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Finally Solved!!!!! Steering lock error no start

Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 12:38 am
by ken.cope
My 2010 Suzuki Kizashi was barely starting on the first try. It got to the point where it took 10 minutes to start my car because the steering wheel lock error would be on.

The error I was getting was Trn Steering Wheel to release lock. My car is out of warranty and I didn't want to spend hundreds at the dealer. To this day I never found a permanent solution in and forum.

Yesterday I was leaving my brothers house and it took me 20 min to start the car. Then it just came to me. When you open the drivers side door when the car is off the wheel lock engages. When I got home I opened the passenger side door and climbed out. The wheel lock didn't engage. I used the key fob to lock the door and today I opened the passenger side door climbed over to the drivers side, and the car started right away.

While the car was started I opened the drivers side door got out the car and closed it. I went to the passenger side and turned the car off. Closed the passenger door and locked it. Unlocked it; got in; car started immediately.

THE FIX

With the Kizashi, the wheel lock engages when you open the drivers side door after you turn the car off. You can hear it. When you open the drivers side door the open door dash light comes on. When you press the black spring loaded rubber button on the door frame while the door is open it goes away. The trick is to trick the car into thinking the drivers side door is closed so the wheel lock never engages.

Step 1 - Try to start the car even if it takes a while, do not give up. Because the error is intermittent it will eventually start. The car has to start for this to work.

Step 2 - While the car is running open the drivers side door and get out the car. On the door frame you will see the black rubber button that depresses when the door is closed and also a phillips head screw above it.

Step 3 - Unscrew the screw with a phillips head screwdriver and unplug the switch. ( Keep the button somewhere where if you ever need it again you can get to it.) When you do so you will not see the open door light on the dash.

Step 4 - That's it!!!!!!!
Now operate the car as you have been before the problem. You can lock and unlock the car with no problem. Removing the button disables the wheel lock. No wheel lock no problem.

Pardon me for being so long winded.

Re: Finally Solved!!!!! Steering lock error no start

Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 12:48 pm
by Woodie
Very cool, a simple work around that can help people get over this issue until they fix it properly. Thanks for that.

I went ahead and bought a replacement lock module for $250 and my car instantly stopped doing this. Module is sitting on my desk, it's an incredible paperweight. I'm sure if I were to pass this part on to someone else the problem would return the next day.

Re: Finally Solved!!!!! Steering lock error no start

Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2018 6:18 pm
by ken.cope
Woodie wrote:Very cool, a simple work around that can help people get over this issue until they fix it properly. Thanks for that.

I went ahead and bought a replacement lock module for $250 and my car instantly stopped doing this. Module is sitting on my desk, it's an incredible paperweight. I'm sure if I were to pass this part on to someone else the problem would return the next day.
Did you replace it yourself? If so was it hard to do and how long did it take?

Re: Finally Solved!!!!! Steering lock error no start

Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2018 3:17 am
by DiggerDerrik
Huge props to you for posting the solution! So many forum posts end in mystery.

Re: Finally Solved!!!!! Steering lock error no start

Posted: Sat Feb 17, 2018 11:23 am
by Woodie
ken.cope wrote:
Woodie wrote:I went ahead and bought a replacement lock module for $250 and my car instantly stopped doing this. Module is sitting on my desk, it's an incredible paperweight. I'm sure if I were to pass this part on to someone else the problem would return the next day.
Did you replace it yourself? If so was it hard to do and how long did it take?
Sorry, maybe I didn't make that very clear. I never changed it, I just bought it and the problem stopped.

Re: Finally Solved!!!!! Steering lock error no start

Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2018 6:09 pm
by Ronzuki
Woodie wrote: Sorry, maybe I didn't make that very clear. I never changed it, I just bought it and the problem stopped.
So a relatively cheap and certainly simple fix!

Re: Finally Solved!!!!! Steering lock error no start

Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2018 9:38 pm
by KuroNekko
Thanks for posting this. It's a good bypass solution for those who are unwilling to spend the money to fix the actual problem or need an interim bypass.
It does seem like the actual fault is related to the lubrication of the mechanism therefore factors like the age of the vehicle, climate, and even individual production variances may play a big role. My Kizashi has never has this issue so maybe mine was adequately lubed at the factory. I'm also counting on the warm Southern California weather to keep it from being an issue. Only time will tell.

Re: Finally Solved!!!!! Steering lock error no start

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2018 12:21 pm
by Woodie
I spoke too soon. Did it about six times yesterday.

Really weird failure mode, it worked perfectly for about four months then started doing it again with a vengeance. No idea what the failure criteria might be. It was about 40° yesterday, so no extremes there. Scary windy, they closed down the Federal government because of high winds, but I can't imagine what that would have to do with it.

Re: Finally Solved!!!!! Steering lock error no start

Posted: Sat Mar 03, 2018 6:02 pm
by BLyons
Yeah mine was the same way, no consistency on when it would act up or not. No problems since replacing it though.

Re: Finally Solved!!!!! Steering lock error no start

Posted: Wed Mar 07, 2018 2:15 am
by JorgeMontoya
So I did replace the steering lock in my kizashi its all in one unit that’s part of the steering wheel. I bought one from the salvage yard on ebay once it arrived I dismantled it. 1st I took the cover off it has 4 grooved dowels so they were drilled and tapped out, once uncovered I tried my best not to move the gears while I removed the electrical circuit board and replaced it with the one that originally came with my vehicle because the key FOB and this circuit board go together. Once replaced I covered it back up and reinstalled it in the vehicle works great no issues until the switch on the circuit board fails with time.