Thread: Warning Steering Column locked...

Originally Posted by fender-tour

I think the problems are related, as the 2/3 pushes of start button manifests itself more often when the steering warning shows - I suspect the system is searching for an "all clear to start".

My vehicle is booked to have the Steering Lock ECU replaced next week

I'm sure they are, but I don't know if its caused by software or hardware/mechanical. I had though it was just software but perhaps not.

Today I had this problem for the third time since buying the car 18 months ago and for the 1st time in more than a year. Each time it has happened it has been when attempting to restart the car after refuelling. It has happened at two different service stations.

Previously it has taken me about five minutes to get the car started through fiddling about locking and unlocking the car. This time however, took about 30 minutes and the real bugger was that I was stuck right in the middle of the fuelling bay - very embarrassing.

After trying my previous tricks for 20 mins I called roadside assist. A very nice lady called Ellie talked me through a reset process which did not work (everyone out of the car , lock and unlock the car three times). She then put me on hold so she could talk to an engineer who said that a "service provider" would have to be called out and would be there with in the hour - not happy. She was going to call me back once she had spoken with the service provider.

No way was I going to sit there for another hour so I set to working through things again:

1. lock car wait enough time for car to go to sleep - unlock car
2. foot on brake, press start button
3. Error message "Place foot firmly on brake to start"
4. keep holding start button - press harder on brake
5. Error message "Steering column locked"
6. Wrench steering wheel back and forth - steering is not locked
7. Release start button
8. try to turn accessory power on but power will not stay on(goes off as soon as start button is released)
9. repeat 1- 5 but this time try releasing EPB - no response from EBP
10 . retry various combinations of above.

No luck - think carefully about things. I had been sitting in the car from the time SWMBO was filling the car (broke my right leg 5 weeks ago and can't drive or do much else). It dawns on me that, during the whole time through this, I had not heard the tell tale steering lock actuator sound which usually activates after some minutes of inactivity after the car has been switched off.

OK, maybe the car is not going to sleep and thus not resetting. I turned off bluetooth on both our phones locked the car again and waited (while in the car). Sure enough, a little time later, the sound of the steering lock was heard. Immediately unlocked the car and pressed the start button. Success!

Not sure if the bluetooth thing was a coincidence but I do think that the steering lock had not locked as it normally would thus leaving the car in a unknown state i.e. steering unlocked when it should have been locked.

So, when attempting to start, part of the sequence would be to unlock the steering (you can hear this) then start the engine. As the steering was already unlocked, car became confused.

I called LR Assistance back to let them know what I had observed for future reference. What was especially satisfying was that they were now cancelling the tow that the "service provider" had insisted they arrange.

Needless to say I will be asking the dealer to update software and replace relevant components on the next service.

Sorry this is so long winded but thought I should share the details in the hope it may help someone else.

I fixed mine permanently by using Faultmate to change the car configuration file (CCF) to say that a steering column lock is not fitted. Its never given trouble since!

Originally Posted by Graeme

I fixed mine permanently by using Faultmate to change the car configuration file (CCF) to say that a steering column lock is not fitted. Its never given trouble since!

In the absence of a proper LR fix I'd say that's a bloody good suggestion.

Hopefully it will also prevent the lock from being activated during a sudden discharge of the battery due to an alternator short circuit if the software's left hand doesn't know what its right hand is doing (which seems to occur at startup anyway) and decides the ignition is off and the vehicle is parked as it coasts to a stop from high speed, or something similar. Drivesafe's RR incident scared me enough to do something about the lock; the removal of the annoying failure to start was a welcome bonus.

Originally Posted by Graeme

Hopefully it will also prevent the lock from being activated during a sudden discharge of the battery due to an alternator short circuit if the software's left hand doesn't know what its right hand is doing (which seems to occur at startup anyway) and decides the ignition is off and the vehicle is parked as it coasts to a stop from high speed, or something similar. Drivesafe's RR incident scared me enough to do something about the lock; the removal of the annoying failure to start was a welcome bonus.

Graeme, thanks for the info.

I went on the hunt to find Tims post - Holy cow! What a scary incident:

MOST DANGEROUS 4X4 EVER MADE!

Looks like it's time to invest in a Faultmate or something similar.

Drivesafe's RR detects the key using RF. I suspect the circuit became unable to detect the key as the voltage dropped but with still enough voltage for the lock circuit to operate the lock, hence that particular scenario cannot occur with a D4. However I don't want to risk the lock being inappropriately engaged when it is so easy to make the software think it doesn't exist.

Hi Sean,
Your hotlink is corrupted. It should be:
MOST DANGEROUS 4X4 EVER MADE!

Best Wishes.