My key keeps getting stuck in the lock position of the ignition and will not release. I am forced to leave the car unlocked with the key in the ignition. It happens a little more than half the time. When I say lock position I mean when the car is off, but you can still have power to the radio and what not. Any ideas?

 

try spraying some wd40 in there

 

I did that awhile back, but still does it. Any other suggestions?

 

replace the ignition cylinder.

 

Is that hard to do? What is the cost on parts for somethng like that?

 

$102 at the stealership. Basically the key cylinder will come out of the housing, by depressing a metal ball on the column. It will make sense when you are looking at the components.

maybe someone can scan a manual page on the process.

 

you are pushing the key in while you turn it right?

 

I had this problem with my truck and I think the locking mechanisms are similar. I tried dosing the cylinder with WD-40 and lock lub and that didn't help at all. Then I took the covers off and lubbed around the mechanism that locks the steering wheel. That solved the problem.

George

 

i'm assuming you have an automatic because i had the same problem, make sure the lever is set in park all the way. usually it could be in park but not reallie be in park hence why the key would remain locked in the ignition. make sure when puttin it into park you hear that click.

 

Hey Guys,
My key goes into the ignition switch, half way and it gets stuck . The key just wont go in all the way. It gets stuck half way into the ignition switch. I tried jiggling the key side to side, it sitll wont go in. I cant even force it in the ignition switch. The same thing happened with my other master key. So this is the second key which gets damaged by my ignition switch. The problem happens occassionally, like today it took me 15minutes to get key into ignition all the way in.

BTW, the key works on the doors and truck ok, with out the same problem.

Someone please help!

thanks,

 

Mine turned out to be the shifter not fully engaging to Park. All I had to do was make sure I push the shifter button in all the way and push it forward slowly until it clicked. That puts it back in sync or something. I rarely have to do it now that I figuered out the trick.

 

A friend of mine was drunk and yanked the key out before fully turning the key to the off position. Turns out he bent the key a little. I got a new key made and lubed the igniton with some dry lubricant and everything is fine.