QuestionQUESTION: Hi Ted,
I have a 95 Geo Prizm, which I'm told is mostly a Toyota Corolla. Yesterday, the ignition lock jammed, and I called a locksmith who couldn't get the key to turn enough to pull the ignition lock out. So he ended up drilling it out. Today, I purchased a new lock assembly, and have tried several times to install it. I can get it installed so that the key turns as it's supposed to, but the car won't start. I'm thinking that this may have something to do with the fact that the locksmith also pulled out the metal rod that controls the steering wheel lock (the thing that's attached to the metal rectangle that slides into the ignition lock --if you know what this is called, please let me know). I've reinstalled this, but it doesn't seem to be functioning correctly. Basically, I can get the accessories to work, but I can't get the car to start, and the key seems to move freely between start and on. Are there any diagrams that show how things are supposed to look with the ignition assembly? Do you have any tips on how the thing the ignition lock assembly slides into should look?
Thanks for your help!
ANSWER: Are you able to put the key to the "START" position and if not to what position are you able to turn it?
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: Hi again,
I discovered what the problem is today, but fixing it is proving difficult. The ignition lock assembly I purchased is working fine, and I have no trouble installing it. The problem is with the the rod in the back of the ignition housing that the lock assembly turns. The end of this has broken off. The parts that unlock the steering wheel and the shifter are there, and working fine, but the end part that I assume activates the ignition switch (thus getting the car to start) is broken off, and stuck in the housing (on the other side of that little hole). So I'm wondering if there's any way I can replace this part, (It's a metal rod about three inches long with a rectangle at one end that slides into the ignition lock assembly) or if I need to replace the whole ignition unit, housing and all. Also, I'm wondering if I'll be able to get the tip that broke off and is rattling around above the ignition switch out, or if I'll have to take the whole unit off to get that out (I'm not sure how big this broken piece is, because I don't know what the end looked like before it broke). Have you ever run into a problem like this before? Since the car is stuck in my driveway, and since the ignition lock assembly will unlock the steering wheel and shifter, do you think there's a way I could unscrew the plastic ignition switch and activate it manually to make the car start and run, or would this cause the warp core to blow up?
Thanks again for all your help.
AnswerThat piece is not available seperately and is part of the ignition lock assembly that attaches to the steering column. The plastic part of the switch that has the electrical contacts in it can be removed by removing the phillips screw, turning the slotted center part will allow you to start and drive the car as long as the steering wheel doesn't lock.
