Steering / Ignition stuck - help!
12-23-2003, 06:19 PM
#1
Guest
Posts: n/a
Steering / Ignition stuck - help!
Tried to move my car (86t automatic) so that I wouldn't get a ticket... steering wheel was locked and wouldn't turn. Thought it may loosen if I started it up - ignition key won't move out of "lock" position! No amount of "jiggling" seems to loosen it up. Can anyone advise me of what the problem might be?
12-23-2003, 06:57 PM
#2
Distinquished Guest
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Old North State
Posts: 413
You're going to have to apply pressure to the steering wheel while jiggling the switch.
Don't break anything, but force the steering wheel to turn a little and the switch will release. Common situation with all locking wheel cars.
Don't break anything, but force the steering wheel to turn a little and the switch will release. Common situation with all locking wheel cars.
12-30-2003, 04:33 PM
#4
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Rockford, IL
Posts: 56
If it's stuck, you can try taking two jacks and lifting both front wheels (I'm guessing you had the turned to the side).
This will take pressure off the steering system and you can usually get it out them. If not, you are going to have to remove the ignition lock from the steering column if you want to move that car. Not too hard, remove all the screws from the steering colum, pop off the bezel around the ignition lock, and remove the plastic pieces to gain access to the steering lock. there are 2 regular screws and 2 screws without heads. Take a dremel and a cutoff wheel, cut slots into the heads so they can be removed, and remove the ignition lock where it joins the steering wheel. you can now move the car and worry about the lock later. If the lock works fine now that it's disconnected from the steering column, bolt the thing togather and hope it doesn't happen again, you might have just gotten lucky. Also, you can try some lock lubricant to help the lock, it's a liguid that carries graphite lubricant along with it.
This will take pressure off the steering system and you can usually get it out them. If not, you are going to have to remove the ignition lock from the steering column if you want to move that car. Not too hard, remove all the screws from the steering colum, pop off the bezel around the ignition lock, and remove the plastic pieces to gain access to the steering lock. there are 2 regular screws and 2 screws without heads. Take a dremel and a cutoff wheel, cut slots into the heads so they can be removed, and remove the ignition lock where it joins the steering wheel. you can now move the car and worry about the lock later. If the lock works fine now that it's disconnected from the steering column, bolt the thing togather and hope it doesn't happen again, you might have just gotten lucky. Also, you can try some lock lubricant to help the lock, it's a liguid that carries graphite lubricant along with it.
12-30-2003, 04:50 PM
#5
Distinquished Guest
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Old North State
Posts: 413
"If it's stuck, you can try taking two jacks and lifting both front wheels (I'm guessing you had the turned to the side)."
I'm liking the "jack it up idea" if applying pressure to the steering wheel is not helping.
good luck....
I'm liking the "jack it up idea" if applying pressure to the steering wheel is not helping.
good luck....
12-30-2003, 07:37 PM
#6
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Rockford, IL
Posts: 56
The steering wheel lock is pretty finicky on these Z cars. When I just bought mine last week, The thing wouldn't run so we stuck it in my grandma's front yard, in gear with the wheels turned to no one will take it. Only come to find out that the ignition doesn't start and the wheel is locked, I have to get the car in the garage before someone steals it (she lives on a pretty busy road, center of the city). So I said (more or less) "forget it" and ripped out the whole ignition. Now I can get the thing moving around (engine still won't start, working on that). well {"moving around" may be an understatement, the parking brake is stuck and one of the frot calipers are dragging, so I have to take my grandma's minivan and tie a tow hook around the rear axle and drag the car out (OF COURSE with the brakes locked, so they skid)
What can I say, It's a work in progress....................
What can I say, It's a work in progress....................
12-30-2003, 11:06 PM
#7
Z Extreme Guy
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: reno nv
Posts: 673
why dont you just jake up the z and take the wheels of and pop the brakes off. pull the pades or just releve the presher in the lines for god sakes dont drage the z.Thats like hitting a woman come on think it thrue dont jump theres a sulotion.
12-30-2003, 11:20 PM
#8
Z Extreme Guy
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: reno nv
Posts: 673
ok these are all good ideas but a lot of work i am a x repo man and bounty hunter. so here you go 2 sure and easy ways to move your z with out destroing a thing.
1= if your z is on pavent put a shop style hydrolic jack under the front end and jack it up so the front wheels are off the ground have some freinds help you push the z and use the jack to stier the car. this is simple.
2= just take the stering wheel of the car and it wont be locked in place any more.
personlay i would go with #1 its alot cheper in the long run.
plz dont hurt the z by cuting and draging or any thing love your z its a precious thing dont abuse it.
1= if your z is on pavent put a shop style hydrolic jack under the front end and jack it up so the front wheels are off the ground have some freinds help you push the z and use the jack to stier the car. this is simple.
2= just take the stering wheel of the car and it wont be locked in place any more.
personlay i would go with #1 its alot cheper in the long run.
plz dont hurt the z by cuting and draging or any thing love your z its a precious thing dont abuse it.
12-31-2003, 09:21 AM
#9
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Rockford, IL
Posts: 56
Dont' worry,don't worry, I had to do it to avoid getting the cops over my house. the car was in the grass after a fresh winter rain, so there was no way I could have used a jack. Now it's sitting on pavement, so now I can work on it.
Don't worry about me, it's only my car
Brian
Don't worry about me, it's only my car
Brian
12-31-2003, 01:46 PM
#10
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Marin County, CA
Posts: 15
The problem might be that your car is an automatic, and the ignition has an ignition lock system. Don't take it the wrong way, I'm not trying to offend you, but automatics have an ignition lock mechanism so that you can only turn on the car when it's in park or neutral. So when you put it in drive or reverse, the shifter cable locks so that you can't turn the key (I'm pretty sure the shifter cable is connected to the ignition). The problem is that shifter cables (on any car) can sometimes bunch up or get stuck, and that can cause you to not get it out of a certain gear and the key can get stuck in the ignition. You should have that looked at, but you might need a new shifter cable, and that's around 200 bucks, maybe more. But sometimes, you can just go under the car and pull on it and it won't bunch up... at least not for a while.
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