Opti
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Post by Opti on Jul 27, 2012 16:43:22 GMT -5
Just got home a little bit a go. I walked and then someone who knew me saw me and drove me home the rest of the way.
I had a very freaky experience when I got in my car to turn the key and go home. The key barely turned and I was unable to start my car. I tried the emergency key, the steering wheel wasn't locked so I'm really sad. I'm hoping it is something simple and cheap like the cylinder has flaked out someone.
Luckily I was within walking distance of home and the car is parked somewhere that should be safe. Anyone experience this? My car is a 2002 BMW.
It really let the wind out of my sails as I was thinking about winning lots of money prior to my appointment and after when I got into my car. I could use some cheering up. Thanks.
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hoops902
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Post by hoops902 on Jul 27, 2012 16:53:37 GMT -5
The steering wheel wasn't locked, but is there a chance your car wasn't fully in PARK? My wife did this once, put the car up in neutral, turned it off, came inside, then couldn't start the car again.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Jul 27, 2012 16:55:42 GMT -5
"The steering wheel wasn't locked, but is there a chance your car wasn't fully in PARK? My wife did this once, put the car up in neutral, turned it off, came inside, then couldn't start the car again. "
I've done the same thing...
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Jul 27, 2012 16:55:47 GMT -5
Was your car in Park? If you couldn't turn the key and the engine didn't crank (or grind) you may not have car in the right gear.
I'm guilty of being, um, distracted, and sometimes i'll stop the car and turn it off... not bothering to put it in Park. When I come back to the car - it's like what you describe - key doesn't turn... until I put the car back into Park.
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deantrip
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Post by deantrip on Jul 27, 2012 16:57:16 GMT -5
Is your car key chipped where if the system messes up it won't turn/unlock the ignition switch? I've seen that.
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Jul 27, 2012 17:05:22 GMT -5
It may be that it's not fully in Park - so even if you go back to the car and it sez it's in Park - go ahead and push the shifter into park... My 82 Mustang often needed alittle extra jiggling of the shifter in Park when I couldn't get the key to turn. I use to leave the Cougar in nuetral fairly often... I never had this problem with my Sebring. I don't think I'll have this problem with the Toaster (the Scion xB). The Toaster politely announces via a chime that something is wrong and it won't let me remove the key if the car is not in Park and the engine is off And I've only had the Toaster 4 months and I already know this...
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Jul 27, 2012 17:17:43 GMT -5
It is a manual. I think it is in first gear, but it will start in second, neutral, and reverse. Not sure if it would act like an automatic not in Park if somehow I left in third gear. It is slightly possible, as the speed limit is 40 before I hit the parking lot.
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KaraBoo
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Post by KaraBoo on Jul 27, 2012 17:22:46 GMT -5
My stepdaughter's car is also a manual and sometimes does the same thing (1992 Eclipse) - we have to rock the car to get the key to turn sometimes.
Also - my key to my DH's truck sometimes won't turn the cylinder. Turns out it's been slightly bent and I've tried to bend it back into place, but it only works in one direction right now...
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Jul 27, 2012 17:26:08 GMT -5
Sometimes the steering wheel has to be straight up as well. Sometimes I stop the car and the steering wheel isn't straight.
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Jul 27, 2012 17:26:58 GMT -5
Just tallked to a friend who said his truck and other Mazdas and Fords of that time have cylinder issues. He can jiggle his to work though. I'm jealous. He thinks it might be 1 1/2 hours labor plus parts so $300-$350ish.
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Jul 27, 2012 17:28:54 GMT -5
My stepdaughter's car is also a manual and sometimes does the same thing (1992 Eclipse) - we have to rock the car to get the key to turn sometimes. Also - my key to my DH's truck sometimes won't turn the cylinder. Turns out it's been slightly bent and I've tried to bend it back into place, but it only works in one direction right now... Karaboo, how do you rock the car to get it to work? I have locked my steering wheel in the past, but that's not an issue now. I tried my spare key I keep with me too, just in case it was me and the key but it didn't help.
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Happy prose
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Post by Happy prose on Jul 27, 2012 18:02:23 GMT -5
Just move the steering wheel a bit. It happened to me, and when I pulled on the wheel a tinch, the key turned.
