U0212
Lost Communication With Steering Column Control Module
- Severity
- Medium
- Driving
- Drivable — book it in
The control module has stopped receiving messages from the steering column control module. Despite the name this module does not steer the car - it reads the stalks and switches on the steering column, so indicators, wipers, lights and horn can all stop responding. On vehicles with an electric steering lock it also controls that, and then the fault can prevent the car being started or the steering being unlocked.
Possible causes
- CommonLow battery voltage or a discharged battery, dropping modules off the bus
- CommonDamaged wiring in the steering column, particularly the clock spring
- CommonBlown fuse or corroded earth on the supply to the steering column control module
- CommonConnector disturbed during steering wheel, airbag or column switch work
- PossibleFailed module
- PossibleModule not coded after replacement
What you might notice
- Indicators, wipers or headlamp stalks not responding
- Horn or steering wheel buttons dead
- Steering lock will not release
- Vehicle will not start
- Airbag warning light on as well
What to check, in order
- Confirm the indicators and wipers work before driving. Losing indicators is a road safety issue and an inspection failure, even though nothing about the car feels different.
- Check battery voltage and state of charge before anything else. A weak or failing battery drops modules off the bus and sets lost-communication codes with no wiring fault at all - this is the single most common false lead in this whole family.
- Ask whether the steering wheel, airbag or column switches have been worked on. A disturbed connector or a damaged clock spring accounts for most of these.
- Check the fuses and earths for the steering column control module.
- If the steering lock will not release, do not force the wheel. That damages the lock mechanism and turns an electrical fault into a mechanical one.
- If an airbag warning light is on as well, treat the restraints side as the priority and read the restraints warning before touching anything in the column.
Read this code from your own car
Plug an ELM327 adapter into the OBD-II port under the dashboard. Pin16 reads every stored, pending and permanent code, explains each one like this page does — offline, with no account — and shows what the car recorded when the fault was set.
Where this code sits
U00xxU01xxU02xxU03xxU04xxU05xxU06xxU07xxU08xxU09xxU0AxxU0BxxU0CxxU0DxxU0ExxU0FxxU10xxU11xxU12xxU13xxU14xxU15xxU16xxU17xxU18xxU19xxU1AxxU1BxxU1CxxU1DxxU1ExxU1FxxU20xxU21xxU22xxU23xxU24xxU25xxU26xxU27xxU28xxU29xxU2AxxU2BxxU2CxxU2DxxU2ExxU2FxxU30xxU31xxU32xxU33xxU34xxU35xxU36xxU37xxU38xxU39xxU3AxxU3BxxU3CxxU3DxxU3ExxU3Fxx