Need help fast! (re: ignition lock)

[curtis]

actually i never touched it since the problem, my car just sat in my garage all week.

[SmartCard]

Seems like the "true P" should not be the problem as from experience you usually can't remove the key unless its properly in "P"!

Does any one know how the key would behave if the battery is almost dead?

[ShoshTrvls]

I have this same problem this morning. Took a cab into work because I have to get to court, but will try again later in the day and see if it works.

To the OP, did you have trouble getting the key in the ignition to begin with? I did -- had to jiggle just to get the key in. Eventually the key went all the way in, but wouldn't turn at all. Tried playing with the gear shifter (it was in park), so it wasn't that it's not all the way in "P" mode -- made sure I had foot on brake, etc.

[chieftmc]

Would a little "graphite" help? Sounds like a "mechanical" hang up to me.

I'd be interested in knowing how things worked out for those that had the problem

[jefferios]

Also interested in what the issue was.

[ShoshTrvls]

Well, 5 hours later, I tried the key again and it worked just fine.

Here's my guess (cribbed from elsewhere) -- the key "chip" works not by contact but by a wireless connection of some kind (bluetooth? radio?). I suspect that if there's a similar device turned on in the area, it causes interference that prevents the ignition from recognizing the key or allowing it to turn on.

Thoughts from the more mechanically inclined? Is that a possibility?

[nematodirus]

This happened to me the other day. It was a very cold morning and the car was covered in ice. A squirt of de-icer into the ignition cured the problem.

[theguywiththelongestname]

ice? in the ignition switch? hmmm interesting...

[curtis]

I only had the problem once and like I said about a week later after not touching my car it turned with no issue at all. Maybe it was due to my battery being low or something because since then my battery died completely and I just replaced it yesterday with an Optima which seems to be a great battery and it better for $200!

[nematodirus]

Yep, ice......The tail gate (its a cabrio) also would not open as it was iced shut. The key would not go all the way into the ignition which was why it would not turn and start the car / unlock the transmission. The de-icer cured the problem.

Perhaps it was a lubrication issue which the de-icer solved ? Maybe....But if the car is iced up, you deploy de-icer and the problem is fixed my bet is that somehow water managed to get into the ignition switch (there had been heavy rain the previous day, and it's possible that the key was wet when inserted in the ignition).

For those of you that have experienced this problem, was it very cold ? Below freezing ?