[G6Action]

Alternative Theory....

...and yes, it is only my 'theory' as i have nothing to base this on but the comments from different members.

WHAT IF; the problem is NOT in the steering as we may think, but in the "Ignition Switch'? here's my thinking. a few members have mentioned that their G6's have done 'strange things' while trying to start. for instance, mine has only done this twice in the time span that i have owned it, but when turning the key to the 'start' position to crank the engine, it STAYS IN THAT POSITION for a second or two after the engine has started and finally returns to the 'run' position. now, this is my theory, if the Ignition Switch is failing in one direction, why not in the other? that is, what is to keep it from 'backing up' and going to a 'partially off' position while driving, causing the steering column to lock as if the car was shut off? this would explain why it seems to only happen for a second or two, just as i have expenienced it happening for a second or two sticking in the opposite direction causing the starter to engage after the engine had started.

again, just a thought.......

 

[G6Action]

Steering column doesn't lock with ignition switch being turned off on a G6

HUMMMM apparently i have a 'flaw' in my theory, huh? just went out to the garage to 'test' the fact that the steering wheel does NOT lock when the car is parked....guess what, IT DOESN'T!!!! i thought ALL steering wheels locked when the ignition switch was turned off.

guess my problem was 'I WAS THINKING!!!!'

(thanks for the correction and therefore, nevermind....)

 

[G6Action]

HEY, just what kind of 'theft deterent' is it that allows someone to get into your car and let them push your car onto a trailer or something? you say, well they still have to get it in neutral, right? what about the 6sp's???? i mean, can't you just 'pop' it out of gear, when parked, and push the car anywhere you want?

something just doesn't sound right here......

 

[G6Action]

as stated in the manual. if the engine stalls u would be able to steer so u could stop safely. if the whole system goes then u would need extra effort to steer

i think we understand that....the problem is not the 'extra effort' that would be required, its the fact that even with all the 'extra effort' of a 6'2", 275lb man behind the wheel, IT WOULD NOT MOVE, EITHER DIRECTION, PERIOD!!! i CAN however, move my steering wheel with reallly only a little 'extra effort' with the car parked and NO KEY in the ignition. this would be the same as a vehicle without any power assist, of any kind, and i have no problem moving the wheel then,

i wonder....maybe i can ask my dealer to 'disconnect' my electronic power assist and i will just drive it with 'Manual Steering'. hummmmmm????????

i guess until it happens to you, one can't fully understand the situation. for your sake, i hope you never have the opportunity to fully understand.......

 

[G6Action]

I guess we just wait until someone gets killed in a serious wreck then MAYBE someone will believe us.

i called the service advisor at my dealership this morning to see if he had any other complaints about this. of course he said; :"this is the first i have heard about it". anyway, dropping my car off with them tomorrow to see if they can find anything. this should be interesting.

as back up, i'm taking with me the comments from several members of the club to show the concern of others as well. i also found on www.mycarstats.com
2 complaints on the steering locking up on G6's as well.

please, if you read this, answer my survey regarding the problem so that i can have more info to give to my dealer and for them to pass on to GM.

just remember, if this happens to you again, the most important this is to NOT PANIC....i know, easier said that done. seems in most cases this only lasts for a few seconds (1-3 sec).

good luck and keep in touch with your experiences.......

kevin

 

[G6Action]

This is a retarded thread. Your wheel will NOT lock up, won't happen, the steering feel without assist (electric or hydraulic) is exactly the same if you suffer a power loss. EPS is just as "steerable" in the event of a power loss as any non-EPS car. Our cars do not have a steering lock when the car is shut off. Even if it did have a lock the trigger to engage the lock occurs when the transmission is put into park. Try this: go out on a deserted road, shut the engine off and try to make a turn. The car will respond to you just with much more effort than it would with assist. I think you may be getting EPS confused with what we engineers call "Steer by Wire"- in steer by wire there is no mechanical link between the wheel and steering rack. Steer by wire uses sensors to determine the degree that the wheel is turned and then process that signal to turn a motor connected to the rack to make the car turn. EPS just has a motor attached to the steering column to help turn the conventional column- just like a hydraulic system. Anth_97's link shows typical placements of the motor.

