Ignition Wont Turn

bol

1,100 posts · Joined 2001

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#2 · Mar 23, 2005

Possibly the steering wheel/ignition lock? I don't really know anything about how that's put together but I'd check it out.

 

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Jarrett

10 posts · Joined 2005

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#3 · Mar 29, 2005

This just happened to me as well. Is there a special sequence of turning off the ignition that makes the turn-on sequence inactive. I sat there for 15" trying to turn the key in the ignition until somehow it turned. I don't know what I did but I do not want to go through this again.

 

KCLARK Discussion starter

140 posts · Joined 2003

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#4 · Mar 31, 2005

After trying to unlock the steering wheel and turn the ignition on several occasions over the course of 3 days, I finally gave up and decided to get the car towed to a nearby shop where I get my cars worked on. From the looks of it, the locking mechanism has seized on me, and their tearing down my steering column and may have to get a new one installed

 

K

kenkorsak

40 posts · Joined 2005

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#5 · Apr 1, 2005

Hey Clark, the same thing happened to me, cost me 300.00. The price we pay to own a BMW, the Ultimate Driving Machine, lol.

 

D

dannyb86

33 posts · Joined 2005

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#6 · Apr 2, 2005

i had this same problem happen to me. what has happened is a little metal rod just behind the lock cylinder that controls the steering lock somehow im not sure how it does but i know how to fix it. anyways more than likely what has happened is the metal pivot has broken off in which this rod rides on. (or in my case) all i did was remove the steering wheel top and bottom steering cover and the lock cylinder and the guts in behind it. you will more than likely see this broken part laying in the bottom of the lock cylinder housing. just remove it and reassemble everything like normal you will probably not get the plastic washer that the spring is on that goes to the ignition switch but u dont need it. and will be very hard to get back in anyway. after removal of the broken pivot and reassembly you ignition switch should turn fine. my steering will still locks even with the piece broke so im not sure what it does. and that should fix your problem if you have any more questions about this procedure just contact me and ill try to help out.

 

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aaronhoy

2 posts · Joined 2005

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#7 · Jun 22, 2005

lock

what if your ignition wont turn, and the steering wheel is locked and you have the type that cannot be removed when it is locked. In this case you have to remove the covers to fix the ignition, you have to remove the wheel to remove the covers, and you have to fix the ignition to remove the wheel. It's a vicious cycle of death. How do you get around this?

 

J

JonJ56

1 post · Joined 2005

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#8 · Dec 30, 2005

guts behind it?

My ignition wouldn't turn past the first position far enough to start (although it would turn on the accessories, run the windows etc.) Dannyb86 suggests "remove the steering wheel top and bottom steering cover and the lock cylinder and the guts in behind it" to look for a busted-off part; seems reasonable. (1) Can't figure out how to take the top cover off without dropping the steering column, can it be done? (2) Took out the cylinder and started poking around; the "guts" behind it came out and now I can't figure out how to get it back it (it won't stay centered so the cylinder won't go back in). I asked a mechanic and he says, the ignition housing always comes with that part already installed so he doesn't think it can be replaced ?!?

 

325ic a beer

1,775 posts · Joined 2005

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#9 · Dec 31, 2005 (Edited)

Hmmm..

This is not something I am EVER going to look forward to.
I pray that it never happens to me on my 325ic.
One thing I DO know is that if you are ever out of luck and you just HAVE to turn the car to the ON position on the key, you can use a dent puller to remove the tumbler.
I was in the south of Chile in South America, and this happened to a NISSAN pick up 4WD that we were using on our surf trip.
Our guide borrowed a dent puller from a local farmer( a vineyard which also was cool enough to sell us some local flavor for our moral) , he screwed it straight into the tumbler where you insert your key, slid the hammer back and out popped the tumbler on the end of the dent puller. We then took a flat blade screwdriver and put it into the now vacated key hole. In the bottom of the hole there is a perfect slot that acepts the screwdriver quite nicely. Then we simply turned the screwdriver as if it were a "key" itself. No quicker than you can say "gone in sixty seconds" we had her running and were headed back to Vina Del Mar for a nice hot plate of Chilean grub at our hotel.
I didn't know what our guide explained to the rental car company guy, but we weaseled out of having to pay ANYTHING for the repair of the truck. Great guides are worth their weight in GOLD. Especially surf guides and helicopter skiing guides. THEY will save your ASS more times than you can count every goll darn wave or run on the mountain!!!
All the best to everyone in 2006.
325ic a beer :thumbup: