well i dont know if this is the right place to ask this but have any of yall ever had any problems with your key not turning over in the ignition. i mean ill go out to my car and i have to yank on the wheel and turn the key at the same time and do all kinds of diferent things to get the key to turn over to turn the car on. sometimes it doesnt give me too much trouble but sometimes it is a pain in the a$$ to get it started. i really would like to get this fixed and any infor or suggestions would be nice.

 

Try your backup ignition key, which probably isn't as worn as the one you regularly use.

It's normal for key wear to create problems with it not fully engaging the lock mechanism.

 

i have tried my backup key and i also made a spare when i bought the car last year and that one does it too. So im thinking it might be something in the steering column itself?

 

Try some graphite lock cylinder lubrication.

That may help the sticky tumblers in the lock cylinder if that is what is happening internally.

Can't hurt to try, just have something underneath the lock to catch any excess graphite that may come out.

 

Dose you wheel flop around mine did . I had to take it all apart an tighen 2 screw's in the colum . There is for of them in there they are reverse torx number 8 you can only get to . After I did this my wheel did not flop around and the key worket real nice .When you are in there you can also change the tumbler .

 

no the wheel doesnt flop around its just the key is hard to get to turn over. it happened again this morning when i was leaving to go to football practice. i tried for like ten minutes and then i just decided to take the chevelle

 

This may be something you already know, but if you park it with a load on the steering wheel lock it will be difficult to turn the key. And as soon as you do get the key to turn and the steering wheel lock releases, the wheel will snap to an unloaded position.

Maybe try turning the wheel while turning the key to ensure the wheel lock isn't preloading the ignition key lock?

 

i do turn the wheel and the key at the same time that is what i have to do to get it to turn over if i dont turn the wheel it is near impossible, but the key will turn back to accesory without any trouble at all it just has trouble turning over to turn the car on. i have no idea what the problem is i guess im going to try and use some of the graphite stuff like merc suggested.

 

Good clues. Sounds like the steering wheel lock mechanism is binding. It's just a pushrod type thing that engages holes in a plate splined/pinned to the steering shaft, so I could see where it might get sticky with age.

The ACC position doesn't disengage the steering lock, so movement in that direction isn't affected.

Not sure how far into it you need to go to get to it and apply white lithium grease, you might be able to see it if you pull the horn button off.

 

I like that option (chevelle) . Not quite sure what your problem is but you need to start peeling layer's off on the colum . Get a chilton's book and follow the step's intill you get in thier far enogh to fix problem . My gess is that you need a new tumbler . They have a little tab at the top that relase's the lock and actvaite's the buzzer . They tend to where out , also I think CHEVY HP just did a section on this they had the same problem you are talking about maybe May isue will look. Good luck

 

thanks for the help you guys i really appriciate it. kevinc is there any kind of tricks to pulling the horn cap off. and when i take it off where do i need to look to put the greece. i hope i can get this fixed soon b/c im tired of sitting there forever to try and get it to turn over. but it does give me a good excuse to drive the chevelle... i guess its a good thing though i just put all new brakes and 700r4 in the chevelle so the need to get broke in

 

The horn button just lifts off, wide flat screwdriver will do the trick. Get it as far in as you can so you're lifting against the metal insert and not the plastic outer cover.

 

i took the horn button and steering wheel off today and i cant even see down to the lock mechanism i think maybe if i take that other thing off after the steering wheel i might be able to get to it but do yall have any ideas on how to take it off it got me stumped.

 

Ok when you say got wheel off you mean just the wheel not the spacer. For this job you will need a stearingwheel puller to remove spacer & a lock plate remover to remove lock plate about 20 buck's each from sear's . The wheel puller you can use for all kind's of job's . If you only pull the spacer you may be able to spray some stuff in there but would not recomend but if you have a tilt colum push it all the way down and and spay in the space up top this is closer to where you want lube may help . You may get lucky and fix it .I think you have a bigger fish to fry but can't hurt to try . If you have any more troble let me know .

 

Mine is doing the same thing... Is it possible to pull that rod completely?