The Key Won't Budge in the Ignition

[loudandheard]

So I go to start my car and the key won't move out of the position I put it in. The problem started around wednesday, but I managed to move the streering wheel back and fourth and it let the key start the engine.

So I called mercedes roadside assistance and they say that there's nothing they can do, but call a tow truck driver. The mercedes tech said maybe one of the keys in the ignition lock wore down or something to that nature. I know it's not the key, because it works in the door and I even tried that master key.
I read thisTHREAD (http://www.club202.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4084&highlight=key) on the forum, but he did not state the resolution. Does anyone know any thing about this problem, what I can do about it, and what might it cost. Oh, and the tow truck guy is going to charge me $100 to tow it down the road. Oh well. The car is a 96 c220 with almost 140000 miles. Any help would be appreciated.

[69chevelle]

.I have had that problem with my ignition where it won't turn but sometimes the chip won't relay info with the car. Then I have to pull out the key and reinsert it for it to work. I know you don't have the computer key but my problem is similar.

[vbrock1137]

Sounds like this isn't the case, but your steering wheel isn't locked to either side is it? Ignition will lock if the steering wheel's been moved much w/o the key in.

Probably not a chance this is your problem, but I remember in my first car, a W126, I couldn't figure out how to start it 'cuz the steering was locked. I finally moved the wheel a little from the locked position and, hey, no problems, lol.

Hope this post makes sense, I'm drunk right now.

[202rules]

It happens to me with the driver side door. Sometimes it just doesn't wanna move, and I have to take it out and put it back in and repeat that like 10 times until it works, sometimes I just say fuck it and I walk back to the trunk open the car from there and start the car, and when I lock the car again and try to unlock it it would be working again.

It pisses me off when it happens and I think the problem is in my driver side door lock not in my key.

[loudandheard]

When I called MB roadside assistance they recommended a tow truck driver. I finally speak to him and he tells me he can't make it for a couple of hours, mind you this was at 6pm. He wants me to just leave the car there and wait for him in a pretty risky area. I told him it's going to be hard to get the car because of the club in front, but he said he can do it anyways. He ends up showing up to my house around 11pm and told me he can't pick it up because there are too many people there and he can't get the car in to neutral. I told him, but he thought I didn't know what I was talking about. So the car spends the night at that parking lot, thankfully it's still the same way as I left it.

The steering wheel is locked and I can't move the tires. I tried turning the steering wheel, but nothing.

[Renn 208]

I'm sure you've probably already covered this, but your transmission doesn't happen to be in a gear other than park is it?

[loudandheard]

Nope, it's in park. I turned off the car and went into the store to buy something with the key in my pocket. I can't move the steering wheel or the car out of the parked position. It sucks too because I just barely got my car back after not being able to drive it for the whole summer and I have the a/c working too. The car has no mechanical or electrical problems so far, thank God! The only problems is I can't manage to turn the key in the ignition to get the car to start, as it will not move out of the position I inserted it. Just bad luck I guess.

[202rules]

Originally posted by Renn 208
I'm sure you've probably already covered this, but your transmission doesn't happen to be in a gear other than park is it?

I think in that case the key turns but not all the way so you can't start the car. You can turn on all the electric stuff. I think his problem is that his key is just not moving, right?

[loudandheard]

Yeah that's exactly thte problem, but I can't get the key into the second position to turn on the radio or the a/c. All the lights come on when I open the door like usual. I think I might have to replace the ignition lock cylinder. Not sure how or how much yet, hopefully less than $500, but that's being optimistic if I have to take it to the stealership.

[mbsickness]

I had the same thing happen to my 94 C280. The key one day decided not to turn at all. Tried all the tricks....WD-40, graphite, sawall vibrating the key...nothing worked. I ended up having the car toewed to the dealer and they cut the lock out. The total bill was about $550 if my memory is correct.

[loudandheard]

Some times I wish I was wrong when it came to the prices to fix my car. I just think that some thing like the ignition lock wouldn't go bad. That should be the last thing to go wrong with a car. At least the A/C works once I can get the key turned.

[202rules]

Originally posted by loudandheard
Some times I wish I was wrong when it came to the prices to fix my car. I just think that some thing like the ignition lock wouldn't go bad. That should be the last thing to go wrong with a car. At least the A/C works once I can get the key turned.

I thought you said you CAN'T get the key turned!!

If you can turn the key but it can't turn all the way, check whether your shift lever is not in the park position; it should be.

[loudandheard]

I just got my A/C repaired and I was just saying that once I get the key to turn again I will have my A/C to look forward to. Sorry about the confusion. I was just trying to show some optimisim in a bad situation.

[loudandheard]

I had my car taken to the stealership and they quoted me $750 to do the job. They said they have to remove the bottom portion of the dash and replace some 8 inch tumbler assembly and the electronic lock.

