Another Stuck Key Problem

[Butch]

I have been looking through old posts trying to figure out why my key is stuck in the ignition. :banghead: I have gone through several easy steeps first before getting ready to take the ignition out. Here is a list of the things I have tried:

- Turned the wheel towards the ignition (no steering wheel lock) while jiggling the key.
- Pushed the key in and tried to turn it to off position.
- Engaged the gear selector into park hard several times.
- Moved the CDL selector to locked/unlocked multiple times.
- PB sprayed on the key (allowed to run into lock).
- Tapped key with hammer.
- Checked for blown fuse #12, all good.
-Removed steering wheel cover and tried to move the metal block (for a lack of terminology) back to the up position that prevents the key from being removed (no Luck). http://www.discoweb.org/forums/showthread.php?t=47400&highlight=stuck+key
- Cut the white wire from the ignition to the solenoid.
- Tried push/pulling the key out with pliers.

What should I try next? I was looking at removing the ignition, but am unsure of which bolts you have to remove with a chisel. To make matters worse, I'm on crutches due to knee surgery which doesn't make me a mobile/agile as I need to be! Any suggestions?

 

[roverMc]

Sounds like you need a new ignition switch. Sorry bout the knee.

 

[pdxrovermech]

i ran into that once. I believe it turned out to be a stuck relay located behind the glovebox.

 

[mjbrox]

There is a lock smith that the local land rover deals with that looked at mine and he said that he can basically rebuild the ignition for $25

This does not help you, but I am going to get this done before I end up in your situation

 

[jhawk]

Unplug the wires from the lock cylinder, I believe there are three in the plug. This will disable the locking feature. I've had my truck like this since I bought it.

Jim

 

[listerdiesel]

I can't help with the actual lock failure, that does sound terminal, but the three pages from the RAVE manual might help with the lock removal:

http://www.stationary-engine.co.uk/DiscoArticle/Disco2Steeringcolumn1.jpg
http://www.stationary-engine.co.uk/DiscoArticle/Disco2Steeringcolumn2.jpg
http://www.stationary-engine.co.uk/DiscoArticle/Disco2Steeringcolumn3.jpg

Peter

 

[kferg]

Taking the ignition out is not that bad. The two shear bolts come out easy with the chisel. $25 at your trusted locksmith and they can gut it, no more sticky ignition issues. Or a whole lot more for a used or new switch. 2 new hex cap bolts make it easy to put back together and take out if you ever need to again.

 

[mjbrox]

Taking the ignition out is not that bad. The two shear bolts come out easy with the chisel. $25 at your trusted locksmith and they can gut it, no more sticky ignition issues. Or a whole lot more for a used or new switch. 2 new hex cap bolts make it easy to put back together and take out if you ever need to again.

is it clear what to do once you start? is there good step by step with pics?

 

[Alabama Rover]

After you get it out you should put in a push button ignition then you won't have to wrry about that again.

 

[billb]

VERY easy to do - you don't even have to remove the switch from the column. Pull off the plastic surround and you can get to it.

There is a key-lock solenoid activated by one wire if I remeber correctly - might be purple/pink (?). It's been awhile, so I cannot recall for certain.

Remove that and the solenoid and good to go.

 

[Butch]

This morning brought a dead battery, so I had a little time while waiting for a jump. I was able to maneuver myself under the steering wheel and found the portion of the lock that needed to be glued up. Did that and the key is still stuck. The little black plastic beautifier ring that houses the light for the key ring has both of the connectors broke off in the black housing for the bulb. This did not do much except cause the gear selector to beep as I passed every gear. I put a staple into the connectors to complete the circuit and the beeping stopped! I think it is a complete mechanical failure and will look at doing the push start ignition setup this weekend. I'll let you know how that goes.

BTW, somewhere along the line, the two shear bolts were removed and regular hex bolts were put in and the ends of the compression clamp or whatever it is called, were ground off providing access to the bolts!

 

[Alabama Rover]

I followed the Push Button procedure written by D Chapman (just search his name and you will find it) and it has worked flawlessly for the past 10 months.

 

[m3-dude]

Mine was stuck for 2 days and then magicaly came out and haven't had a problem since. I guess my day will come soon...

 

[Butch]

Can one of the volume up/down buttons be used as a momentary switch? If so, all I need to pick up is some wire and these two switches and I should be good to go.

http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/DOR4/84843.oap?keyword=switches&pt=N0945&ppt=C0335

 

[Butch]

I got the ignition out and the key after pulling the tumbler. What a mess that was. How do you keep the steering wheel lock from engaging when starting with a screw driver for a few days until I can go buy the parts?

 

[Lutzgaterr]

I have been putting off this issue of a sticky ignition switch for 3 years and it finally got so bad my wife and daughter said they are afraid to drive it for fear of not getting the truck started.
So back to D-web with the review of options. I was hell-bent on taking Chapman?s route with the re-wire approach but continued to read what this board provided. Then I noticed someone was just crazy enough, or maybe very patient, to pull the tumbler and work it over.
Pulling the switch was easy and I used the Dremel approach to cut slots in the security bolts. Once the switch was on my bench, this is what I did:
? Popped off the underside cap where the steering lock bolt resides. There are two springs that push the bolt upwards into the steering column hole. Since the bolt falls downwards due to gravity (unlocked), removal of those 2 springs was all that was required. TIP1= position the switch with the cap-side facing upwards and the key insert on the right-hand side, pry the right-hand side of the cap to remove this easily. If you begin on the other side the cap edge extends into the switch housing and you will break the cap. TIP2= you can drill two 1/8 or slightly larger holes in each corner of the Left-side of the cap and the springs will fall-out.
? Removed the rivet to enable the lock to separate from the switch housing. Again the position of the switch has key entry is on your right-hand side. I have a 97 Disco, so the rivet was brass. I drilled-out the rivet. No worries about damaging anything beneath the rivet, just get it out and the lock slides out easily enough.
? The lock barrel&tumbler, where the key inserts. I read so many times that the key has to be in the tumbler, but if that were the case, you could not remove the tumbler from the barrel. So I removed the key and slowly pulled the tumbler out. TIP3= As you pull the tumbler out, keep your fingers around the tumbler so the hammers and springs remain in place.
? With the tumbler out of the barrel, fingers over the hammers or whatever you call those brass blades that ride the key surface as it goes in/out, insert the key. Doing this holds the blades in place. BTW ou will have two other items fall out but they are easy to see where they go and are only held in place once the tumbler is inserted into the barrel. Those blades that stick-out with the key inserted are filed down to the tumbler surface so they no longer protrude with the key inserted. TIP4= Get a magnifying glass and a bright lamp. TIP5= Use very fine sandpaper to finish sanding down the blade protrusions.
? My tumbler had 6 blades on one side and 7 on the opposing side. Starting from the opposite side where the key inserts into the tumbler, I pulled-out the blades and springs, 2 on one side and 3 on the other. Then used 3-1 oil to lube it up before inserting back into the barrel. TIP6 = Inserting the tumbler into the barrel is a pain. Looking inside the barrel you will see two channels cut inside that extend the entire length. This is where you align the tumbler blades as you stand the tumbler on top of the barrel to begin inserting it. TIP7 = I used a t-pin, stick-pin, to work the blades back into the tumbler. Pushing the spring-loaded blades back into the tumbler allows the tumbler to ease into the barrel. One blade goes in one side, then work the opposite side blade the same, back and forth. Before you know it, the tumbler is back in the barrel. BAM-DONE!
? Put the other bits that fell off when the tumbler was removed from the barrel, then reinsert the entire tumbler/barrel (key-lock) back into the switch housing. TIP8= where you drilled-out the rivet, I used a small screw the hold the key-lock in place.
? Reassemble the ignition switch back on the column.
? TIP9 = Do your final tightening of the security bolts after you install the bottom portion of the column shroud to ensure the ignition switch is aligned with the column shroud key-hole cut-out.
That?s it. No real modifications were made. The switch is like butter, no more steering lock annoyance and it keeps the original setup.

CAUTION ? If you have no patience in dealing with small springs, not much of an ability to see how things work and reassemble?. Do not try this.
Reading these tips will save you hours of agony, hopefully, however, you will have an ignition switch that works better than new.
Hope that helps someone.

 

[sven]

I have been putting off this issue of a sticky ignition switch for 3 years and it finally got so bad my wife and daughter said they are afraid to drive it for fear of not getting the truck started.
So back to D-web with the review of options. I was hell-bent on taking Chapman?s route with the re-wire approach but continued to read what this board provided. Then I noticed someone was just crazy enough, or maybe very patient, to pull the tumbler and work it over.
Pulling the switch was easy and I used the Dremel approach to cut slots in the security bolts. Once the switch was on my bench, this is what I did:
? Popped off the underside cap where the steering lock bolt resides. There are two springs that push the bolt upwards into the steering column hole. Since the bolt falls downwards due to gravity (unlocked), removal of those 2 springs was all that was required. TIP1= position the switch with the cap-side facing upwards and the key insert on the right-hand side, pry the right-hand side of the cap to remove this easily. If you begin on the other side the cap edge extends into the switch housing and you will break the cap. TIP2= you can drill two 1/8 or slightly larger holes in each corner of the Left-side of the cap and the springs will fall-out.
? Removed the rivet to enable the lock to separate from the switch housing. Again the position of the switch has key entry is on your right-hand side. I have a 97 Disco, so the rivet was brass. I drilled-out the rivet. No worries about damaging anything beneath the rivet, just get it out and the lock slides out easily enough.
? The lock barrel&tumbler, where the key inserts. I read so many times that the key has to be in the tumbler, but if that were the case, you could not remove the tumbler from the barrel. So I removed the key and slowly pulled the tumbler out. TIP3= As you pull the tumbler out, keep your fingers around the tumbler so the hammers and springs remain in place.
? With the tumbler out of the barrel, fingers over the hammers or whatever you call those brass blades that ride the key surface as it goes in/out, insert the key. Doing this holds the blades in place. BTW ou will have two other items fall out but they are easy to see where they go and are only held in place once the tumbler is inserted into the barrel. Those blades that stick-out with the key inserted are filed down to the tumbler surface so they no longer protrude with the key inserted. TIP4= Get a magnifying glass and a bright lamp. TIP5= Use very fine sandpaper to finish sanding down the blade protrusions.
? My tumbler had 6 blades on one side and 7 on the opposing side. Starting from the opposite side where the key inserts into the tumbler, I pulled-out the blades and springs, 2 on one side and 3 on the other. Then used 3-1 oil to lube it up before inserting back into the barrel. TIP6 = Inserting the tumbler into the barrel is a pain. Looking inside the barrel you will see two channels cut inside that extend the entire length. This is where you align the tumbler blades as you stand the tumbler on top of the barrel to begin inserting it. TIP7 = I used a t-pin, stick-pin, to work the blades back into the tumbler. Pushing the spring-loaded blades back into the tumbler allows the tumbler to ease into the barrel. One blade goes in one side, then work the opposite side blade the same, back and forth. Before you know it, the tumbler is back in the barrel. BAM-DONE!
? Put the other bits that fell off when the tumbler was removed from the barrel, then reinsert the entire tumbler/barrel (key-lock) back into the switch housing. TIP8= where you drilled-out the rivet, I used a small screw the hold the key-lock in place.
? Reassemble the ignition switch back on the column.
? TIP9 = Do your final tightening of the security bolts after you install the bottom portion of the column shroud to ensure the ignition switch is aligned with the column shroud key-hole cut-out.
That?s it. No real modifications were made. The switch is like butter, no more steering lock annoyance and it keeps the original setup.

CAUTION ? If you have no patience in dealing with small springs, not much of an ability to see how things work and reassemble?. Do not try this.
Reading these tips will save you hours of agony, hopefully, however, you will have an ignition switch that works better than new.
Hope that helps someone.

Just wanted to say thanks for posting this. I did this fix the other day and fixed my key getting stuck problems. My other problem was that I had a replacement key made and it would even turn the damn ignition...it did work in the door and gas door, so I knew the problem had to be the ignition tumbler. A bunch of those wafers were too high when the new key was inserted, so I shaved them down and removed, filed and relubed all those wafers and springs. What a fiddly job but better than spending $500 on a new ignition. Both old key and new keys work flawlessly now.