Ignition is stuck!
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
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From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
Cruise-In IX Veteran
Ignition is stuck!
I get in my car the other day to go riding. I go to start it and here a click and no lights come on. Now my car will not start and I cannot get the key out of the ignition. I worked today and removed the lock cylinder and it is working properly. Does anyone have any clue as to what could be the problem? The battery is alright and everything was working great till the other day. Is it possible to have the cylinder lock pop out of the wheel that pushes the rod to the ignition switch??
Mark B.
Mark B.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
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From: Saginaw Michigan
Re: Ignition is stuck! (Sigforty)
Most likely there is nothing wrong with your steering column lock cylinder.
It sounds to me that your back drive cable from the transmission is not connected correctly or maybe it became disconnected. If you have a manual transmission you must be in Reverse and with an automatic you have to be in Park in order to turn your steering column lock to OFF-LOCK. This cable system was designed to prevent the driver of the Corvette from locking the steering column while the car was still moving.
Look down under the brake master cylinder where the steering column sticks through the front of dash into the engine compartment. There should be a lever on your steering column that connects to a cable that goes under the car to the transmission. If the cable is not connected try to connect it. Or you can just lift the lever up to the end of its travel. You should then be able to start the car and also turn the column lock cylinder to off-lock and remove your key. With the cable disconnected, you will be able to lock your steering column in any gear or transmission position.
It sounds to me that your back drive cable from the transmission is not connected correctly or maybe it became disconnected. If you have a manual transmission you must be in Reverse and with an automatic you have to be in Park in order to turn your steering column lock to OFF-LOCK. This cable system was designed to prevent the driver of the Corvette from locking the steering column while the car was still moving.
Look down under the brake master cylinder where the steering column sticks through the front of dash into the engine compartment. There should be a lever on your steering column that connects to a cable that goes under the car to the transmission. If the cable is not connected try to connect it. Or you can just lift the lever up to the end of its travel. You should then be able to start the car and also turn the column lock cylinder to off-lock and remove your key. With the cable disconnected, you will be able to lock your steering column in any gear or transmission position.
Thread Starter
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 5,941
Likes: 281
From: Was New Orleans but swam to Baton Rouge LA
Cruise-In IX Veteran
Re: Ignition is stuck! (Jim Shea)
I do not think it is the cable because I cannot start the car at all. I went to start it and it clicked and the key was stuck. It is in the on position and no power is going to the starter or the lights. I think the ignition lock some how is not turning the rod to the ignition switch. Would the cable prevent me from starting my car?
Mark B.
Mark B.
Race Director
Joined: Dec 2000
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From: San Diego CA
Re: Ignition is stuck! (Sigforty)
There are tiny springs in the ignistion lock cylinder that are held in by a thin piece of metal. Should that metal strip dislodge, the cylinder will seize. I had it happen to me once - I replaced the cylinder and lock and all is well.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
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From: Saginaw Michigan
Re: Ignition is stuck! (Sigforty)
You are correct in that the back drive cable from the transmission should only prevent you from turning the ignition lock cylinder to off-lock. Assuming that your are also sure that you just don't have a starter problem, then we can take a good look at the steering column and its parts. So if you took the lock cylinder out of the column and it seemed to operate normally, we are left with two other possibilities.
One, is that the motion of the key in the lock cylinder is not getting transmitted down the column to the ignition switch. (Which would indicate a problem with the plastic gear and the small die cast rack inside the column.)
Two, if you can detect that the lock cylinder motion is being transmitted to the ignition switch by the small rod on top of the column, then the switch is either bad or it has slipped out of adjustment. You will have to drop the steering column down so that you can determine if the ignition rod is moving with the motion of the ignition key.
If you go to http://www.corvettefaq.com and look under Suspension and Steering. There are several papers and pictures that could help you. One is on adjusting the ignition switch. Others can help you disassemble the steering column depending if you have a standard (non-adjustable) column or a T&T.
Hope this helps.
One, is that the motion of the key in the lock cylinder is not getting transmitted down the column to the ignition switch. (Which would indicate a problem with the plastic gear and the small die cast rack inside the column.)
Two, if you can detect that the lock cylinder motion is being transmitted to the ignition switch by the small rod on top of the column, then the switch is either bad or it has slipped out of adjustment. You will have to drop the steering column down so that you can determine if the ignition rod is moving with the motion of the ignition key.
If you go to http://www.corvettefaq.com and look under Suspension and Steering. There are several papers and pictures that could help you. One is on adjusting the ignition switch. Others can help you disassemble the steering column depending if you have a standard (non-adjustable) column or a T&T.
Hope this helps.