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Jul 27, 2012 18:28:07 GMT -5
Thanks for your suggestions. It did make me feel better. I just got a call from my friend who works on cars. He found out that it is a known problem(yay internet) a pin will break and render the cylinder unusable. My guess is that's what happened. I'll plan to update once I'm mobile again, hopefully tomorrow.
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KaraBoo
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Post by KaraBoo on Jul 27, 2012 21:33:45 GMT -5
My stepdaughter's car is also a manual and sometimes does the same thing (1992 Eclipse) - we have to rock the car to get the key to turn sometimes. Also - my key to my DH's truck sometimes won't turn the cylinder. Turns out it's been slightly bent and I've tried to bend it back into place, but it only works in one direction right now... Karaboo, how do you rock the car to get it to work? I have locked my steering wheel in the past, but that's not an issue now. I tried my spare key I keep with me too, just in case it was me and the key but it didn't help. For us with rocking the car - we just sat in the car and wiggled until we got the car rocking back and forth - that usually jiggled the (whatever) into unlocking and allowing the key to turn. Hopefully your issue is easy to fix.....
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Jul 28, 2012 10:46:48 GMT -5
Thanks Karaboo. I will probably try that Monday, because if it starts I'll be terrified to take anywhere but a dealer. UPDATE I'm working on getting the stars to align as I don't have a current AAA membership. I let it lapse. A tow is roughly the cost of a plus membership so I will probably renew but I discovered that if I do so today I need to wait a week before I can get the far away tow. At least I finally found my current insurance card. I had almost totally forgotten I had put some mail into a bag in a closet when I moved stuff quickly for the refrigerator replacement. Only took me two hours or so. I was told a AAA member can get my car towed but only if they are with me so part of today will be devoted to see if anyone has a AAA plus or premier membership and is available and willing to help me out Monday. I really would like to spend next week getting temp agencies to get me work so being non mobile would really suck. Any prayers you can offer on my behalf I'd greatly appreciate. Thanks for letting me vent.
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KaraBoo
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Post by KaraBoo on Jul 28, 2012 10:55:14 GMT -5
You're more than welcome!! Sending good Karma your way too!
DH saw me responding to the thread last night and commented that SD's car's problem is actually the ignition cylinder in the steer column as well, that we have to get it fixed. He laughed when he saw that we "wiggled" the car and the key into working. He doesn't quite know why that worked and asked why I didn't just "jiggle" the steering wheel - he almost didn't believe me that I tried that and it didn't work.
Men! I've owned 3 standard vehicles in my life - only one of them new - the other 2 were around 30 years old when I was driving them. I know most/all of the "tricks"!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 28, 2012 10:57:06 GMT -5
Sending hope and luck for the towing, and for a nice cheap fix
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973beachbum
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Post by 973beachbum on Jul 28, 2012 11:06:16 GMT -5
You're more than welcome!! Sending good Karma your way too! DH saw me responding to the thread last night and commented that SD's car's problem is actually the ignition cylinder in the steer column as well, that we have to get it fixed. He laughed when he saw that we "wiggled" the car and the key into working. He doesn't quite know why that worked and asked why I didn't just "jiggle" the steering wheel - he almost didn't believe me that I tried that and it didn't work. Men! I've owned 3 standard vehicles in my life - only one of them new - the other 2 were around 30 years old when I was driving them. I know most/all of the "tricks"! I had a car that the steering wheel would lock and I couldn't start it. It was the steering wheel locking mechinism and not the ignition. It was a very old and crappy car! I just used to make sure that when I shut off the car I didn't move the steering wheel AT ALL after I took out the key, so it wouldn't lock in the first place. It worked until we junked the car 4 years later. Little filings get chiped and end up stuck inside and no longer allow the key to fit like it should. I did have to jiggle it to get it to unlock a couple of times. And jiggled the key and very gently the wheel. Now that I think of it do you have those air blast type cans that Staples sells for cleaning your key board and computer? Spraying that in the key hole might help dislodge whatever is stuck in it. Might be worth a try. HTH!
