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Car Forum / Chrysler Cars / July 2008Ignition key stuck in 2003 Chrysler Sebring LX steering column
I can't get the ignition key out of the ignition cylinder. The car is in park. The brake is held down with pressure. I have tried wiggling, twisting, shaking just about everything. Eventually, it will slide out as normal. For the next few insert, start, and remove key - it works fine. Then for some unknown reason, it hangs again. It seems to fail at the last notch, when key is turned counter-clockwise for normal extraction. I will go try & locate the cable linkage from the automatic shifter and see if there is an adjustment. Are there any other things that I can check? I'm pretty sure the key is good, as we just paid Chrysler $30 to cut a new one from the VIN. What is the procedure for removing the key cylinder from the steering column? Does it pop out, or do you need to remove the steering wheel plastic, etc? Possible recall for this problem on a 2003 Sebring LX ? Thanks, Gene > I can't get the ignition key out of the ignition cylinder. > The car is in park. [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > Thanks, > Gene There is an adjustment procedure for the interlock cable at the shifter. On the LH car, there is a cable adjustment locking latch at the shifter (at the shiofter end of the interlock cable sheath) that you release with the key in trhe ignition and the ignition switch in the fully OFF (steering wheel lock) position and the shifter in Park position. This allows the cable to adjust itself to the correct position. Then you re-engage the cable aduster latch. I can only assume the Sebring is designed the same way (but I can't be 100% sure of that - someone would have to check the Sebring FSM). Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x') I would try to lubricate by shooting light oil from a spray can inside the ignition key hole. Good luck. L.G.R. >> I can't get the ignition key out of the ignition cylinder. >> The car is in park. [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address > with the letter 'x') go to locksmith, have them code you a new ing. key cylinder to your key. take it home remove column covers then turn key to run position find small tab on bottom side of column (directly under keyclinder but on outside housing) push in the button and remove the cylinder with key at the same time. the rest is easy dealer cost of said repair 200 or more yours 50 bucs > I would try to lubricate by shooting light oil from a spray can inside the > ignition key hole. Good luck. [quoted text clipped - 39 lines] > > (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address > > with the letter 'x') > go to locksmith, have them code you a new ing. key cylinder to your key. take it > home remove column covers then turn key to run position find small tab on bottom > side of column (directly under keyclinder but on outside housing) push in the > button and remove the cylinder with key at the same time. the rest is easy > dealer cost of said repair 200 or more yours 50 bucs How do you tell if it's a cylinder problem and not a shifter interlock cable adjustment issue? Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x') chrysler ingition cylinders have a real high failure rate and since the car is not in front of me, i can only guess but i do more ingition cylinders than shift interlocks on d.c cars > > go to locksmith, have them code you a new ing. key cylinder to your key. take it > > home remove column covers then turn key to run position find small tab on bottom [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my > address with the letter 'x') > I would try to lubricate by shooting light oil from a spray can inside the > ignition key hole. Good luck. I agree and have used Dura Lube for years. THANKS, all. It turned out to be a really simple fix. The little plastic part in the shifter mechanism was damaged on the top. I simply took an Exacto-knife & trimmed off a tiny bit of plastic that was interfering with the said part popping up and into the park position. Once the plastic part could pop up, the cable was pulled and the park switch was tripped - this sending a signal to let ne have my key. Seeing that it was a crummy design, I popped of the lid on my 2003 Sebring also - and it was starting to fail as well. All you need to do is gently trim off a little of the damaged (worn) plastic & spray on a little white grease - then all is like new. THANKS again, Gene >I can't get the ignition key out of the ignition cylinder. > The car is in park. [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > Thanks, > Gene > THANKS, all. > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > THANKS again, > Gene So it wasn't the cylinder itself - I wondered. Based on this one incident and a recent discussion on the 300M Club forums, I have to wonder how many of these "stuck key" scenarios are related to the shifter interlock and not the cylinder itself. Seems the knee jerk reaction by dealers and locksmiths, as well as people on various forums is that it's always the cylinder needing replacing. Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x') > > THANKS, all. > > [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my > address with the letter 'x') When the ignition cyl goes bad the key will not turn to the start or the off position or it just wont come out !! If the Shifter Interlock is the problem the key will go to start and back but will not go to the off position. Glenn I'm not positive, but I think there was a Technical Service Bulletin about this, or a related issue. I vaugely recall reading about a problem with the shifter "popping out of park" or something like that, and something related to the interlock switch. Might be related to what you had, or might be totally different. Not sure. If the TSB applies to your car, the dealer will repair for no charge. > I'm not positive, but I think there was a Technical Service Bulletin > about this, or a related issue. I vaugely recall reading about a [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > If the TSB applies to your car, the dealer will repair for no charge. Don't count on the "no charge" part >> I'm not positive, but I think there was a Technical Service Bulletin >> about this, or a related issue. I vaugely recall reading about a [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Don't count on the "no charge" part Yes - with very few exceptions, every TSB I've read have this at the end: "POLICY: Reimbursable within the provisions of the warranty.", meaning if vehicle is still under warranty, the repair or adjustment is covered. If out of warranty, the repair is on the customer's nickel. Bill Putney (To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my address with the letter 'x') |
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