This weekend I was installing a stereo into my 85 GS. While tracing wires, I took off the bottom half of the plastic steering column sleeve that has the key light, etc. After messing around for awhile, I screwed it back on. When I put the key in the ignition, it now won't turn at all-it feels like it would if I had the wrong key (I've made sure that's not it).

Does anyone have any ideas? Do I have to replace the ignition cylinder (not cheap)? Is there anything I could have jarred loose or tweaked that might make this happen? Thanks for your time...

Gordon

 

I don't think you killed the ignition...
Did you trigger the steering lock maybe? It can put a lot of force against the lock "key" (the piece of metal that locks the steering column), which jams up the lock.

Try turning the wheel abit side to side as you turn the key.

And if you did somehow kill the ignition (I can't imiagine how), I have one for sale cheap...

But lewts try to get yours working...

You could also call a locksmith if nothing else works...

 

Try a little graphite into the lock barrel, it'll free it up like grease but without the goo and wont dry out ever

 

Nice idea!

 

Wd-40

 

My apologizes for reviving such an old thread, but I had a question about the whole graphite thing. How exactly do you do that? I mean, do you take like a mechanic pencil and just stick the lead in there? Or is there some kind of dust you can coat your key in?

Again, sorry about reviving such an old thread, but I figured this was pretty relevant to the topic already posted here.

 

DO NOT use pencil lead or you will also have a screwed lock , the Piece of lead Will stick in the mechanism . If you want to use graphite buy a small tube from almost any hardware type of store . A good lubricant spray is almost as good , but if you are set on graphite just stick the tip in the key hole and give it generous puff of the stuff , a little on the key will help also. .. Gerald m.

 

Several choices:

1) You don't have the tang from the ignition set correctly so it might be 180° off compared to the female slot in the actual pigtail. That's if you separated them in the first place.

2) The pigtail is fragile. I accidentally removed the plastic backing plate all the wires mount on to come off and away from the mechanical part of the pigtail. It's a very tight fit there. I got it back together (I got lucky) and aligned the rotating part of the pigtail so it lined up with the rotating tang in the ignition part itself and it worked 20 wire ties later. Although you don't say so, that plastic piece can be a b*tch.

3) If you removed the entire lock and pigtail at once from the column, you might have misaligned the little button that sticks out of the mechanical part of the ignition switch where it goes into the steering column which is what locks the wheel. Carefully remove the ignition switch and pigtail (still attached to each other) and see if it works again. If it does, when you reassemble it, be careful to get the pieces aligned correctly.

Did I mention how easy it is to accidentally remove the black plastic part all the wires go to???