My 2012 Mazda 6 V6 Touring Edition with keyless entry will not start. Can’t enable accessory power, theft deterrent system activating. Keys work fine to lock and unlock doors.  A locksmith was able to reset the anti theft computer and start the car twice over several attempts.  He thinks the steering column lock is not allowing the ignition power circuit to close the switch to power up the dash and enable the starter.  Can’t get anywhere with either the keyless or physical key override.  Locksmith said he has seen this on Nissan vehicles before and to see if my mechanic could replace the components on the steering wheel.

Here are the error codes he got consistently from his scanner:

B10d7:94-8a current DTC - warning lamp ON

Passive Anti Theft System (PATS) key

B1026:92-0A current DTC

Steering Column Lock

I took the car to my mechanic and he says it looks like the lock mechanism is riveted to the steering wheel.  He suggested replacing the steering wheel assembly, but would not guarantee this would fix the problem just on the opinion of the locksmith.

The locksmith thinks that when you push the start button the steering wheel is unlocked. It then closes a switch to arm the ignition. He thinks that switch is not making contact. He said you can usually hear this action if you listen to the steering column.  He said he heard it both times he was able to start the car. He tried a few things over a couple of hours.

Does this sound like a reasonable diagnosis and repair plan?

i’m out three rows and looking for an even larger tow bill to take it to my dealer.  So far my dealer experienced has been way over priced and reluctant to share any repair data from my visits.

A little symptom history…

This problem occurred once about 4 years ago. After sitting for while it seemed to fix itself and did not act up again for a couple of years. Two years ago I went into Walmart and when I tried to start the car the start button wasn’t starting the car.  I called a locksmith and he reset the security module as you would do to reprogram the keys.  Turned out that the reset was all that was needed. Keys did not need reprogramming. All fine for several months.  This time it did it again in the store parking lot. This time it appears to be broke for good. Had to tow it this time.

If the repair approach seems reasonable, I might take a chance on the repair since I am unable to get a different car due to financial hardship.  My experience with the dealer has been to replace the expensive electronics first. They guarantee the parts they replace, usually are pretty good at replacing and charging you excessively for all parts and labor.

Thanks for reviewing my question.

Mark