Last time I turned the car off I noticed my key wouldn't turn back to the position where it could be pulled out with some force. Now the car won't start. It won't click or crank or anything, and it's difficult to turn forward into the starting position. What gives? :\ Turning the key yields the pump priming and the coolant temp pegging 260, loss of power to my stereo(for using cranking current only I guess), but no cranking. It's very difficult to turn the key forward or backward, and you have to sort of push it in to do either.

It could be the lock cylinder, but I'd be more inclined to think the problem is in the pinion/rack assembly on the left side of the column or in the linkage to the ignition switch.

You'll have to remove this:



To get to this:



So you can inspect this:



And may have to get to this:



Items #76 and #80 are going to get interesting.

Thanks Vader. Unfortunately I have no idea what I'm doing in this thing. I think I'm going to find a professional to fix it, too many things in there for me to break. I'll open it up and have a look first, though.

I've got the wheel off, and this little c clip that was on, and a very large nut, but I can't figure out how to pull the metal piece (it's shaped sort of like a circular table laying on it's side with about six legs) off. This piece holds the steering wheel to the column.

Nevermind.. I guess I need a steering wheel puller(which I don't have now, and have no way of getting).

You'll need a steering wheel puller to remove the wheel cleanly.

The circlip should be removed, then the nut. Once the wheel is pulled, the lock plate needs to be compressed against its spring (a stiff one) and the circlip for that should be removed. A special lock plate depressor can be used to hold the plate against the spring to make removal easier.

Once the lock plate is off, everything is in plain view.

you rent/buy the steering wheel lock plate remover for $15 @ autozone.

hey, i'm having the exact same problem here. so far i've pulled everything out down to the steering column housing assembly, but i'm having some problems getting it off. the new lock cylinder didn't fix it, so i'm gonna try a new ignition switch, but i can't seem to find it in the car. this is my only car & i can't start it! help me guys!

it would be #80 in the picture above. the switch will have a metal bar attached to it. it is called the actuator rod listed also in the above pics.

well, yeah i read the picture above beforehand
i found it myself (on the top of the steering column all the way towards the back) & dropped the column down. unfortunately, the steering column won't drop enough for me to get at the damn thing (maybe a couple inches). any creative ideas on how to get the ignition switch out (and put the new one in, of course)?

Heh...I have a problem with the buzzer. Its about to fry or its just a got a loose wire or something cause sometimes at the end of the buzz it doesnt sound like the power to the buzzer stoped. It sounds like it very slowly drops volts to it and then shuts off. So its like its a loud heathy buzz then the tone gets lower...slows down and starts crackling. Sh!t cracks me up. Sounds like a dying bird or something.

umm.... i think my buzzer's good.... any other ideas?
(if YOUR buzzer doesn't work, try checking the contacts around the lock cylinder. yes, this is a pain in the *** to do)

Way to piss on my parade. lol just ing I like the dying bird sound I'm leaving it alone.

I'm having the same problem that's in the original post. Is it going to be the cylinder or do some of the components need to be lubed up? My switch will stick sometimes and I cant turn the car off when it does work feels like its hanging up when I try to start or turn the car off. How hard is this to fix yourself?

Thanks,
Mike

Other than the necessary steering wheel puller, and teh convenient lock plate depressor, the job doesn't require any special tools. A couple of Torx head screws are under there, but you should have a set of Torx drivers or driver bits anyway.

The assembly is fairly straightforward, and isn't very difficult to grasp once it's all opened up. It's not difficult, but will make a day-long project if you haven't done it before. Plan to clean and re-grease all the moving parts with white lithium grease, like the turn signal switch and cancelling cam, pinion and rack gears, rack slide and sector, etcetera.

There's a good chance that the problem is either in the lock cylinder itself, or in the pinion/rack gears and that assembly.