[Konamaster]

I also had a steering lock problem. The car would not start no matter how often I jiggled the wheel.
After contacting volvo Cape Town they said I needed to replace the steering lock at a cost of ± R8000.00. Volvo in Somerset West quoted ± R6010.00.
I told them they were insane and here is how I fixed it.

1. Remove the drivers side, side dashboard panel. This is the one that connects the air blower to your door. You can just pull it off.
2. Remove the panel behind the centre console. It has four clips.
3. Remove the lower dashboard panel. It has 3 screws. One is to the right of the steering wheel and the other two are left and right just above the pedals.
4. Remove the lower steering column cover.
5. You will now see the steering lock box. It is attached with shear bolts in a near inaccessible way and it is pressed closed in such a way that makes it impossible to open.
There is a plug on the left which you should remove. Also move the wiring out of the way.
6. Get out your Dremel tool and cut the bottom off this box. Be careful because the pc board lies near the bottom of this box. I used 5 cutting discs.
7. Unscrew the pc board by loosening 2 screws. You will see a pc board with a small DC motor which turns a plastic gear. This gear has a spiral inside which raises or lowers the locking pin.
8. The problem with my steering lock was the relay on the pc board. The relay is used to switch the polarity of the current which makes the DC motor turn in the opposite direction.
This is how the locking pin is raised and lowered.
9. No one in South Africa would sell me a relay because the motor industry somehow protects itself.
10. Import relays from China. The relay ID is V23138. I have 10 of them so if anyone else has this problem, you're welcome to have one.
11. The 10 relays cost 50 cents each and the air freight came to R 521.00.
12. Replace the bottom of the box using cable ties. Make sure the plastic gear goes in square. Then tape it all up with masking tape to prevent dust entering.
13. It works perfectly every time.

How on earth can Volvo ask me for R8000.00 to replace a part which has a faulty relay worth 50c? Do they have absolutely no respect for me as a customer?
How can a company claiming to care for the environment just throw out parts which are 99% good?
It is pure greed and no respect for customers or the environment. I have to say however that this applies to most big business in the world today.

We must fight this. Do not let the system beat you. We must have the right to repair!

Please email me at [email protected] if you need any help with this.

Chris Kona

 

[Fardenco]

QUOTE (Konamaster @ Aug 8 2018, 09:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I also had a steering lock problem. The car would not start no matter how often I jiggled the wheel.
After contacting volvo Cape Town they said I needed to replace the steering lock at a cost of ± R8000.00. Volvo in Somerset West quoted ± R6010.00.
I told them they were insane and here is how I fixed it.

1. Remove the drivers side, side dashboard panel. This is the one that connects the air blower to your door. You can just pull it off.
2. Remove the panel behind the centre console. It has four clips.
3. Remove the lower dashboard panel. It has 3 screws. One is to the right of the steering wheel and the other two are left and right just above the pedals.
4. Remove the lower steering column cover.
5. You will now see the steering lock box. It is attached with shear bolts in a near inaccessible way and it is pressed closed in such a way that makes it impossible to open.
There is a plug on the left which you should remove. Also move the wiring out of the way.
6. Get out your Dremel tool and cut the bottom off this box. Be careful because the pc board lies near the bottom of this box. I used 5 cutting discs.
7. Unscrew the pc board by loosening 2 screws. You will see a pc board with a small DC motor which turns a plastic gear. This gear has a spiral inside which raises or lowers the locking pin.
8. The problem with my steering lock was the relay on the pc board. The relay is used to switch the polarity of the current which makes the DC motor turn in the opposite direction.
This is how the locking pin is raised and lowered.
9. No one in South Africa would sell me a relay because the motor industry somehow protects itself.
10. Import relays from China. The relay ID is V23138. I have 10 of them so if anyone else has this problem, you're welcome to have one.
11. The 10 relays cost 50 cents each and the air freight came to R 521.00.
12. Replace the bottom of the box using cable ties. Make sure the plastic gear goes in square. Then tape it all up with masking tape to prevent dust entering.
13. It works perfectly every time.

