How do you unlock the steering wheel/ignition on a 1999 ford contour
II parked on a hill and iI think iI turned the wheels too tight because the steering wheel is locked. when iI insert the key, iy goes in but will not turn at all. iI need assistance!!
Remove the upper and lower steering column covers.
Turn the ignition lock to the accessory position.
Insert a 0.125 (3.17mm) wire pin or small drift punch in the hole at the top of the cylinder housing and depress the retaining pin while pulling out the lock cylinder
To Install:
Turn the new lock cylinder to accessory position and while pressing the retaining pin in, insert the lock cylinder into the housing.
Turn the key to the OFF position the release the retaining pin.
Remove the upper and lower steering column covers.
Insert a 0.125 (3.17mm) drill bit in the hole at the top of the cylinder housing and drill out the retaining pin.
NOTE: Be careful not to drill into the lock cylinder housing.
Pull out the lock cylinder.
Clean out all the metal shavings and check the tube for damage. If damaged, the housing must be replaced.
To Install:
Turn the new lock cylinder to accessory position and while pressing the retaining pin in, insert the lock cylinder into the housing.
Turn the key to the OFF position the release the retaining pin.
Try the lock cylinder operation in all positions.
Reinstall the steering column covers.
Reconnect the negative battery cable.
Remove the three screws and remove the lower column cover
- If you need clarification, ask it in the comment box above.
- Better answers use proper spelling and grammar.
- Provide details, support with references or personal experience.
Tell us some more! Your answer needs to include more details to help people.You can't post answers that contain an email address.Please enter a valid email address.The email address entered is already associated to an account.Login to postPlease use English characters only.
Tip: The max point reward for answering a question is 15.
is gear shift if PARK?????
are front tires crushed to the curb??? we can not see that
key is not able to turn to ON, sure.
so to do that , we have to man handle the wheel.
(for sure at any curb)
hard left and hard right even 20 lbs of force. and at the same time gently wiggle the key to ON.
it will go if front tires, not down steep hill, pointing to a curb.
we can not see where you car is, so answers can get complex.
ever drive in San Francisco, I did in 1968 , thanks to MIL draft thing..
down hill parking there takes SKILLS,.
even getting out of PARK is even more hard there. that is a 2nd lock.
Probably can't be done if it is late enough to be fitted with a security system. In that case the key will have a coded transponder which the system will recognise and send a signal the the engine management to switch it on.
You either need a correctly coded key or remove the engine ECU and have it decoded.
Can you take the trans out of park if you unlock the steering wheel but not turn the ignition on ? Assuming the car is not on a steep hill, there may be a problem with the brake switch or the electric solenoid that locks the shifter in park.
As cars age, the key lock gets worn. Insert the key, and simultaneously try to turn the key while rocking the wheel left to right. It should release the lock. Many times if there is back pressure from the wheels, it will make the lock difficult. Set the brake and let the wheel relax before locking the ignition.
I think from what you are saying the wheels are turned enough that they are putting load on the steering wheel. When you get ready to turn the key on - turn steering wheel left or right a little (you will feel which way is hard against lock) enough to get load off lock with your arm strength and then the key should turn fine. This can happen when you parked on hill or had wheel turned when shutting down car.
Let me suggest that you try any other key that you have for that car if you have one, sometimes a key can be bent or twisted & no longer work properly. Secondly, you could just have the steering wheel "pinched" into a tight position so you need to turn it left or right to relieve the pressure while you are attempting to turn the key.(it's just a 1/2 inch of movement or so that you're looking to move it while it is locked) If this fails to release the ignition switch & allow you to turn the key on, then there is something either wrong with the ignition cylinder or the ignition switch. good luck
Did you park on a hill or in a tight parking spot with your steering wheel cranked to one side?
Try turning the steering wheel (will be very hard to do) as you put the key in the ignition and try to turn the key on, if that doesn't work, try turning the wheel the other way while turning on the key.
It was very likely that the problem turning the key was due to the steering column lock mechanism. Sometimes when you lock the steering wheel, if you the mechanism will bind up, making it difficult to unlock the ignition with the key. Often when this happens, you will be parked on a hill with your wheels agains a curb or some such item. Once you turn the wheel hard to the right (or left), the pressure is released on the locking mechanism, and the key will turn easily. This is a similar situation to what can happen in an automatic if you park on a hill without the parking brake. try doing this: pop the off the circle piece around the ignition and the holster cover under the steering wheel. that ought to work.
try turning the steering wheel left and right while turning the key, sometimes when you park with your wheels turned it will lock the wheel and key. you may have to put a little force into turning the wheel, nothing that will make u sweat... hope this helps you and good luck!!!
×