Thanx guys for a great site, a lot of useful info from here

I've had my Freelander 2 for nearly 8 years and for that time about 4 years the steering column locked error would occur from time to time, mostly on the most inconvenient times. the first time it happened i was stuck and thought i'd make it work myself. i ran a wire from the battery to the starter solenoid through a switch, and by doing this a got the landy started, still showing the steering column locked message though. last weekend i just had about enough of it working then not, and believe it or not land rover agent were not to keen on helping other than replacing the entire steering column. i then removed the plastic covers below and above the steering wheel, and noticed the electric steering lock held together by 2 tamper proof m6 bolts. i took an upside down position on the drivers seat and with the help of a small 2 pnd hammer and sharpened flat screw driver, i chiseled my way through those bolts... a lot of swearing, stiff neck and 2 hours later i got the 2 bolts out. i you do decide to do this, move the steering column out and up fully, gives you a little bit more space to work with. anyhow i pulled the unit out, which was pretty easy as it just slides forward. Unit out i found it was nipped on a few places to seal it. I took a 4 mm drill and carefully drilled out the pressed nips. Then flat screw driver underneath the electrical plug and with careful nudges i got the lid off. 4 Phillips screws holds the board in place and below that a small servo motor is fitted with worm gear and pinion. at first i thought it was the little micro switch on the pc board that's not giving the locked or unlocked signal, but testing it with a multi meter proved me wrong. So with unit opened, i plugged it back into vehicle and started it. did not want to start. relays clicking and everything but no start. then i fiddled with motor as it is the only loose component inside and whallaa it ran the servo motor but did not give the unlock signal yet. reason for this was that the unit was opened and limit could not been made. i then took the unit and believe it or not, used johnsons and johnsons vaseline to lubricate the gear, (old school trick my dad thought me back in the days with pioneer hifi's and cracking volume knobs) i have noticed that on the big gear driving the locking pin there was 2 gears missing and thought it to be the problem, but it seems with the lock and unlock cycle those gears are not even in use. i have also noticed a locking pin at the back of the unit and to my frustration every time it locks the pin this thing got stuck, it is held together with a plastic lid. so i removed it, not seeing its use. probably got to do with tamper proof the unit. i assembled the unit with new vaseline and removed pin at the back but still no avail... relays clicking and then nothing.. it then hit me, the motor... its just pushed onto the board with to pins, i removed everything and pulled the motor from the board. vaseline again, on the pins, once again assembled everything and tested inside the landy.. everything happened... message disappeared, steering module unlocked, landy started... man i was impressed. However one more thing i did was to inspect the soldering on the motor pins and found these fine, so i slightly bent them one forward and backwards so when i do push the motor back it will surely make good contact. everything installed again, i lubricated the locking pin itself with vaseline too, funny enough it seems to work smoother than before. the noise from the unit is quick and firm not slow and struggling like before. In my case this steering column locked issue happened more often when it was a hot day (35 degrees), so i took the wifes hear blower and heated this unit till i can barely hold it then tested it numerous times... no problems. i must have inserted my fob about a 100 times under different conditions. shaking, bumping, hammering, cold, heat... every time it responded as new. i can truly say the persistence of removing those 2 tamper proof bolts paid off. i finally sealed the unit with pratley steel epoxy and now..... ALL IS FINE !!! some photos attached

ps i replaced the tamper proof bolts with 2 M6 x 15mm allan cap screws. my life starts where tar roads ends

Two comments:

1) PARAGRAPHS

2) Are you not concerned that you have a bit of a bodged job of a steering wheel lock and given it's had an unsanctioned repair could be a potential danger your unqualified intervention could somehow cause the steering column to lock whilst in motion? I would be!

sorry the photos ended up in my gallery.. lol my life starts where tar roads ends

Not at all, i deal with diesel engines and servo motors on a daily basis.(unqualified intervention) This unit sounds and operates better, and it being a passive servo actuated motor controlled unit, i knew more or less what to look for.
The way these servo motors operates it would be probably impossible to render the steering wheel locked whilst driving as it is only looking for lock or unlock signal when the FOB is inserted or removed.
Problem with these units are, it gives the electric steering lock module a signal to unlock, and although it unlocks, it does not reach the full cycle, and therefor the ECU does not recognize the unlock signal, Hence the relays going mad and steering locked message.

as for the paragraphs...  my life starts where tar roads ends

Ah, That's interesting - what is the solution then?

johanlr2 wrote:

