Steering wheel will not unlock, when car is started and put into gear?

Tiny
GREGDEGS
  • MEMBER
  • 2018 CHEVROLET CRUZE
  • 1.4L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 86,200 MILES
The car listed above is a Premier model, with push button start. I had all 4-disc brake pads, and rotors replaced on the car. Plus, one of the brake calipers, on the driver's front side, a couple of days ago, took the car for a spin out of the city, after the work was done on it, I put over 200 miles on it. The car was fine, no problem with the steering on it. The next evening I took it out again for a spin out of the city, there was no problem with it, I put on around 140 miles on it. The next day I didn't use the car at all. But when I went out a day later in the evening, when I started the car up, and put it into gear. The steering wheel would not go out of the lock position. No matter what I tried, there were no warning lights showing at all. I have a scanner, when I hooked it up no codes were showing on it. The next day on Saturday, I had the car towed to the tire shop, that changed the brakes on it, their scanner didn't show any codes also. They check all the fuses, in the fuse block under the hood, they told me about the fuse for steering, look good, but there is no power going to it when they check it out.
Sunday, March 2nd, 2025 AT 4:46 PM

11 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 50,271 POSTS
When this happens the steering rack control module needs to be replaced which is part of the steering rack. Here is what the part looks like that needs to be replaced. I would also use a CAN scanner to run the codes to help confirm the issue. Please go over this video to help. I don't think the tire store has a CAN scanner just a regular drivetrain scanner.

https://youtu.be/u-4syLc-ifQ

Check out the images (below). Please let us know what happens.
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Monday, March 3rd, 2025 AT 12:11 PM
Tiny
GREGDEGS
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  • 13 POSTS
Can a rack from an auto wrecker be installed in the car?
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Tuesday, March 4th, 2025 AT 2:30 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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It looks like it will need to be programed but I have heard of people installing a used unit and it worked just fine. Here are the instructions on how to replace the electric steering rack. Check out the images (below). Please let us know what happens.
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Wednesday, March 5th, 2025 AT 8:59 AM
Tiny
GREGDEGS
  • MEMBER
  • 13 POSTS
They were able to break it loose, but it makes a noise when you turn on the wheel. And the steering wheel wobbles, when driving it. I pick up the car yesterday, but to cut though the chase here, after the car sit over night, wahen I went out today to start it up, the car started, but the steering is lock up on it again.
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Wednesday, March 5th, 2025 AT 9:48 AM
Tiny
KEN L
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Yep, these are signs the rack is bad, sorry. Did you run the CAN scan to help confirm?
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Wednesday, March 5th, 2025 AT 9:52 AM
Tiny
GREGDEGS
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I am not sure if they done that, ken. But from what I have seen online there are sensors also that can cause that problem that the steering wheel will not unlock, when the car has been started and put into gear, it states where I seen the info about the sensors, to take both battery cables off the battery, for a 30 minutes, and then hook them back up, that that will work to unlock the steering some times, but it is too cold here where I live, and being that the car is outside all and day I haven't tried that.
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Wednesday, March 5th, 2025 AT 12:17 PM
Tiny
GREGDEGS
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  • 13 POSTS
Can a faulty steering wheel angle sensor. Cause the steering wheel to lock up, On my car Ken. Also, when looking online, on one site, I seen a steering wheel lock sensor, For the Chevy Cruze. It got me thinking, Being that the problem happens, After the car has sat overnight, That it is a problem with, One of the sensors, But I am thinking that they damage the electronic steering rack, When they force the steering wheel to come out of the lock position, My reason for thinking this is, Because there was no noise coming from the rack. Until they done that. And I refuse to take it into any of the GM, Dealer Ships where I live, because people that had the same problem as I am having with their vehicles took them into the dealers, and they replaced parts, and within a couple of days, the problem came back again.
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Thursday, March 6th, 2025 AT 8:28 AM
Tiny
GREGDEGS
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The problem was solved, I was right about it being a faulty steering wheel lock sensor. But I have a different question now, what do you have to do to get the automatic gear shift knob off that car? I want to change, the plastic gearshift trim bezel.
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Thursday, March 6th, 2025 AT 6:19 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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I don't see a "steering wheel lock sensor"? Here is the wiring diagram for the steering. Do you have an image of it? Please look at the wiring diagrams below.
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Friday, March 7th, 2025 AT 10:05 AM
Tiny
GREGDEGS
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I don't know why, you can't find any info on it at all. And also the Gm Parts departments don't have the sensor, Even the service departments don't know dick about that sensor, From info I got online, to cut though the chase here, From the only place that has the lock sensor for the chevy cruse, When I email them to get info about it, They sent me a message back, That every Gm vehicle with push button start has. A steering lock sensor in them. Also, they had in the message, that if the steering angle sensor malfunctions. Which can cause the steering wheel to lock up also, but if that happens, mostly they stated the car will not start, And the gear shift will be lock up also. All I can stay about it no matter how old you are, you learn something new every day, I was able to get the sensor, only from the of the part supply stores in the city here. Plus, they were the only one that new anything about it, when I got the sensor from them, one of the guys told me, no matter what brand of car you have, every vehicle with a push button start, has a steering wheel lock sensors installed in it. The rack had to be replaced, Because the place where I had the car at, did do damage to it, when they broke the steering wheel loose, they cover the cost for the rack, and now they are admitting that they should of listen to me about the info I got online about it.
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Friday, March 7th, 2025 AT 12:25 PM
Tiny
GREGDEGS
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Ken the place where I found the sensor online, and got info about it from, Is Autoparts SS. Com. It shows the lock sensor on their site.
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Friday, March 7th, 2025 AT 12:47 PM

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