When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Reposting this to start a new thread without the baggage from the ancient one in which it was posted.
Originally Posted by bufmatmuslepants
TTT, got a new key from the dealer and it doesn’t work. What do I have to do to make the steering lock stop?
Going to try a hair dryer and WD40 on the tumbler before breaking things since it’s in the teens and 20s here and the car hasn’t been touched in 6 months, maybe it’s just frozen. The new key feels super tight and the tumblers don’t feel like they are getting hit right but it could just be a sharp new key.
Does anyone have any ideas on how to get this car driveable, or at least the wheels turning with the steering wheel without keys? Or any ideas on how to make this new key work in the 145,000 mile 25 year old key hole?
Ideas im going to try today are a hair dryer on the ignition since it’s in the teens and the key hole hasn’t had any action in 6 months, maybe frozen tumblers. Then I’ll try some WD40 to give her some lube since it feels very tight when I stick it in. A buddy who works at a dealer has said they sometimes have to cut the key 2-3 times on an old car to make it work, suggested a scuff pad to knock down the key a little. I’m hesitant to pull the steering wheel and get to the lock ring because we are packing and moving and I can’t get 2-4 hours to take this thing apart, the car has to be out of the garage by Monday, we close on the house Monday. I called a locksmith and they said I’m screwed and need a new ignition if the dealer key won’t work, but a new ignition requires reprogramming the PCM. I’m not trying to spend more than $100 fixing this right now.
If all fails my only idea is to pull the steering shaft and turn the wheels by hand to get it out if the garage then call AAA for the 1 mile tow to the new house. I’m still praying my wife just accidentally packed the keys and we find them when we unpack at the new house so I don’t want to destroy it if I don’t have to.
If the steering wheel is turned while the key is out then the lock pin can jam against the notch in the lock plate. Try to turn the steering wheel a bit in either direction as you turn the key and it may unlock. It's a very common problem, especially if you tend to hold the steering wheel when you get in or out of the car.
That’s what I ended up doing. I took a video of trying to get it past the gravel apron of the driveway, the theory was that if I took off the e brake and hit it with decent speed the car would smoothly roll off the dollys, across the gravel and onto the asphalt where I could jack it back up onto the dollys. That theory did not work as the dollys tilted up and jammed in the fender wells and dinged up the paint on the rockers and fender a little. Oh well it needs a paint job anyways.
hat
Gas Monkey Built a 6-Wheel Ferrari Testarossa With a Corvette LT4 Engine
Slideshow: The controversial Ferrari F6 swaps its original flat-12 for a Corvette Z06-derived LT4 V8 and sends power to four rear wheels through a custom-built drivetrain.
7 Most Reliable High-Performance Engines GM Has Ever Built
Slideshow:These GM engines didn't just make huge power, they survived abuse, boost, track days, and six-digit mileage with a reputation for refusing to quit.
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them
Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph
Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked
Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes
Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.
New Dealer Key Doesn't Work 
