This happened to me very now and again it turns while the wheel is locked. Try jiggling the wheel left/right GENTLY as you turn the wheel and once its free you can complete the key turn.
I did jiggle the key and worry it around every which way while wiggling the steering wheel around with no luck. I've successfully done that over the years with one car or another and it has always worked. Not this time though.
hey, i had somthing similar to this happen to me about 3 months ago. it feels like the keys almost turned enough to do somthing right? and it unlocked my stearing wheel. bad news if its the same thing i had.
the ignition was shot or somthing had to be replaced. $400.00 later.. and the morons put the stearing wheel on sideways? lol so now until i have time to take it back to them my signal stays on until i flick it of.
If it was $400, I think I know what that means, taking out the whole ignition/locking mechanism out. Nightmare, I did it years ago on my old 3.0cs coupe. Its like a cast aluminum cancer under the dash, bolted in tentacles everywhere.
There is a youtube video of a guy showing how to replace an ignition on his car. It looked very cost effective, of course you gotta buy the new ignition but the install process alone costs! Let me try to find it real quick.
Finally got around to fixing my sound card and watching your video post. Thanks. My problem with his prescription is, I cant turn my key far enough to get it to the 2 notches prescribed in order to remove the barrel. Mine seems to turn only to the first notch, just enough to turn the wheel but no further.
Mmmm, this doesn't sound good as it happened on my new purchase also. Started the car twice, but the 3rd time the key as you described wouldn't turn. Wheel was unlocked, but no electrics, etc.
Tried jiggling the wheel and using the spare key, but no joy. Then as if by magic it just worked, and has done since (about 20-30 times?)
Fingers crossed it keeps on working!
Mmmm, this doesn't sound good ...Wheel was unlocked, but no electrics, etc.
Tried jiggling the wheel and using the spare key, but no joy. Then as if by magic it just worked, and has done since (about 20-30 times?)
Fingers crossed it keeps on working!
Those are the precice Symptoms, the key turns just enough to unlock the steering but not turn on the electrics.
I have when the mood hits me, wrenched the steering wheel and key every which way to no avail. Hate to depend on a gust of fairy dust to make it go. It's supposed to be my trusty old Nelly
After more research and pulling pretty much the dash apart I think I have a solution to this nasty.
Here's what a genius euro repair guy I know well said:
Your lock delima. If you have done the usual shake the wheel while turning the ignition key thing. Then we've had some that the lock mechanism that the tumbler sits in breaks & jams the tumbler from turning. In that case we grind off the break away bolts so as to loosen the lock assy from the steering column. There is a particular spot where to drill a hole (the most critical part) so as to release the tumbler assy. Remove the tumbler assy then fiddle with the lock drive till it releases & can be removed. Reinstalling is the easy part. Seems that part is 80.00 from our sources if you do not have power telescoping steering, but with air bag.
So looks like I will try this and I might be able to get some pictures up cuz it seems like a commonish problem. I'll keep everyone posted!
Also, as a note I found a way to start the car w/o the key, these cars could be sooo easy to steal if they don't have an immobilizer! PM if you want details.
I can visualize exactly what your saying as to the problem and, the end run. I still have not got a key made for it...I wonder if it matters.
I did something similar (don't recall why) yrs. ago on my old 3.0 cs coupe. I do remember striping away half the dash to deal with it .Then I remember spending hours hanging upside down off the seat chiseling away at this and that to get into the vault like steering column/lock.
So yes, if you can get me some pics off your work in progress or even pic of what need to be attacked I can probably figure it out.
Well I fixed my problem tonight!!!!! After being so frustrated with this part all week i jsut took a hammer to the underside of the assembly where the tumbler is and gave a bunch of good whacks and violla key turned and started everything up, the BMW gods were shining on me for sure on this one! Now i carry a hammer in the trunk too!
I havnt been able to turn the key for 3 days. Its driving me crazy. I bought this e60 2yrs ago and only had the valet key, a few months ago my boy broke it. So I glued it and started to look for keys to be made. The key still worked glued, but when I removed the cas and took it to the key guy, after I came back and put everything back the ignition cylinder seemed to lock. The keys work on the door and trunk but the ignition wont turn, not even with the original key. I have no Idea what to do, I jiggle and wiggle and try to turn the wheel and nothing. If anyone had any Ideas please let me know.
Try asking this question in the E60 forum, not the E34 forum. Ordinarily, I'd guess the moderator would simply move your post to the correct forum, but since you chose to bump an ancient thread instead of starting a new thread yourself, I doubt that that's possible.
That said, If I were in this position I'd take my title and driver's license to the nearest BMW dealership and order a new key at the parts counter.
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