How a steering column lock works
The steering shaft is the metal bar under the dashboard that the steering wheel sits on. When you turn the steering wheel, the shaft turns too. A steel ring is fixed permanently to that shaft. Next to the ring sits a box with the lock, resting against the car body. The only visible part is the part you put the key into.
The lock has its own key, separate from the car key. When you park, before you get out, you put the lock key into the lock and turn it. A steel pin goes into the ring on the shaft, and the box holds it against the car body. The shaft cannot turn, and neither can the steering wheel.
Before you drive, you unlock it with the same key. The pin comes out of the ring and does not touch the shaft while you drive. The lock locks only with its key, so it cannot lock by itself while driving. It is not connected to the wiring and does not affect the car electronics.
Which thefts a steering column lock stops
The lock protects against thefts in which the thief tricks the car electronics. The car then thinks it has the right key, unlocks and starts. The lock is a mechanical lock with its own key, so none of this opens it:
A new key through the OBD portThe OBD port is the spot under the steering wheel where diagnostics is plugged in. The thief gets in, plugs his own device into the port and makes a new key in 2 to 3 minutes. That key starts the engine, but does not open the lock. More about OBD theft
Relaying the keyless key signalA keyless key unlocks and starts the car while it is in your pocket. One thief picks up the signal of your key and the other relays it to the car. The car unlocks and starts as if you were there, but the steering wheel stays locked. More about keyless theft
The headlight attackThe thief pulls away part of the bumper, reaches the wiring at the headlight and sends the car a fake message that the key is genuine. That message opens the car, but not the lock. More about the headlight attack
To drive the car away, the thief has to get through the lock. Without a powerful angle grinder he can hardly do it. Cutting is loud and takes longer than with other mechanical locks.
What the lock cannot do
The lock does not stop a thief from getting in and starting the engine. An immobiliser stops that: the engine starts only when the car has both the right key and your confirmation, a small fob you carry separately from the key, a code or a phone.
That is why it is best to have both. The lock stops the car from being driven, and the immobiliser stops the engine from starting. More about the immobiliser
The lock has 3 more weak points, and electronic protection covers each of them:
- You forget to lock itThe lock protects only when you lock it. You do not switch the immobiliser on, so it protects every time the engine is started.
- Nobody hears the thiefThe lock has no siren. An alarm sounds the siren when someone opens a door, hits or moves the car. More about the alarm
- You do not know where the car isIf the thief drives the car away anyway, the lock does not show where it is. A GPS device sends the location to your phone, and a message arrives as soon as someone moves the parked car. More about GPS tracking
A steering column lock is not a steering wheel bar
A steering wheel bar goes over the steering wheel after every drive and comes off before the next one. It is visible through the window. A steering column lock is fitted, stays in the car and you just lock it with the key.
A bar holds the steering wheel, while the lock holds the shaft itself. A thief cuts through the bar, or cuts the steering wheel and takes the bar off. A bar made of weak metal can be cut with an ordinary hacksaw, almost silently. With the column lock locked, cutting the steering wheel does not help, because the shaft stays locked. More about mechanical protection
What to look for in a steering column lock
- A key that cannot be copied. With these locks a new key is made only with the card you get with the lock.
- Certification. Some locks have a certificate from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, confirming that fitting them does not affect steering.
- A shaft part made for your model. The lock has to fit the shaft and the body of your car.
How to make the lock really protect the car
- Lock it every time you get out of the car, even for a short stop.
- Do not keep the lock key on the same key ring as the car key. A thief who takes the key ring has both keys.
Keep the spare key of the lock and the card for a new key at home, not in the car. A thief who finds them unlocks the lock too.
