[Freebird]

Humor me please.
When i park and shut down there are two noises that always make me wonder what the car is doing, I think they are both related to the steering lock but I would like to know what its doing. Some seconds after powering down there is a noise like something being drawn against something for maybe 2 seconds, when I open the car door only then do I hear the buzz of the steering lock (I know that's the steering lock as it was replaced with the 'improved' version and has a snappier noise). So why two different operations for the steering lock, or is the first noise something else.
While I am here, today, when I powered the car up, out of the corner of my eye I saw a message on the DIC but it went off before I could read it, rotating the Select control to Vehicle Messages showed only 'no messages'. Any idea what it could be as it hasn't repeated it since.
Some scumbag scraped the rear of the car while i was away, does the car log any knocks!
Thanks
Phil

 

[Barty]

Mine makes a similar pair of noises. The obvious one from the steering lock when I open the door, plus a longer lower frequency noise from under the bonnet a few seconds after powering off. Not sure if I read it somewhere (there is a list of Volt/Ampera noises on the gm-volt forum) or if it's my imagination but I suspect it is the brake compressor releasing pressure. If I am wrong I'm sure someone else will correct me soon!

No idea on the fleeting message, but if it went away I would not worry unduly.
The only thing that could log knocks would be a dashcam as some of them can activate when the car is parked and a knock or impact is detected, I'd think it needs to be a moderate knock at least for the dashcam sensor to pick it up. Then I guess you'd need one of those cams with a rear view as well as front to have a reasonable chance of seeing what happened.

Steve

 

[Russ]

I would prefer the steering lock to engage as the car is powered down, not when I open the door as I invariably grab the steering wheel as I exit which pre-loads it and have told myself off a second later many a time.

I've seen fleeting messages and it could be the "service steering lock" one which is reset just as it flags.

So much good about the design of this car but I guess the steering lock was left to an apprentice coder!

 

[Freebird]

Thanks very much @Barty, brake compressor seems very logical, never thought of that. I will have a look on the gm-volt forum for Volt/Ampera noises, sounds interesting.
I do have a dash cam on the front which takes a photo or two if there is a knock but it wasn't triggered, I think it may needs to be set more sensitively.
I did want to fit a cam at the rear but couldn't find one that was suitable.

 

[Freebird]

I've seen fleeting messages and it could be the "service steering lock" one which is reset just as it flags

That crossed my mind @Russ but I buried my head in the sand and whistled (?!)
I agree about the steering lock timing, wonder what would happen if I could get out of a back door instead, think Im going to extremes here though.

 

[Splitpin]

I noticed this as well Freebird exactly as you described it, both noises coming from steering column area, sorry can't help with causes though, I haven't had the steering lock changed myself but it could have been done before I bought the car.