Steering Lock Replacement Worthing With Locked Steering Freed at Your Car

Every car has a steering lock built into the column. When the car is switched off, a bolt slides into the steering shaft so the wheel cannot be turned without the key. When the lock sticks or fails, the wheel stays locked, the key will not turn, or a keyless car refuses to start.

Older cars with a turn key use a mechanical lock worked by the ignition barrel. When it fails, the key usually will not turn at all.

Keyless and push button cars use an electronic steering lock, often called the ESL, ELV or steering lock module. A small motor moves the bolt, and it talks to the immobiliser, so a fault there can stop the car starting.

This page is about the lock inside the column, not the anti theft bar you clip across the wheel.

Most locked wheels are not broken. Work through these steps, because the first one frees most cars.

1. Turn the wheel gently each way while turning the key. The bolt is often just under load after parking with the wheels turned.
2. Try the spare key. A worn key can fail to turn a good lock.
3. Rock the car slightly to take the tension off the steering.
4. Check the battery on a push button car, because a flat battery can stop the electronic lock releasing.
5. Lock and unlock the doors with the fob to wake the system.
6. Use a graphite lubricant in the ignition, never an oil spray.

Do not force the key or pull hard on the wheel. A forced key snaps in the ignition, and heavy force can damage the lock bolt or the column.

Five causes account for almost every locked wheel. What the car does points to which one it is.

Some cars are well known for steering lock failures. If yours is one of them, the symptoms below will look familiar.

The signs are familiar. The key turns but the dash stays dark, it takes several turns to start, or the car will not start after a flat battery or a jump start. The steering column lock module is the usual cause, sometimes with the ignition switch.

Many owners see a steering lock fault warning and a car that will not start. The electronic lock unit is the cause, and the fix is a repaired or replaced unit.

Electronic lock faults also occur on some Audi, Volkswagen, BMW, Vauxhall, Peugeot, Ford, Nissan and Mini models. The registration is enough to check on the call.

A failed electronic lock does not always mean a new column. Three routes are used in the trade, and the right one depends on the car.

Worn motors and contacts can often be repaired, keeping the original coding.

A new or remanufactured lock is fitted and coded to the car, so it works with the immobiliser and your keys.

On some cars the keys have to be matched to the new lock afterwards, which is car key programming.

The route and the price are agreed on the call once the car and the fault are known, before anyone sets off.

The price depends on whether the lock is simply stuck, the ignition is worn or the electronic unit has failed. These are typical UK figures.

A dealer usually replaces the whole column or lock unit, which costs more. The price for your car is agreed on the call.

The two work together, so they are easy to confuse.

The wheel will not move, the key goes in but will not turn, and turning the wheel gently lets the key turn. On a keyless car, a steering lock message appears.

The wheel moves freely but the key will not turn, turns without doing anything, or only works when jiggled. That points to the barrel or the key.

The spare works and your usual key does not. A worn or damaged key needs replacing, which is car key replacement.

A locked wheel usually means a car that cannot be moved. At night or at the roadside, the 24 hour emergency auto locksmith covers every hour, and the lock is freed where the car is.

On cars where the steering lock is part of the immobiliser, a new lock may also need the immobiliser updated, which is a car immobiliser reset.

The steering lock is an anti theft device. With the key out, a bolt drops into a slot in the steering shaft, so a thief cannot steer the car even if they get the engine running. Turning the wheel slightly after switching off is enough to let the bolt drop in, which is why the wheel often feels stuck the next time.

On a turn key car the ignition barrel pulls the bolt back when the key turns. On a keyless car the steering lock module does it with a motor once the car recognises the key. When either part wears, the bolt stays in and the wheel stays locked.

Four habits keep most steering locks working for the life of the car.

Parking with the wheels turned puts the bolt under load, which is the most common reason a wheel will not release.

A heavy bunch of keys hanging from the ignition wears the barrel and the lock over time.

A weak battery is a common trigger for electronic lock faults, especially on Mercedes and Renault cars.

A lock that needs a second try or a warning that comes and goes usually fails completely later. Having it checked early costs less.

Mechanical and electronic steering locks are covered on most cars on UK roads.

Every steering lock job follows the same four steps.

Steering locks are freed and repaired at the car across 15 towns and districts in BN11 to BN17, BN43, BN44, BN5 and RH20. Arrival times are listed under areas we cover.

The questions asked most about locked steering, from the cost to the Mercedes and Renault faults.

Tell us what the car is doing and give the registration. The likely fault is confirmed and the price agreed before a van leaves.