WRONG!!! actually everything you said is correct EXCEPT saying that your wheel will NOT lock up!! maybe 'lock' is the wrong word....lets use SEIZE!!!
at 6'2" and 275lbs, i think i have enough strength to turn the wheel WITHOUT any kind of assist, electric or otherwise. if i sit in my car, without it running and without the key in the ignition, i can turn the wheel back and forth with no problem, just as it would be if i were to loose my power assist. what i have experienced is NOT THIS!!! the wheel turned a quarter turn and "Seized Up" and could not be turned further either way for about 2-3 seconds, then business as usual. first time for me was saturday while on a trip down to Kentucky. sunday, when moving my car in and out of the driveway and garage, it did it again....same senario. luckily i have not been 'at speed' when this happened, but i am very cautious now when i AM driving just in case it happens again, WITHOUT WARNING!

trust me, you can't really understand the situation unless you have experienced it for yourself.

 

[G6Action]

This is an interesting "fix..."

Makes me wonder...could the power asissted motor maybe be turning the WRONG way? Perhaps, if you slightly turn the wheel left, it gets a distorted signal, and tries to assist it to the right? I don't know, just a theory...but the fact that a restart of the car fixes the problem makes me suspect it isn't a mechanical problem such as a control arm or ball joint...

interesting theory, you may have something here. after checking several sites tonight to 'arm' myself with ammo for the trip to the dealer in the morning, i have become more 'enlightened' and therefore more confused as well. i guess the motor for this particular vehicle is column mounted. like you said, maybe the motor is getting a "distorted" signal from the Torque Sensor. or, maybe the motor is intermittantly failing and when the motor 'seizes' it causes the column to 'seize' also. with the ignition off, you can turn the wheel with only minimal increased effort and i would guess that you are also turning the motor. but if the motor were to 'seize' or 'lock up', would that not cause the column to do the same?

anyway, got lots of 'stuff' off the net to take with me. INCLUDING the story of the G6 owner who had the accident where the wheel 'locked up' and caused the car to roll several times. it appears that it was a true story after all!!

i'll post an update tomorrow.......

 

[G6Action]

Here's What My Service Dept Says.....

.....today i received a call from the Service Manager at my local dealership to tell me that he spoke with Tech Assistance himself and was told that while they have had a few complaints of the same nature as mine, GM has not yet been able to duplicate this in tests of their own. i asked about the claim of duplicating the situation by turning the wheel 'lock-to-lock' several times (maybe as many as 20) and it locks up. he told me that if that were the case, that it really wouldn't help diagnois the problem as this is not 'normal driving conditions'.

my service manager continued by telling me that the "EPS" (electronic power steering) System is comprised of several components; B.C.M. (body control module), P.S.C.M. (power steering control module), Torque Sensor, Wheel Position Sensor, Electric Motor and Steering Column. the Steering Column assembly includes the Torque and Wheel Position Sensors and currently they are not available separately. in some of the cases GM has had, the system has set codes which the techs have been able to retrieve. and, in some like mine, no codes were found. in the ones that DID have codes, they were instructed to replace the Steering Column assembly. in those vehicles, they have NOT had any further complaints about the same issue.

therefore, he offered the following; 'As Service Manager, i can authorize the replacement of the steering column in the interest of Customer Satisfaction since it IS a safety issue, however in doing so i cannot guarantee that this will correct the problem since we have not been able to retrieve any codes from your vehicle or actually duplicate it ourselves.'

again, i suggested that we 'wait and see' as i would rather be sure that a repair is the correct one than only find out later that 'ITS STILL THERE!!!'

just thought i would share that with everyone........so i suggest that if you would feel better about the situation, ask your SERVICE MANAGER, not service advisor, but the MANAGER, to authorize the replacement of the Steering Column assembly in the interest of Customer Satisfaction and especially since it is a SAFETY ISSUE.

with any luck, after GM receives a few more 'possibly defective' steering columns on which to perform an 'autopsy', they will be able to determine what is failing and notify all affected G6 Owners to have the proper repairs made.

kevin

 

[G6Action]

Thank you Kevin. I will be speaking to my service manager when I go in tomorrow for my "seat falling apart" paperwork.

maybe the seat just can't withstand the G's you are subjecting it to from all that 'aggressive driving'.....ha ha