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Jul 28, 2012 11:24:13 GMT -5
I have had several cars that have issues with the inginition lock. Standard procedure for me is the jiggle the steering wheel a few times (just turn it a little back and forth, you can usually here it hit the gear teeth). Then jiggle the gear shift in an automatic to make sure it is in park.
My DD car has an ignition issue that we can't ever seem to fix. Sometimes after sitting unused for over a couple of hours, you turn the key and nothing happens. You can try all sorts of things but nothing will work. If you wait 5 minutes and try it, it starts. We have had several people look at it but they could never find anything wrong. So I just tell my daughter to make sure and start out at least 5 minutes early. It only does this about 1 or 2 times a month.
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deantrip
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Post by deantrip on Jul 28, 2012 12:13:33 GMT -5
I have had several cars that have issues with the inginition lock. Standard procedure for me is the jiggle the steering wheel a few times (just turn it a little back and forth, you can usually here it hit the gear teeth). Then jiggle the gear shift in an automatic to make sure it is in park. My DD car has an ignition issue that we can't ever seem to fix. Sometimes after sitting unused for over a couple of hours, you turn the key and nothing happens. You can try all sorts of things but nothing will work. If you wait 5 minutes and try it, it starts. We have had several people look at it but they could never find anything wrong. So I just tell my daughter to make sure and start out at least 5 minutes early. It only does this about 1 or 2 times a month. Georgia Gal, does the key actually turn over but it just doesn't start? If so it seems like a probable loose electrical connection, anywhere from the ignition all the way to the starter.
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Phoenix84
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Post by Phoenix84 on Jul 29, 2012 20:11:15 GMT -5
I have noticed when my steering wheel is cocked hard to the side when I turn it off, it's hard to turn it with the key.
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KaraBoo
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Post by KaraBoo on Jul 30, 2012 19:28:27 GMT -5
Opti - Did you find out what the problem was and/or get it fixed?
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Tiny
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Post by Tiny on Jul 31, 2012 11:26:48 GMT -5
Just wanted to pipe in with the info that you may have tow service thru your Car Insurance - cause you are paying for it (a line item buried in your policy) OR because the insurer is offering for 'free' as a perk.
I've always dropped the tow/rental car items from my car insurance (never needed a tow in 20 years - so if I need one I'll pay out of pocket - I figure I've 'saved' 1K over the last 2 decades by NOT paying for services (the towing service and the rental car service) I won't/don't ever use. I self insure for a tow (can't imagine I'd need a rental car - I don't need a car to get to work). in 2011 I saw that my car insurance was touting it's new free services - towing was free. My new car also came with free road service (I get a free tow should I need one).
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Post by jarhead1976 on Jul 31, 2012 11:29:34 GMT -5
If you have AAA they will come out replace and rekey new cylinder , $75
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Jul 31, 2012 11:31:53 GMT -5
Opti - Did you find out what the problem was and/or get it fixed? Not sure what the issue is and what I will do. I actually walked to the car this morning and turning the wheel and using a different key worked. I almost took the car to the dealer, but now I am reconsidering. Not sure if I should try another short trip or not. The car is currently in my parking space. Going to make lunch and decide what to do.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Jul 31, 2012 15:14:29 GMT -5
I had this issue several years back. I had a Chevy Tracker at the time. I had it for about 4 yrs and then one day the key just wouldn't turn. It wasn't the normal locking up of the steering wheel, etc. I ended up towing it to the dealership and was told the car was going to have to be completely re-keyed and it would cost $400 . I asked how this could happen and was told it was a manufacturing defect that he has seen on a lot of the Chevy Trackers but because it wasn't a recall that Chevy wouldn't pay for it. I was extremely upset and went round and round with them but they still refused to pay for it. Bottom line, I was out $400 bucks because, of course, my car was of no use to me without being able to use the key
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daisylu
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Post by daisylu on Aug 9, 2012 14:11:28 GMT -5
I had the same type of issue recently, but luckily it was still under the manufacturer's warranty. The shop said that it was the "ignition key lock cylinder". Apperently it was stuck open which prevented the key from turning. I found a description on the problem and how to replace it on EHow.com.: www.ehow.com/how_5880956_change-ignition-lock-cylinder.htmlETA: In my case, it would clear up after trying to turn the key a couple times.
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