So if you own a Range Rover you hopefully have not experienced a common problem which requires the replacement of the entire steering column. The entire job take approximately three hours to complete, so labor expense is not a big deal, but parts can be quite costly. To make the situation even worse for some owners, the columns for older models are no longer being manufactured.

The problem: The steering wheel lock ECU has a physical locking bolt driven by a motor and cam assembly which over time becomes stuck and does not provide it’s position to the ECU. Since the Steering lock ECU does not know if it is locked or not (hazardous if locked and driving) then it does not command the ignition switch to unlock. The majority of the time, this scenario is caused by the lubrication drying out on the steering lock actuator.

The solution: 1) replace the steering column or 2) lubricate the actuator.

So if your steering column lock is slow to unlock, I would recommend bringing it in for lubrication BEFORE it fails completely because after it gets stuck simply lubricating it may not bring it back to life. Why do you need preventative lubrication, you might ask? Because they can cost over $5000 just for the part. So be aware and have an educated mechanic help you save money.  Come by or call The Las Vegas Car Fixer for more information.