Thanx guys for a great site, a lot of useful info from here

I've had my Freelander 2 for nearly 8 years and for that time about 4 years the steering column locked error would occur from time to time, mostly on the most inconvenient times. the first time it happened i was stuck and thought i'd make it work myself. i ran a wire from the battery to the starter solenoid through a switch, and by doing this a got the landy started, still showing the steering column locked message though. last weekend i just had about enough of it working then not, and believe it or not land rover agent were not to keen on helping other than replacing the entire steering column. i then removed the plastic covers below and above the steering wheel, and noticed the electric steering lock held together by 2 tamper proof m6 bolts. i took an upside down position on the drivers seat and with the help of a small 2 pnd hammer and sharpened flat screw driver, i chiseled my way through those bolts... a lot of swearing, stiff neck and 2 hours later i got the 2 bolts out. i you do decide to do this, move the steering column out and up fully, gives you a little bit more space to work with. anyhow i pulled the unit out, which was pretty easy as it just slides forward. Unit out i found it was nipped on a few places to seal it. I took a 4 mm drill and carefully drilled out the pressed nips. Then flat screw driver underneath the electrical plug and with careful nudges i got the lid off. 4 Phillips screws holds the board in place and below that a small servo motor is fitted with worm gear and pinion. at first i thought it was the little micro switch on the pc board that's not giving the locked or unlocked signal, but testing it with a multi meter proved me wrong. So with unit opened, i plugged it back into vehicle and started it. did not want to start. relays clicking and everything but no start. then i fiddled with motor as it is the only loose component inside and whallaa it ran the servo motor but did not give the unlock signal yet. reason for this was that the unit was opened and limit could not been made. i then took the unit and believe it or not, used johnsons and johnsons vaseline to lubricate the gear, (old school trick my dad thought me back in the days with pioneer hifi's and cracking volume knobs) i have noticed that on the big gear driving the locking pin there was 2 gears missing and thought it to be the problem, but it seems with the lock and unlock cycle those gears are not even in use. i have also noticed a locking pin at the back of the unit and to my frustration every time it locks the pin this thing got stuck, it is held together with a plastic lid. so i removed it, not seeing its use. probably got to do with tamper proof the unit. i assembled the unit with new vaseline and removed pin at the back but still no avail... relays clicking and then nothing.. it then hit me, the motor... its just pushed onto the board with to pins, i removed everything and pulled the motor from the board. vaseline again, on the pins, once again assembled everything and tested inside the landy.. everything happened... message disappeared, steering module unlocked, landy started... man i was impressed. However one more thing i did was to inspect the soldering on the motor pins and found these fine, so i slightly bent them one forward and backwards so when i do push the motor back it will surely make good contact. everything installed again, i lubricated the locking pin itself with vaseline too, funny enough it seems to work smoother than before. the noise from the unit is quick and firm not slow and struggling like before. In my case this steering column locked issue happened more often when it was a hot day (35 degrees), so i took the wifes hear blower and heated this unit till i can barely hold it then tested it numerous times... no problems. i must have inserted my fob about a 100 times under different conditions. shaking, bumping, hammering, cold, heat... every time it responded as new. i can truly say the persistence of removing those 2 tamper proof bolts paid off. i finally sealed the unit with pratley steel epoxy and now..... ALL IS FINE !!! some photos attached

ps i replaced the tamper proof bolts with 2 M6 x 15mm allan cap screws.

Thank you for the info
Just what I was looking for  2008 xs
Snorkel
raised axle/gearbox breathers
Mantec tank guard
Cb radio
Blanked EGR
Sump guard
Scratches
Snolkle

Hope this helps, but had the same issue, local dealer useless, so went online and found a steering lock emulator which plugs into the data feed back to ecu. Simple to fit, cost £24 and problem gone, always check steering before starting just in case, been ok for 3 months

The most important part

The pictures

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^^^Excellent! Thank you.

 2013 SD4 SE (hers)
2013 SD4 HSE (mine)
Ex: 2008 D3 V8 HSE
EX: 2000 D2 TD5

Hi after my post on the emulator i purchased please find my install video, took about 15 minutes to complete

Bought the unit from Emirates Keys https://www.mk3.com/land-rover-freelander2...k-emulator

Hope this helps enjoy video link

Last edited by Stickmanley on 5th May 2020 12:36 pm. Edited 1 time in total

Thanks for the update.

Same problem, tho i bought an emulator ,plugged it in and nothing, tried with 3,same result ive got a 2008 fl2 HSE.............anyone any ideas???

Bobfog wrote:

Two comments:

1) PARAGRAPHS

2) Are you not concerned that you have a bit of a bodged job of a steering wheel lock and given it's had an unsanctioned repair could be a potential danger your unqualified intervention could somehow cause the steering column to lock whilst in motion? I would be!

pj1312 wrote:

Same problem, tho i bought an emulator ,plugged it in and nothing, tried with 3,same result ive got a 2008 fl2 HSE.............anyone any ideas???