I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: Steering lock not disengaging.
Hi, Hopefully someone can give me some advise on an issue that i am having with my steering lock not disengaging when trying to start the car. This is an intermittent fault, i can hear the servo clicking in the start stop unit in the steering column, trying to move, however the dash displays - “steering locked” and refuses to start. Sometimes it clears, sometimes it needs a whack! Doesn’t seem to make a diffrence if the lock pin is engaged in the notch in the steering column or not. Moving the steering wheel somtimes will clear it, sometimes not. Temp seems to make no diffrence.
I know the steering lock module is held on with snap off bolts, but has anyone take this apart? Are they easly removed with a small chisel (as the manual suggests) or by drilling? Perhaps it just needs some new grease as car is not driven much. Maybe the lock can be disabled and the switch fooled into thinking it is disengaged? Any advise appreciated. As have nearly been stuck a few times with this!
I would lock and unlock a few times in quick succession to see if this frees things up. If you can get to the unit may be some ‘cleaner/lubricant’ could be sprayed in to it. Won’t cost anything and may help.
Yes found that, just really dismissed it as the lock works, just doesn’t release.
Having read through it again though, it looks like it may be possible to disable it by removing one of the connectoins to the door lock so it won’t lock. Thanks for bringing this procedure to my attention again!
I had this problem with my 2019 ND 2.0 GT Sport Nav last year - maybe there was a batch prone to it? It stranded me at work, no matter how much I jiggled the wheel or held the starter. The following day it was fine when recovery turned up for it! I got the steering lock replaced by the dealer under Mazda approved warranty but it took quite a few days. I’m not sure if disconnecting/brpassing the servo will be enough, if the car thinks the steering is locked it will still refuse to start.
Yep same system on my Mazda 6 and 3, never had an issue, but they are a few years older.
Perhaps a bad batch, as you say. Or a change in quality!!
The servo seems to work both ways to either lock the steering or unlock, may be spring loaded, but unlikely as this would create a risk of locking the steering should the servo fail.
Looking at the wiring diagram it seems the switch in the door has two connections, one to the body control unit and one to the start stop unit. The latter seems to have no other function than to tell the start stop unit that the door has been opened so it can lock the steering.
As long as the steering lock servo is in the unlocked position the car will start. Reguardless of the door position.
I will try to disconnect the pin when it is in the unlocked position and see what happens! It might not lock the car, but cant see why it wouldn’t as the door has to be opened first to activate the steering lock so the door switch must be normally open circuit when the door is closed!
Just to add to this. I had similar issues with the start stop unit in my 2019 ND2 1.5 SE - Steering lock failing to disengage which became a more regular occurrence over several months and required higher levels of wheel wiggling to free it, until one day the SSU packed up all together. No relay clicking and no key light on the dash (either red or green).
Had to drill through the lock to remove the SSU. I found a used SSU on Ebay with the same part number (From a 2016 2.0 Sport Nav) for £30.00. Luckily the local Mazda dealer was able to reconfigure the used unit with ‘as built’ data for my car, reprogram it to the PCM and reprogram both keys. Cost 3 hours workshop time, but far cheaper than a new SSU which would still need configuring/programming to work.
