thanks John - it seems loose enough but will take any suggestion. I have some ideas that I will try today or tomorrow and report back for others to see. I marked it before taking off, unfortunately marked the wrong areas. I did not take off the steering wheel so that helps the orientation a little. The shaft and coupling have small flat key areas that need to match up. Splines and couling seem to be fine and not all messed up. Spent another 2 hrs under the dash with no success...cars kicking my $%^%$..glad I removed the front seat...

 

Good news..the ignition with ESL emulator worked and the car starts again...as for the steering connection....I really tried..on the driveway in 108 degrees temps in Phoenix..couldn't get it in garage...I may have to replace the lower steering shaft. I am assuming the universal joint that attaches to the steering column is messed up. How hard is the replacement of this lower shaft? May still throw in the towel and tow back to shop....thanks much

 

The lower shaft takes some work, it's a telescoping piece that connects to the rack and pinion. Depending on how much room there is, may need quite a bit of work.

Sorry that you're running into issues, temperature not helping either. You can't just start the car and let it run with AC at full blast while you work on this?

Worst case, you could have shop assemble it back together.

 

for anyone wanting a get documentaion of the ESL go to RIcebubbles (author)
How to Remove/Repair/Replace a C Class Electrical Steering Lock (ESL) (Also applicable to W204, W207, W212) Part 1 in w204 c-class

 

thank you to all that helped me with ESL and steering column issue. I am happy to report that I was able to fit together the steering wheel shaft into the mid shaft universal joint coupling under the dash. What I learned:

• I would have done some things differently, but the GLK was my work vehicle, had $130k miles had a locked steering column and was towed to my driveway and the work had to be done in the 105+ degree Phoenix heat (morning or evening). If in my garage, I would have spent more time and been a little more patient.
• changing out the ESL with an emulator is not viewed by repair shops as anything they recommend as they can quote many thousand's of dollars for the replacement of the ESL, ignition and labor. I was quoted $5000, as much as the worth of my car.
• several repair shops and a MB dealer refused to answer a simple question regarding the shaft replacement stating liability concerns if they did (because of ESL). I offered to pay them for the time they spent advising me.
• I was thinking of trying just answer.com, that was my next step. I successfully used them in the past for other issues..
• I don't think replacing the motor in the ESL is worth it - my opinion
• I could not get the mounting bolt (stub) on the ESL to retract all the way in order to remove the ESL. That's why it would have been beneficial to remove the entire column. I did not want any chance to have to tab lock the wheel unexpected and wanted to remove the ESL. I opted to drill a hole into the center and put a screw into the unit jamming the mechanism. Not pretty but effective.
• this forum rocks..lot's of helpful people
• I could not get the steering shaft into the coupling and found out too late it was keyed. I think that some splines were slightly damaged
• I did mark the coupling and shaft before I removed it. Unfortunately, I didn't mark some areas that were needed. Thus, my steering dilemma
• I purchased a new mid, or lower column shaft at MB. It was assured to be for my VIN number. The coupling on the shaft did not have the key grooves and didn't seem to even fit. Not sure if MB abandoned the key shaft and this would have fit or if there is a different shaft for a partial model year.
• I took my time understanding the keyed grooves and aligned the shaft and coupling wide with wide and narrower with narrower grooves. WD40 was my friend. The shaft did not just slide in without effort. Patience, which I was short of recently, would be my second friend.
• the 4matic may have different parts than the base GLK
• clean off the splines in both areas with a medium wire brush. Note that the coupling is Aluminum and can be damaged easily
• there are many who offer an emulator for the ESL. I used www.speedofix.com. They were fast and offered a solution that was internal to the ignition module.
• I did not take the steering column out or the steering wheel off. I was able to do all the ESL work (mine was locked) by tilting the column down. I would recommend taking the column out.
• remove the front SEAT...4 bolts, less back issues. I was able to get in a lie down.
• I could not figure out about how to remove the 2 connectors for the steering column under the dash. MB has multiple ways to remove connectors. Over engineered. Also, why isn't the steering wheel opening on the dash 1 inch wider so you could pull out the steering column from the dashboard without removing the steering wheel...but I digress...
• I also could not figure out how to remove the OBD port from the panel. Did not want to break it. I just removed the screws from the panel holding it to the dashboard and removed the hood latch, then pushed the panel aside with the door open.
• there is a tab under the shifter when you pull the boot off, that unlocks the shifter if you have to move the car. It is described in the other post I referenced above.

Hope the above helps

 

I had the same issue with the OBD port but the entire OBD block just pulls off where it meets the surface of the trim piece. I bumped it with my foot as it was sitting on the floor and the OBD easily disconnected.

 

thanks for sharing..even with the 2 screws that hold on the OBD port, there were some tabs securing it to the panel. I just left it intact and was able to push the panel away from underneath.

 

Thank you for sharing. One thing I hadn't seen on videos is you have to unbolt the gas pedal to allow enough room to rotate the steering column out. At first, I couldn't get it rotated out so I tried to drill holes in the locked ESL but could quite get them in a place where I couldn't rotate the internal wheel mechanism with a pick.

Marking the top of the drive shaft alignment (where the steering wheel attaches) was key to keeping the shaft properly aligned on the u joint. To reconnect the shaft after the column is back in position, insert all 4 bolts so the column is stable but movable. The u joint position can be manipulated by pulling up on the lower part just above the boot. Have a helper keep an eye on the shaft alignment up top and make tiny adjustments until you feel the shaft start to slide easily into the joint, then thread the bolt and keep pressure up on the joint until you ratchet the bolt back to tension.

There are a lot of videos on this repair but I found this one the most comprehensive except the gas pedal removal.

 

Just an add-on for others...I did not know that the clockspring, inside the indicator module on the steering column was prone to being damaged if the steering column is turned too far (steering angle sensor). Once all together, I received SRS warning light and with ODB testing found the clockspring values too high. The entire indicator part of the steering column has to be replaced as it has built-in clockspring. The dealer wanted $750 for the part. An online Mercedes distributor on ebay sold new for $300. I had help on justanswer.com from mechanic AmirK0429. He was very helpful and knowledgeable. thanks -this was certainly a learning experience.