My 2010 Suzi won't start

[Russell22]

Tells me to turn steering wheel to unlock and it won't start iv had it at the dealer but they can't figure it out

[Wonson92]

You should be able to push your steering wheel (kind of hard) one way or the other and you'll hear a clunk noise and it will feel a little bit looser and then it should start. Or you've already tried this ? Sometimes mine takes a fair amount of force

[SamirD]

So what we're dealing with here is the steering lock that's part of almost all cars. It's designed to 'lock' the steering wheel when there isn't a key present to prevent theft or movement of the car.

What can inadvertantly happen is that when the key is removed with the wheels turned, the force of the wheels being turned applies pressure to the locking mechanism, making it difficult to move. It's almost identical to the problem of parking an automatic car on a hill and not being able to shift out of P.

So the idea is that moving the steering wheel in the opposite direction of the lock (it will have a little bit of give) while attempting to unlock the wheel will unlock it. That's why it's saying move the wheel.

Of course if none of this is working, then the steering wheel lock might have broken. But it's very rare that I've seen any manufacturer have this as a problem, so I personally think the guy at the dealership you're at are idiots.

Wonson92 described perfectly what you should hear and feel when it unlocks.

[Russell22]

Iv tryed turning it but il try alittle harder but its not locked when it says that i just don't get it

[SamirD]

I'm confused, so the wheel turns? Or is it locked?

[Russell22]

Yeah the wheel turns and it still tells me that. It dont make sence to me cause it dont do it all the time

[SamirD]

It sounds like a sensor has gone bad or there's a wiring issue. Is the car still under warranty?

[SamirD]

It sounds like a sensor has gone bad or there's a wiring issue. Is the car still under warranty?

Scratch that last question--I should read more carefully--2010 and almost 100k is clearly outside of warranty.

Well, you said this happens intermittantly. Do you see pattern? Does temperature make it happen more or less? What about weather like rain? Bump roads? Smooth roads? Weekdays? Weekends?

Finding a pattern will give you some clues to follow to the source of the issue. My gut instinct is that it's a loose wire or ground.

[Russell22]

It happens more when its cold but still will when its warm also

[murcod]

Can you you hear the steering wheel lock disengaging (on mine I can hear a soft "clunk")? Perhaps in the cold weather it is seizing up a bit and isn't fully disengaging, not triggering whatever senses the wheel is unlocked? It could be something as simple as a microswitch not being activated.

Some gentle thumping around the steering column might help? Be careful of course not to damage anything.... The lock mechanism must be somewhere around where a traditional key would be inserted.