Both my steering wheel & my ignition is locked, my car was working fine yesterday and this morning as i got up to go to work, got in the car, put the key in and i can't turn the key, i tried holding the steering wheel and turning it a bit and try to turn the key thinking, cause my foot was on the brakes, but still nothing, i looked it up on google, and most people said, it's with the alarm system or something like that, but i just want to find another way that i can unlock it my self, with no money involved, cause economic is kinda crappy & i'm too broke to have someone else come fix it for me, so please if you can help me, i would appreciate it so much. Thank you for taking your time to read & help me out with my car problem. =)
Pretty normal thing there. Put a little muscle into the steering wheel while turning the key. I would bet my life that happens everyone in the world who drives a car
Looks like you are getting lots of advice. This has worked for me:
Foot on brake
Hold shift arm tight left in park
Find soft side on steering wheel and hold tight to that side
The key has two sides try both of them
Good luck
This is probably to simple but my 2006 cobalt had a similar problem one time. My wife key was not working but I tried mine and it worked. Try another key if you have one. If you need to have one made do it at a dealer let them make you a factory original. Do not duplicate the one you have. I think it cost about forty dollars, I had another key made for my wife.
I have this problem every now and again when I park on uneven ground. It sound like the security pin is locked against the steering column. You can't force this. Usually the steering wheel will feel solidly locked turning it in one direction and has a little bit of give in the other. Turn the wheel in the give direction while turning the ignition key. If you turn the steering wheel too far it will lock in the opposite direction. Turning the steering wheel is difficult because the power steering pump is off. The technique then is to turn the key with a bit more pressure than usual and turn the steering wheel slightly in either direction if you can't tell which is the best way.
Good luck
I have this problem every now and again when I park on uneven ground. It sound like the security pin is locked against the steering column. You can't force this. Usually the steering wheel will feel solidly locked turning it in one direction and has a little bit of give in the other. Turn the wheel in the give direction while turning the ignition key. If you turn the steering wheel too far it will lock in the opposite direction. Turning the steering wheel is difficult because the power steering pump is off. The technique then is to turn the key with a bit more pressure than usual and turn the steering wheel slightly in either direction if you can't tell which is the best way.
Good luck
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Are you still having this issue? And if so are the tires turned?
Sounds like a brake switch, possibly a bad wire or switch in the brake system interlock. Just my best on the fly guess.
Try to put foot on brake and give wheel hard turn as u turn key im caa driver and has worked for temp fix ive then taken steering wheel off and relubed and mechanism with white grease
Some of the vehicles still use the rod system for the shift of the transmission. Open the hood and look for the steering shaft and see if there is a bar off the side of it. If there is pull it in an up ward motion. It does not have to move much to unlock the key. Then you can turn the key normally and unlock the wheel. Hope this helps.
Give your steering wheel a hard jerk to the left, with your foot on the brake. Been working for me for over twenty years.
When you tray to unlock the wheel, move the wheel left to right and right o left repeatedly during you are turning the key.
Good luck!
They are on the right track with the steering wheel being jammed; but what they didnt say is that one way it will be solid hard and the other will be slightly springy, that's the way to pull it so it is free then try the key
Clean the key sometimes dust can affect or other thing like oil coming form food if you happen to touch the key with oil from meat
If it's an automatic transmission, put it in neutral, let the vehicle move slightly. You might have to jiggle the key gently and move the steering wheel back and forth aggressively. Your? foot should be on the brake though, and parking brake off.
A few notes:
Never ever use wd40 in a lock unless the issue is water has entered the lock. Wd40 is an extreamly lite oil designed to push water out or temporarily seal a metal surface from water or air
Solution
Bring your key to a locksmith they have a lathe that reads a worn key and predicts what the key was originally I have used this method in Ford , gm, Mercedes and Acura cars
It often works and does not damage existing parts
Why it works
Locks typically have hardened pins and cylinders and the key is designed to take the wear. In extreme cases the key will wear to a place that it no longer works
Many people say the cylinder or lock is dirty or my favorite you had too many keys on the ring and that wore out the lock. No.
Prevention of problem
Keep an original key for duplication.
Other solution
Go to dealer with title and photo I'd they can pull the original key codes and make you a key.
