[G6Action]

i'll check it out in the a.m. and get back to ya. got to drop off the car at the dealership in the morning to have them check it out.

 

[G6Action]

sorry, but i couldn't get mine to do it. BUT, read on....

this evening, after my trip in to see Mr Goodwrench, i got this 'bright idea' to try something myself. now i warn you; "KIDS, don't do this at home!!!" ha ha

first i found a lightly travelled straight country road. took my G6 GT up to about 40mph, put it in NEUTRAL and SHUT OFF THE IGNITION!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!

but seriously, having done that......VOILA, "STEERING LOCK"!!!! well, sort of.

new theory. remember, i have experienced this myself, so i'm not guessing as to what it feels like. in MY case, the steering wheel "lock" only lasted about 2-3 seconds, hardly enough time for your brain to fully comprehend the situation, think about diagnostics and what to try, etc.... as soon as mine "locked up" and i tried to turn right and then turn back to left, then back to right again it then resumed and was 'normal' again.

SO, having said that and experiencing the 'test' that i did this evening i am in agreement that the wheel MAY NOT have actually "locked up" but that the resistance is SO GREAT without the electric assist that your first impression is that it is "locked up". i have driven many cars and trucks without power steering. in the past, trying to turn the wheel in a parked vehicle without power steering was very difficult, however take the same vehicle driving down the road and the wheel was, while still difficult, much easier to turn. the G6 when it 'looses' its power assist while driving apparently has a tendency to be MORE DIFFICULT to turn the wheel than when sitting still. just the opposite of what i would think most people are used to. its almost like the MORE effort you put into attempting to turn the wheel the more the wheel wants to 'fight back'.....hence the feeling of the steering wheel "locking up". i'm going to ask to drive a G6 GTP tomorrow and try the same thing (maybe i had better not tell them what i'm up to, huh?) as i did tonight. if the GTP feels the same with the car shut off while going 40mph, then its just an inherent trait of this car and probably not much can be done about it. but if it DOESN'T ACT THE SAME, then we have an issue with the electric assist steering. sound logical?

i'll get back to ya tomorrow......(unless i crash and burn the GTP, in which case i'm changing my name to Shawn Hume & moving to Canada, IMMEDIATELY!!!!) go ahead, i DARE you to find me!!!

 

[G6Action]

That doesnt explain why I can hang my body weight (not kidding..I can pull myself off the seat) on the wheel pulling on one side of the wheel and I am not able to move it.

I didn't have time to try it very long today.. but I remote started the car and went down and tried this. Wasn't able to replicate. I will try tonight without remote start to see if that makes a difference. If I remember correctly the few times it happened I started the car with the key and didnt allow it to warm up.

Even at age 16 (119lbs) I was able to pull the wheel of my 1983 ranger while sitting still without power steering.

When I snapped the belt on my Z28 a couple years ago (3400lb vehicle) I was able to turn the wheel without the power steering while stopped with no major effort.

THIS is EXACTLY what i am thinking. drivers have, in the past, had no problem dealing with a vehicle when the power assist steering 'went out'. here is a perfect expample. HOWEVER, when the G6 'Electric Assist' steering is inoperable, the resistance feels like 10 TIMES the resistance of a NON-POWER STEERING vehicle and owners are not expecting that!!!

also, i'm not so sure that 'temperature' has much to do with this issue. the first time it happened to me was during a 3 1/2 hour trip, so the car was warmed up and the outside temp was about 55-60F. the second time the car WAS cold, having been sitting in my driveway all day and the outside temp was about 50F. don't know that there is a pattern here. if it IS an electrical problem, it can probably occur ANYTIME.

 

[G6Action]

I actually think that the G6 GT has great handling. When i bought it i had to drive about 45 minutes back home on a very curvy road and i had never had so much fun in a car in all my life.

i'm with FUSION on this one.......my last 'car' i owned was a '97 Honda Accord 4dr EX that i really liked. but from that i went to a Dodge Ram 1500 and then a Mitsbishi Montero Sport. maybe since my last two vehicles were of the 'truck' nature, my base-line is off. regardless, i still love my G6. it rides great, handles great (for me) and even with the 'issue' we have been discussing, i still love it.

maybe some of us are just better DRIVERS than others?????? LOL

 

[G6Action]

Guess that explains a lot. LOL

YEP!! and my appologies for questioning your driving prowess.......i'm sure you're very capable behind the wheel!!!!

