Allright, I've known about my ignition switch going bad for a few weeks... I bought the parts, I got the tool for pulling the stearing wheel, I was waiting for a weekend off to take care of it... Luck is NOT on my friggin side... It was BAD, after work, when I went to start, something snapped... I couldnt turn the car to the start position. After messing with it, I got it started, and drove home

I tried to shut it off, couldnt do it. Messed with the ignition again, and forced it to shut off (did NOT bend the key) The key has scratches on it... Like a pin got jammed sideways.

Key no longer can turn... I need this car to go to school, and work...

I've got it dissasembled as far as currently possible... There's a "Steering Wheel Lock Plate" that's NOT mentioned in the manual (OMFG), and I need to get the lock plate off... There's a snap ring under it, and you apparently need to push down on the plate, to get at the ring... NOT possible with my two hands... No room for anybody to help me.

Can somebody help me? I NEED to locate that tool, but everything's shut down for the night....... except walmart (and they dont have the tool)

If i cant buy it, I need to make it, or find a way to get around having to use it...

I can SEE the damn ignition, I just cant touch it.
PLEASE HELP
~Nate

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95 Honda Shadow ACE 1100.
1999 Plymouth Neon Expresso. 2.4 swap, 10.5 to 1 comp, big cams. Autocross time attack vehicle!
2012 Escape, 'hunter" (5 sp 4cyl)

quitting before I break anything... it "kinda" works

The key is now stuck in the car, but... it's in the run position, and usually (14 out of the 15 times I tried) freely move to the start position.... I will start the car exactly three times tomarrow... In the morning on the way to school, in the afternoon leaving school and going tool hunting, and heading home from work

9:30-11:45, got the wheel off, stared at the damn lock plate, pushed on said plate, pried on said plate, hit said plate with hammer... Contimplated grinding said plate off... Contimplated kicking the ass of whoever designed that God forsaken PEICE OF **** LOCKING PLATE

O, and I lost a c-clip

fixed my horn though, apparently whoever last took the wheel off was retarded, and didnt hook the horn wire back up
BLECH God damn cars... I have 3, cant drive one (runs like **** ford), shouldnt drive one (nearly mint mercedes), and then this one I get to leave the key in...

OMFG

night all, sorry for the rant
~Nate

__________________
95 Honda Shadow ACE 1100.
1999 Plymouth Neon Expresso. 2.4 swap, 10.5 to 1 comp, big cams. Autocross time attack vehicle!
2012 Escape, 'hunter" (5 sp 4cyl)

remove the key cylinder and seperate it.. their is usually a portion the the end that is turned by the lock cylinder.. use a screw driver to start that sheissewagen... i used to on my colt

first let me say when i tell you how to do it you will feel like an idiot!it's so simple.o.k.before i get started is it a tilt-telescopic wheel???if so the sequence is different.(this is for tilt only)here is a cheap easy way to get that lock plate off,they do make a special tool but you definately don't want to buy it if your only gonna use it once.what i used to do in my dads shop is get a big somewhat wide washer that will fit over the splines down to the lockplate,a little slop over the splines is good,you don't want it too tight.now it's not gonna go to the plate as the horn button extension is in the way.now go get a couple of small 3/8ths sockets say 3/8,and 7/16 these should be shallow enough,but they must be the same heighth.put the washer on the shaft and the nut,just start the nut,then put a socket on each side under the washer,while turning the nut down,til you have pressure on the sockets to hold them in place,now just tighten the big nut.it will expose the snap-ring,but i will warn you it can be a real PIA to get out,also keep an eye on the sockets as they will want to move around and you don't want one popping out at you,you need 2 really small screwdrivers,once you get it started out just get under it with the other and work your way around,don't take the first screwdriver out though as the snapring will pop right back in place.once out just loosen the big nut,but not all the way,when you get to the end of the threads,push down on the lock plate and the sockets will drop out.once the plate is off you need to pull the screw on the 4-way flasher button and remove it,then you will have 3 phillips screws on the turn signal switch.and if it has a tilt wheel there should be a little arm attached to the turn signal switch,this has a screw on it too.once all that is done you can sometimes just pull out on the t-signal switch far enough to get at (either)a screw or a little slot,that has a tang in it that you push down to release the key switch.one more thing,there is a plastic piece over that last screw that holds the keyswitch,it has 2 little copper contacts,this is the key buzzer,just pull the plastic piece out and the copper contact will fall down in the slot then pull it out too.this has to be removed before you can get to the screw,and it must be removed if you don't have the keyswitch in the run position.now if it's a tilt-tele,which beings you got the wheel off i assume it's not,they are a whole different story,if thats the case post back and i'll tell you how to get it off. if by chance you can't get the t-signal swithc to pull out far enough,you will have to remove the lower dash trim panel and then take off the bracket that holds the steering column,then you can feed the wiring harness up the column a little ways.

one more thing you mentioned losing a c-clip,what did it look like.a triangle by chance??if so don't worry about it.

Yeah, only reason for it to be there would be if the nut magicly loosens itself, or the stearing wheel falls off it's taper (yeah... right)

It's just the tilt stearing wheel, thank you for the write up

It's stuck in the start position... I'll make it turn to the run position...

I'll try the sockets, but I'm pricing out the tool... I'm playing hookie from school to fix my car.. awesome...

4 and a half hours till i need to go to work Wish me luck

damn gm cars...

o well, nice car otherwise
~Nate

__________________
95 Honda Shadow ACE 1100.
1999 Plymouth Neon Expresso. 2.4 swap, 10.5 to 1 comp, big cams. Autocross time attack vehicle!
2012 Escape, 'hunter" (5 sp 4cyl)

fixed it... Bought the tool for $21.09 after giving up on the socket/washer idea...

Took the colum apart, and got the tumbler out. put my new one in, and reassembled the colum...

I just need to put the stearing wheel and cover back on.

O, and I threw my old tumbler on the ground as hard as I could, and now it turns freely.... awesome (I can still remove the key in any position though... o well)

tks for the help
~Nate

__________________
95 Honda Shadow ACE 1100.
1999 Plymouth Neon Expresso. 2.4 swap, 10.5 to 1 comp, big cams. Autocross time attack vehicle!
2012 Escape, 'hunter" (5 sp 4cyl)

sometimes when hitting things it makes them work..

why didnt you just rent the tool at autozone?

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have no worries.....President Obama swears "If you like your gun, you can keep it

no autozones nearby, And I'm driving a truck with a stuck power valve that's been getting between 6 and 10 MPG..... Hella expensive to drive anywhere, so, i went to the closist place that had it(napa)

whatever, it's fixed
~Nate

__________________
95 Honda Shadow ACE 1100.
1999 Plymouth Neon Expresso. 2.4 swap, 10.5 to 1 comp, big cams. Autocross time attack vehicle!
2012 Escape, 'hunter" (5 sp 4cyl)