Good luck
I'm not familiar with Durango, but my Hyundai Accent has a lock override, check your owners manual.
All I can add is my steering wheel and ignition sometimes lock if I am holding the steering wheel and give the slightest turn when I am turning the key to turn off the engine or even after the engine is off, the steering wheel and ignition will lock. All I do is turn the steering wheel, which is hard because it is locked, but keep trying and eventually it will hopefully unlock.
To begin, are you parked on a grade or with the front tires against a curb? The steering wheel lock is mechanical; a metal pin or plate engages a notch in the lock plate which is under the steering wheel. If there is rotational force against the lock, such as by a front wheel being "pinched" against something, the force against the lock tang makes it very difficult to retract it by only turning the key(I've seen people break the key off trying to force it to turn). The best, most simple thing you can is to grab the steering wheel and use force to rotate it while trying to turn the key. If this doesn't work or if you don't have the strength, try getting a friend to: #1 block the rear wheels so the car can't roll, and #2 jack the side where the tire is against something up to release the pressure. Then you should be able to turn the key. ps, be sure in the future to avoid having the tire against anything when parking.
SOURCE: Locked ignition and steering column
either you have the wrong key,or try turning the steering wheel to the right all the way,then turn key,this usually happens when you park the vehicle and the wheels are turned,then the steering wheel locks hard
SOURCE: my key will not turn,
your key is probably worn down and needs replaced, but you can try spraying a penetrating oil (WD40 or PB Blaster) into the lock cylinder this sometimes works
SOURCE: 2006 Durango problems
try tapping the lock cylinder with a small hammer...some times this will jar the tumblers and allow it to turn...if this works the lock cylinder is going bad and will need replaced
SOURCE: key doesn't turn in ignition
Give the lock a few puffs of graphite dust (available at any hardware store or craft supply store). Stroke the key in and out of the lock (this is called raking the pins), and then turn the lock. Should be better than new.
If, however, this doesn't fix it, you may have to replace the lock.
I'm betting on the graphite.
Best regards, --W/D--
SOURCE: I put key in ignition
A couple of guesses so if it fails you'll have to post the problem again.
1) Is there a button to release the ignition lock, sometimes on the underneath of the steering column?
2) Assuming no or you've already tried that, sometimes, if when parked, the steering wheel is turned slightly, the steering lock and the ignition lock bind. Just try rocking the steering wheel left and right, no more than 8th of a turn, while trying to turn the ignition key. May just work.
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Well, i'm 22 yrs old, female, and have no idea about fixing cars, all i know how to do is change oil & change tires, but nothing like this..so needing to hurry and get da car back up and no one to respond anywhere, even family to help me out...i took da steering wheel apart and hook everything back up again & there it was back to normal n car steering wheel & ignition was back to normal again...but thanks anyways.. =)=)=)
Hi this happen to me once in my 00 Camry I put some wd40 fluid in to the key ignition because the lock sylinders gets dry and works for a while after few months later happen again I took the ignition of the the locksmith fixed for 25 bucks if the car stars and the steering wheel wont work steering wheel pump is bad hopefully you can fix it easily
Spray wd40 in where you put the key until it comes out put the key in tap on the key with a screw driver handle pretty hard about 7 or 8 time repeatedly don't try to drive the screw driver the the colom then try turning the key if it works don't turn it back to the lock position and don't take the key out if you have another key bring it with you so you can lock the car when you get to where you are going and your car needs a new ignition good luck
See answer below wd40 will cause more harm than good in a lock use it only to remove moisture
Change the steering column but make sure the new or used column has a key Dodge is bad about steering column locks I had to do it on my Chrysler town and country when you park those vehicles you must set the front wheels straight
No exactly sure of the question, but I know if your wheels were turned when you turned tye car off it will bind the steering column and not allow you to turn the key to start the car the next time. You really need to use two hands on the steering wheel and pull it in the same direction that you were turning prior to turning off the car and then get a 2nd person to turn the key and it will unlock the steering wheel and you will be on your way again. HOWEVER ALWAYS REMEMBER TO HAVE YOUR WHEELS FACING STRAIGHT PRIOR TO TURNING OFF THE CAR AND YOU WILL ELIMINATE THIS PROBLES FOR GOOD. GOOD LUCK.
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