 

[G6Action]

Naw its alright. Its not like you can assess someone behind the wheel from the internet..and with the number of Michael Andrettis that post online I could be lying my head off. LOL

ok, i am retracting my appology.....i NEVER liked Michael Andretti and for all i know you may actually BE Michael Andretti.......even though i doubt it. you would probably find him on a Honda, Acura or Ferrari Website!!!!! LOL

 

[G6Action]

I mean i have to live with this thing for a little while yet (6 grand upside down and counting down..LOL )

I with you!! [/QUOTE]

so what i gather is that with the addition of the story of the woman who 'flipped' her G6 (maybe, maybe not), we now have TWO meanings of being 'upside-down' in a G6.......

 

[G6Action]

You kidding me? I cheer everytime I see ferrari lose. I was referring to the fact that everyone online claims to be a perfect driver..so its really hard to take anyones word for it. Another words..if you didnt believe me i would completely understand.

i just KNEW you weren't Michael Andretti. because I'M MICHAEL ANDRETTI and i can drive circles around any of you......i just had my Super-Charged Twinn-Turbo 6.6 liter G6 up to 214 MPH without leaving my driveway!!! handled like a dream and....and......oh, DAMN IT!!! it WAS a dream! man, i just hate it when i wake up to reality. did i ever tell you about this time when jennifer aniston and i were driving on the autobahn?????

i guess the moral to this story is 'comprehend everything you read on line, and believe none of it.....unless you have experienced it yourself!! or, unless you hear it from ME.....then you know its the truth because i would NEVER lie to you......... LOL :dogpile:

 

[G6Action]

Back on topic, I have been reading this and other threads on the steering wheel lockup subject with interest. I'm wondering if GM is using stepper motors for the power assist. These motors have (usually) three sets of windings which are energized in sequence. Energize them in one order and the motor turns one way, power them in the other order and the motor rotates in the opposite direction. Apply power statically to one or more windings and the motor freezes up, and requires a great deal of effort to turn. I am wondering if the microcontroller or whatever is used to sequence the windings is crashing due to some sort of transient spike or other anomaly? The clearing of the condition after 2 - 3 secs. could be a watchdog timer expiring and rebooting the unit.

One test that could help confirm or refute this idea is if those of you who experience this issue could immediately switch off the ignition key the next time the steering freezes. If my theory is correct, you should be able to turn the wheel after shutting off the ignition, although it will be somewhat difficult due to the lack of power assist. Could somebody please try this and report back? Thanks!

actually, i have seen a thread on this in which someone DID do just that and their steering 'returned to normal'.

however, i have tried to 'duplicate' this situation by reaching 40+ mph, putting the car in neutral and turning off the key. out of the three times i did this, twice the car reverted to a 'manual steering' feel which was an increase in effort but still manageable at speed. the other time the wheel 'locked-up' and when applying alot of effort, the wheel actually felt like it was 'fighting back' and shook and pulsated in my hands.

in regards to the motor, i only know that it is a 'brushless type' motor. i thought that maybe it acts like a starter in that when the electrical system is on (car running) a solenoid 'engages' the motor to the column to apply the power assist. if power were to be suddenly deprived, the solenoid would disengage and the steering would be 'manual'. my theory is that for some unknown reason there is a temporary loss of power and the solenoid is NOT disengaging, therefore causing the wheel to 'lock-up' and when power is restored, it returns to normal. just a guess, as i can't find any info on the actual motor type and if it indeed even has a solenoid or how it operates.

my Service Manager told me that the steering column is serviced as an assembly, which includes the "Torque Sensor" and the "Position Sensor". when a G6 came in for the same issue and it DID have codes stored, it was recommended to replace the steering column. GM must think there is something in one or both of the sensors that is causing this problem. in the cars they have done this, they have had no further steering wheel lock-up complaints. the problem is that not ALL cars are storing codes, as was the case with mine. my Service Manager offered to replace the column, but i declined at this time as i would like to be certain this is the problem first.

thanks for the info and if you find anything else, please let us know........

 

[G6Action]

Here's some general information from the supplier (delphi) that produces the system for our cars.http://delphi.com/pdf/ppd/chsteer/str_eps.pdf

thanks for the info......