post getting it to Spain.

You've been a real help AlexB.
Merry Crimbo!
John

[AlexB]

Merry Christmas!

[bornshowman]

The new steering lock unit worked a charm, back on the road!

[AlexB]

Good news. Well done!

[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!

[Etha09]

Renault megane scenic 1.5dci when i put the key card in depress clutch pedal it says steering locked and wont start but when i take the card out it says steering unlocked.

[AlexB]

It is strange that it says so before pressing Start. Even more strange is that the lock mechanically locks and unlocks, unless you omitted something in your description in order to test me...

In any case, it is the lock problem. Try to remove it as described in the manual, see the sticky thread with manuals. If it stays locked, then you will have to fiddle with it, hitting it lightly, etc., because the retaining bolt can be removed only when the mechanism is unlocked. Otherwise, prepare a cold chisel...