Nissan or Mazda Steering Wheel Locked? ESL Fault
What the electronic steering lock (ESL) does on Nissans and Mazdas, the warning signs, and what to try first before the lock needs replacing.
A push-button Nissan or Mazda that will not start with the steering wheel locked usually has a steering lock (ESL) fault. Here is what to try and the fix.
The electronic steering lock, or ESL, is a small electric lock in the steering column. It only releases when the car recognises your key. When it fails, the car will not start even though the key and the battery are fine. We repair these on Nissans and Mazdas across Hamilton and the Waikato, usually at the car.
How do you unlock the steering wheel on a push-button Nissan or Mazda?
Mazda's own owner's manual describes this exact situation. If the start button's green light is flashing and the car beeps, the steering wheel has not unlocked. The manual's answer is to press the start button while moving the steering wheel gently left and right. It is a sensible first step on any push-button car, Nissans included. For keyed cars the same idea is in steering lock jammed: the ten-second fix.
- Sit in the car with the key fob inside it, and your foot on the brake (or clutch).
- Press the start button while moving the steering wheel gently left and right. Do not force it.
- Try the spare key, or fit a fresh battery in the fob. A flat fob battery can stop the car recognising the key, and a car that does not recognise the key will not release the lock.
- If the fob battery is flat, hold the fob against the start button as the emergency start section of your owner's manual describes.
If the lock releases, the pin may only have been binding against the column. If it releases only sometimes, or the warning keeps coming back, the lock or the car's electrics need checking.
What does a steering lock fault look like?
| Car | What you see | What it points to |
|---|---|---|
| Mazda | Green start-button light flashing and a beep | The steering wheel has not unlocked |
| Mazda | Red KEY warning light | A fault in the keyless entry and push-button start system. Mazda says to have it checked by a repairer |
| Nissan | A "Key System Fault" message with a steering-wheel symbol, and the start button does nothing | The car cannot unlock the steering lock, or does not accept the key |
| Either | The start button does nothing, not even accessory mode | No power reaching the lock, a failed lock, or a flat fob battery |
How does the electronic steering lock work, and why does it fail?
On Nissans such as the Qashqai (Dualis) and Juke the sequence is simple. You press start, the car checks the intelligent key, and only if the key is valid does it send power to the lock. Two small switches inside the lock report whether the pin is out or in. If the lock never gets power, does not move, or reports the wrong position, the car will not start.
That is why the fault can be the lock itself, the wiring, a fuse or relay feeding it, or the car's body control unit. It is also why replacing parts by guesswork gets costly. Mazdas work on the same principle: the car has to accept the key before the lock will let go.
Which Nissans and Mazdas get steering lock faults?
Many of the Nissans and Mazdas in New Zealand are Japanese imports, and the push-button ones are where this fault turns up in Hamilton and the Waikato: the Nissan Dualis (Qashqai), Juke and Cube, and the Mazda Axela (Mazda3), Demio (Mazda2) and Atenza (Mazda6). Our Nissan and Mazda pages have the brand details, and smart key replacement covers the key side.
What we do at your car
We read the fault memory with our Autel, Launch, Snap-on and OBDSTAR equipment, check the key and its battery, and test whether the lock is getting power and reporting its position. That tells us whether it is the lock, the wiring, a fuse or relay, or the control unit. If the lock itself has failed, the failed unit is replaced and the car set up so it starts normally, and we test the car and every key before we go.
The price is quoted before any work starts. We work 8am to 6pm, seven days a week, across Hamilton and the Waikato. The general fault is explained on our steering lock repair page.
What not to do
Do not disconnect the battery hoping to reset it. It rarely fixes a lock that is actually failing.
Do not force the steering wheel or hit the column. Forcing it can damage the lock and the key.
Driving a VW, Audi or Skoda instead? See VW, Audi and Skoda keys that will not turn. If the car simply is not seeing the key, push-to-start cars that do not detect the key covers that separate fault.
About this guide
Written by Mobile Auto Locksmith Hamilton, an owner-operated mobile auto locksmith working across Hamilton and the Waikato since 2012, fully insured and rated 5.0 on Google. The first-step instruction comes from Mazda's owner's manual, and the description of how the Nissan lock is powered and checked follows Nissan workshop service information for the Qashqai and Juke.
Common questions
How do I unlock the steering wheel on a push-button Nissan or Mazda?
Press the start button while moving the steering wheel gently left and right. Mazda's owner's manual gives this step. Keep the key fob inside the car and do not force the wheel. If the lock does not release, or the warning returns, the lock needs diagnosing.
What does a steering lock fault mean on a Nissan or Mazda?
It means the car cannot release, or cannot confirm the position of, its electric steering lock. The car may not be accepting the key, the lock may not be getting power, or the lock itself may have failed. The car will not start until the lock reports that it is unlocked.
Can I reset a steering lock fault myself?
It is worth trying the wheel-and-button check and a fresh battery in the key fob. Disconnecting the car battery rarely fixes a lock that is really failing. If the warning comes back, have the fault codes read so the actual cause is found.
Why will my push-button Nissan or Mazda not start when the key fob is fine?
A working fob does not release the steering lock on its own. The car checks the key, powers the lock, and waits for the lock to report that it is unlocked. If the lock, its wiring or its power supply is at fault, the car will not start with a perfectly good key.
Do I need a dealer, or can you fix it at my car?
Most of the diagnosis and repair is done at your car in Hamilton or the Waikato. If anything has to be ordered we tell you before we start, and the price is quoted before any work starts.
Do you fix Nissan and Mazda steering locks across the Waikato?
Yes. We travel to your car anywhere in Hamilton and the wider Waikato, 8am to 6pm, seven days a week.