Disarming the ESL
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MBWorld Fanatic!
Joined: Aug 2017
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2019 S560, 2015 Honda Civic Hybrid
Disarming the ESL
Have been studying posts about ESL failure and repair and thinking about this system ... what if a person didn't care about the locking function? Is there a simple way to go around the mechanism? For example, I believe there's a steel pin that the motor drives into something to mechanically lock it. What if you took out the pin and left everything else there ... the motor and gears would turn, extend or withdraw the now-absent pin, and everything would appear to be correct to the electronics. The system would be effectively disarmed. Is that possible?
For me personally, I'm not very worried about the slight increase in risk of someone stealing my car because the steering column was not locked. I think the other anti-theft protections built into the car ... door locking, alarm, electronic ignition, etc. ... meet all my needs for security.
For me personally, I'm not very worried about the slight increase in risk of someone stealing my car because the steering column was not locked. I think the other anti-theft protections built into the car ... door locking, alarm, electronic ignition, etc. ... meet all my needs for security.
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From: Milwaukee, WI
2010 C300 4MATIC........ 2011 C63 AMG.............. 2015 CLS400 4MATIC.....
I thought the same but I think I disregarded it because signals end up being sent regardless, and so even if you remove the pin and reinstall, no signal means it'll still be stuck in the "off" position (can't turn car on) only advantage would be you could then move steering wheel
At least that's what I thought
At least that's what I thought
Super Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 765
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From: Walnut Creek, CA
325Ci, 325Cic, C300
Have been studying posts about ESL failure and repair and thinking about this system ... what if a person didn't care about the locking function? Is there a simple way to go around the mechanism? For example, I believe there's a steel pin that the motor drives into something to mechanically lock it. What if you took out the pin and left everything else there ... the motor and gears would turn, extend or withdraw the now-absent pin, and everything would appear to be correct to the electronics. The system would be effectively disarmed. Is that possible?
For me personally, I'm not very worried about the slight increase in risk of someone stealing my car because the steering column was not locked. I think the other anti-theft protections built into the car ... door locking, alarm, electronic ignition, etc. ... meet all my needs for security.
For me personally, I'm not very worried about the slight increase in risk of someone stealing my car because the steering column was not locked. I think the other anti-theft protections built into the car ... door locking, alarm, electronic ignition, etc. ... meet all my needs for security.
In other words you can go the SIM route or replace the motor preventively. Or you can wait like I did and just hope you can unlock it one_more_time when it does finally give up the ghost.
