HELP! Car wont start 'Steering column locked' !
 

Hi all,

I have got a big problem with my 2008 XJ.

I was using SDD V138 to reset the oil service interval as I had just serviced the car.

I shutdown the laptop and disconnected from the car but upon trying to crank the message centre displays 'STEERING COLUMN LOCKED' and the car won't turnover.

The column isn't actually locked and as far as I can tell everything else is working but I cannot get rid of this message or start the car.

I have tried the usual battery off reset and charging the battery.

I posted in one of the facebook groups and a helpful chap had me carry out some checks and believes the car has lost its pairing with the transponders in the keys.

He wants me to reprogram the transponders to the car but unfortunately the option to do this isn't present under service functions in SDD V138.

When inserting the key the PATS light on the dashboard lights up for 3 seconds and then extinguishes.. apparently this means the car DOES recognise the transponders..?

Any suggestions would be welcomed!

Kind regards

That sounds like it knows the key(s). I would not mess with IDS/SDD for key(s).

Maybe the ign switch is bad?

You say you shut down the laptop ... but did you correctly exit and shutdown the SDD program first ?

Can you let us know exactly what you did in SDD

Also what cable do you have and is it clone
Did you have a power supply connected and what are the specs

Have you tried all 4 keys?
You should have 2 standard keys and 2 valet keys

You will need 2 keys, steering column code a power supply and real (not clone) cable to resolve the issue

Cheers
34by151

Hi everyone,

Thanks for taking the time to reply to my question and suggest possible fixes.

I got very lucky this afternoon in that I just happened to check the inertia switch in the passengers footwell (RHD) and it had been tripped!

Once I depressed the switch the 'steering column locked' message vanished and the car started right up!

I have no idea what caused the switch to trip but everything is working now so crisis averted.

Roll on the wheel refurb on Thursday!

Thanks again to everyone who commented.

Thanks for telling us.

Worth knowing. Thanks for posting.