My 2010 Suzi won't start

[chazyouwin]

Got this problem for the first time this a.m. on the 2012 SLS, 30 minutes stuck on the driveway, then 30 minutes stock on the first drive out (Costco), then 10 minutes delayed at the Costco gas station. All kinds of trick used, everything posted except for the fob battery. The fob battery worked to open and shut, but decided to change it anyway. Success! At least for now (three trips, car starting up like a charm).
I hope this works but I don't have a theory as to why it might. Clues, maybe: (1) prior to the battery switch I noticed that the push button on the fob would trigger a slight noise and dash light flash like the car is trying to turn over, before doing the shake-your-wheelie song; and (2) in the past, there had been some issue of contact with the electrical circuit board in the fob and it just needed to be re-arranged.

[chazyouwin]

So I got the steering lock assembly part from Megazip and - a month later we have 55 degree weather and went out to do this. First of all, no way am I just replacing it - I think you would actually need to drop the column. Second, I found the solution posted above by a member and described at this video seems to work. - . It leaves the old one in place and you simply disconnect the plug (after pushing the ignition button once without starting to get the acc power on and the wheel lock unlocked). So now I'm just looking for where to zip tie the new one next to the old one. Has anyone done this and found a good location/orientation? At the moment I have the new on clipped to the metal bar upon which the lower dash panel would rest - not sure this is a great idea.

[chazyouwin]

So I got the extra steering lock assembly ziptied onto the metal bar which goes across the bottom of the dash. It now sits next to the old one. It is a heavy item. Driving around, the car drives just like before. But it starts up nicely, and lights go on and off with the ignition just like before the problem. But with the item zip tied, the very bottom plastic cover plate does not go back on. It will not fit over the bulky new addition. Do I care? The bottom plate which does not fit back on looks like this:

Bottom under steering wheel dash plate.

IMG_0749.jpg (35.41 KiB) Viewed 11405 times

[sschriber]

So after at least 100 routines of step out - lock and unlock then get back in, I decided to get the lock module replaced. The dealer price had come down to $272 and I was quoted 2 hrs labor. When I ordered the part I asked if they had done many of these; the service guy said a couple of dozen or so...cool. The part came in and I sent up the repair which came off without a hitch for a cost of less than $500. Curiously as I was leaving, my service guy mentioned that they were doing another that afternoon. Seems to me the remaining Suzuki authorized repair network are well aware of this steering lock issue.

The new unit is much more quiet than the old which had a definite actuator whine and click when disengaging the lock.

[Alexismcc97]

My 2010 Suzuki is doing the same thing it says its locked but its not because I took the door sensor out and the lock hasn't engaged at all. I can turn the steering wheel and everything and it still says its locked when its not. It doesnt make any sense.

[old tech]

You have a definite problem with the ESL. When most people are having this trouble, they are disconnecting the drivers door switch when the ESL is in the unlock position and the starter is getting good signal. This works but one day the unit can lose the continuity that it has closing the switch to make starter happen and that is when you need to re-hook up your driver door switch and run through the cycle with the door open a few times and hopefully it gains continuity again and will let you start it and while the thing is running disconnect, the drivers door switch again . A brand new ESL unit will cost between $355 and probably $500 depending on where you get it from. This unit takes a couple hours to install and it must be new. A junkyard unit will not do you any good. I had a Kizashi last week and had a really bad ESL. The customer didn’t want to spend the money on a new unit. I wired in a push button, momentary switch from the brake light to the signal for the starter relay right at the keyless start computer and this works the starter every time Without fail, although the dash display still shows to rock the steering wheel unless you get that to reset .


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[kizashi2010se]

You have a definite problem with the ESL. When most people are having this trouble, they are disconnecting the drivers door switch when the ESL is in the unlock position and the starter is getting good signal. This works but one day the unit can lose the continuity that it has closing the switch to make starter happen and that is when you need to re-hook up your driver door switch and run through the cycle with the door open a few times and hopefully it gains continuity again and will let you start it and while the thing is running disconnect, the drivers door switch again . A brand new ESL unit will cost between $355 and probably $500 depending on where you get it from. This unit takes a couple hours to install and it must be new. A junkyard unit will not do you any good. I had a Kizashi last week and had a really bad ESL. The customer didn’t want to spend the money on a new unit. I wired in a push button, momentary switch from the brake light to the signal for the starter relay right at the keyless start computer and this works the starter every time Without fail, although the dash display still shows to rock the steering wheel unless you get that to reset .


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Thank you for replying and for the heads up regarding the junkyard part, I was going to go tomorrow to find something from there. I was able to disable the ESL last year using the same technique, removing the driver's side switch, and didn't have any problem for a year and it just started back today. I think it has something to do with the cold weather, because it always has happened during this time of the year, as it starts getting colder.
Would you be able to tell about how did you add the switch thing from the brake light?

[old tech]

Sure. The Kizashi uses a starter relay. That’s in the fuse box under the hood. You can check to make sure that your starter motor is working fine by jumping this relay between the two large terminals. The short version that I did is I took the wire from the brake lights And used it to signal the starter relay to close. This way the customer would have to have his foot on the brake for the emergency starter switch to work. I had the emergency starter push button switch mounted in the coin box left of the steering wheel. The keyless start system computer is directly behind that coin box and both of these terminals can be gotten to right there. L01–38 is a green and white wire coming from the brake lights. E04–8 is a purple and white tracer wire that signals the starter relay. You must still use your key fob to get into the ignition position and as I stated before, you will have a.Message on the useless information display. I like the esl removed from the steering column once they start acting up .


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