Key Not Turning

[amanda]

has anyone experienced difficulty in turning ignition key? i couldn't turn the ignition for like 10 minutes today and kind of spooked me a little.

this is the first cold day we've had in ny area as far as i can tell. but it didn't stall or anything once it decided to turn. it just wouldn't turn for a while. i actually got out to make sure i was in the right car.

anyone have a similar story?

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hey, this just occured to me. maybe i need new batteries in my key?

[SKperformance]

the battery in the key will do nothing for your model or year

as the "chip" is only an immoblizer that stops the engine form turning over but lets the key turn anyway

i am guessing you needed to turn the wheel left to right to unlock the wheels locking mechanism

[H8R Proof]

i am guessing you needed to turn the wheel left to right to unlock the wheels locking mechanism

Yes. I've been startled a couple of times and it was nothing more than this.

[amanda]

ha, ha. you guys rock. i can relax the next time it happens.

but why do the wheels lock so?

[SW03ES]

Yeah, its the steering wheel lock. The steering wheel is designed to lock in position when the key is removed, the way it achieves this is the wheel catches on a spindle inside the column when you remove the key. Make sure that you've let go of the wheel and let it come to rest befor you take out the key, or the spindle will pop and lock the wheel while there is still torsional force in the column, making it harder to release the spindle (turn the key) because of all the pressure in the mechanism.

If it happens again, just turn the wheel while turning the key and it'll turn over. Don't feel bad my mother called roadside assistance on her New Beetle because the key wouldnt turn, they came our and just turned the wheel, started it right up. She felt like an idiot.

[SKperformance]

yah it happens no worries

it is mainly a theft detterent to lock the wheel so even if a theif breaks the key cylinder the wheel will not turn

my biggest problem with the lock is once had a key chain of a lexus L that i mistakenly had the key pushed through

i inserted it in the cylinder

it is easy to get the key in with no play but in order to remove the key it has to be pushed in to release

the key chain had taken up all the play and caused me 30 minutes of agrevation to relase it

[H8R Proof]

Don't feel bad my mother called roadside assistance on her New Beetle because the key wouldnt turn, they came our and just turned the wheel, started it right up. She felt like an idiot.

LOL - gotta love mom.

Just like mine who held up an item in the 99cent store and asked the cashier how much it was...

Or even me, several years ago when I had my first brand new car and went out to leave for work and it wouldn't start.

One hour and several tears later I realized I had turned the car off while it was still in "Drive".

[amanda]

hey, you know, i was really distracted once and did that (turn off ignition while in drive) to my es300.

i wonder what kind of damage i did to it.

also, someone who was driving the car while i was in the passenger seat shifted to park while the car was still moving slowly. i gave him a dirty look (at least i had come to a full stop before turning off the ignition).

i wonder what kind of damage the two of us did.

[SKperformance]

there is a little parking paul inside the trannny that locks it up when put into park

basically if it makes a clunking noise when you did that then it just damages a littel of the material but should be ok as it does not mix with the tranny fluid

for some reason i can take my key out while the car is still in nueatral or drive most of the time

kind of a safety defect but it doesn't bother me to much

[piggyncsu]

my dad could pull the key out of the car while he was driving in the old 88 car..... something about the um (sorry dunno the word for where the key goes in....) being worn down and not fitting the key exactly right.... as long as that issue doesnt cause the car to not start in the morning (takes a few tries for the key to match up) then you're ok......well..not ok, but decent ;)

[amf1932]

something about the um (sorry dunno the word for where the key goes in....)

Keyhole.

[chillaxin]

my friend had a camry, i think 92, and once when we were driving i needed to get something out of the glove compartment but it was locked, so while we're driving on the freeway, my friend takes his key out of the ignition keyhole, reaches over and unlocks the glove compartment, then sticks the key back into the ignition... crazy, ain't it?

[piggyncsu]

i meant the IGNITION keyhole to you amf :P took someone else to say for me to remember ;)

thanks though....

and i must say, even if it is a safety issue, it sure is nice to be able to have the car running and open the door to the house, easy to drop the kids (me and sister) at the house when we forget our keys....*Sniffle* i miss that car.