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How on earth can Volvo ask me for R8000.00 to replace a part which has a faulty relay worth 50c? Do they have absolutely no respect for me as a customer?
How can a company claiming to care for the environment just throw out parts which are 99% good?
It is pure greed and no respect for customers or the environment. I have to say however that this applies to most big business in the world today.

We must fight this. Do not let the system beat you. We must have the right to repair!

Please email me at konama[email protected] if you need any help with this.

Chris Kona

You are THE man. Thank you for all those details.
About the shear screws, I was able to remove them by cutting a slot on them with a dremel, much easier to work on the thing on a bench. Also, because this whole system is controlling a steering lock and because of the reports of peoples telling that they had the wheel locked when driving, I would prefer to be careful and grind the tip of the lock, so it can still move and the computer is happy, but without ever again locking the wheel, even when it should.
Also, once on a bench it is much easier to carefully drill on the pressed parts than to cut the whole thing apart. Much cleaner too.

 

[ps_automotive]

2008 Volvo xc70 Steering Wheel Locked No Ignition Fix [SOLVED]

 

[Giraffeinthebreeze]

I'm also having same problem. Stranded in Nottingham, 100 miles from home! RAC had to recover me. Car is in garage, they looked at me all confused when I took it in, so not sure if they'll be able to fix. But this video seems to explain matters relatively easily. If garage can't fix I MAY have a go myself....

 

[timboC70]

Hey everyone - I know this is a few years old but I imagine folks are still having the same issue. My 2008 C70 just had the Steering Lock mechanism start binding up. After taking it out, lubing it and un-jamming it, it worked for a week and a half, then bound up again. I was able to fix it a second time, but realized it was unreliable and I could get stuck anywhere so here is what I did.

I priced out buying an new (aftermarket) mechanism and getting it programmed by the dealer at around $325 (US$). But then I came across a company (out of UAE) that sells an emulator! This turned out to be a small 3"x3"x1" plastic encased device that learns the key config code and then acts to simulate the wheel lock.
As someone on this post said, cars get to a point in age, where the anti-theft deterrents are not worth spending money on to fix, so my car now no-longer has a steering wheel lock, but I'm okay with that!

The device is (was at time of this posting) $30, but then they charge $24 (which is a big rip off) to ship it from the middle east to the US. It arrived in 2 weeks. It installed super easy, and works like a champ (so far - been in for only 3 days) ... But for $54 total, I am extremely happy!

The company name is Emirates. Website can be found with that as a search term along with MK3
(and I promise I do not work for these guys or get any kickbacks - but this saved me $250 so wanted to share)

 

[GoodGrief]

I've been working on my steering lock woes for the last 6 months. I'm sorry I somehow overlooked Konamaster's write-up.. I think I was unknowingly chasing an intermittent relay but in the end I followed timboC70 and ordered up an emulator (via Aliexpr3ss).

After the initial struggle of gaining access and getting the secure hardware off (I used a small, sharp chisel to get the bolts to turn, and replacing with bolts), I was in there every few weeks trying something else. I got another lock from the junkyard with a 2016 date-stamp and thought my problems were solved. I just swapped the circuit boards and remember having a passing thought about the relay...! This is the only mechanical component I didn't swap.

Over the course of my struggle, I tried a slightly stronger spring, different lube, swapped micro limit switches, but the problem would rear it's ugly head every few weeks -stranding my wife.. Thankfully, I was always able to get it running.

It took a few weeks for the emulator to arrive but programing it was strait-forward. I also gutted a left over lock assembly from the junkyard and installed it's shell so as to retain the steering column trim mount points.

Time will tell! If the emulator fails, or I want to have more secure parked car, I can easily return to the Konamaster relay solution.