[Sulaco]

Mother of pearl.

This exact same thing just happened to me.

When leaving this morning to go to work.

On christmas eve.

Now I'm stranded home alone with a busted old 202 and can't drive home (3 hours) to be with the family.

Help!!!

Stealership quoted me 4 to 500 AFTER I tow it 40 minutes to their shop.

I make $18k a year fellas. I'm so broke I didn't even buy xmas gifts for anyone this year.

[vinnie201]

this same thing happened to me this past summer. my key would only move so far as to unlock the steering wheel and nuthing else-no start no electronics. I had to buy a new ignition cylinder (which i ordered from mercedesshop.com after furnishing my registration for i believe was around 60 bucks) and i believe i had to purchase a new ignition cylinder cover. If your steering lock is broken you might also need to purchase a new lock. there is also a special tool that removes the cylinder cover, but i remember i never bought the tool i just kind of finagled it off pressing down and twisting.
I did the entire job on my own tho, it wasnt all that hard. knee bolster comes off then steering wheel, gauges. steering wheel spline has to be loosened up and dropped down. the whole dash doesnt need to come out but a good amount of work. not too hard of a job tho im no mechanic and i was able to pull it off! I did have the haynes manual also tho which came in useful with the electrical schematics. i can scan the pages from my manual if ya want on the procedure. If you dont have the dough for the stealership but don't want to attempt yourself, call around to some locksmiths, there were some around me i know that are capable. be careful who you call tho, im a maniac when it comes to work on my car so i wouldnt let just anyone touch it. plus you dont want somebody who doesnt kno what they are doing. hope this helps.

[Sulaco]

I keep finding reports that I must be able to get my key into position 1 before I can remove the assembly. If I can't get it into position 1, then I have to spend HOURS sawing through the entire thing somehow.

How did you get the lock cylinder/assembly out?

I've done every major repair on my car myself (including head gasket replacement--on an m104!). I'm not afraid of this job :)

[DirectLA]

Sorry to hear of your problems, but I'm curious if you may have already tried using your spare key since mine did this a couple of times and I just used my spare which worked. I then realized the little infrared cover was a bit dirty on my regular key and had fine scratches so I used plastic polish to smooth the surface and it has worked fine ever since. The scratches seem to interfere with the ability of the key to transmit data to the ignition, and mine wouldn't make the little "click" that indicates the key has been read and unlocked the ignition. Is your car making the click sound or nothing at all? You can use the kind of plastic polish made for headlamp covers but the best thing is a product called PolyWatch used to shine acrylic wristwatch crystals.

Worth a try anyway since it's a simple and cheap fix if this is the cause.

[vinnie201]

I keep finding reports that I must be able to get my key into position 1 before I can remove the assembly. If I can't get it into position 1, then I have to spend HOURS sawing through the entire thing somehow.

on my car i was only able to unlock the steering nothing else, i dont know if that is a position or whatever, but you do need the steering to be unlocked to take the cylinder out i believe (maybe, i am not too sure about that). I actually did this job almost 2 summers ago, not this past summer so trying to recollect what i did is kind of hard. I know The whole thing is one unit with each attached to the other via screws or bolts or something: ignition switch (which is the electrical), steering lock and ignition cylinder (at least on my 94 c280 it was). looking how to remove any of those will give you the basic overall procedure. I didn't do any sawing or cutting just removing parts one at a time. if you did a headgasket you sure as hell can do this!! im going to look in the haynes manual tomorrow morn and see, (todays my bros bday so i will be crap face in about an hour).

[vinnie201]

something just hit me, i remember i couldn't get the cylinder out the easy way (which is using the tool), i forget why but it had to do with the position as well i think. This is what i did. removed knee bolster, removed steering wheel, I partially removed the steering column. I remember undoing two top bolts and two at the bottom i think. I did not completely remove the column i just dropped it down, and i may have loosened up something that looked like a coil around the column by loosing a horizontally mounted bolt into a collar for the steering shaft. Sorry i know this is hard to understand. This whole operation i just winged. i didn't undo anywires or anything. I can just described it as giving my self space by loosening up the column, NOT REMOVING IT. then take the gauges out. at this point you should be able to see what you are dealing with and how to go about taking it out. Like i said i basically jus started taking all this stuff off becuz the dealership was not an option for me, i was a broke bum in college. I just knew the problem and winged the operation becuz i had no choice. I do remember that with the cylinder out, DO NOT LOCK THE STEERING. if you do it will be permanently locked( it mentions that in the haynes guide).
now that i think about it, my thread may still be up here somewhere.
EDIT: ya its up here but it stops when i discovered the locksmith idea, which i then threw out the window after i met the guy who looked like a sht head.

[Sulaco]

DirectLA:
pre-update 202's have a classic, mechanical key.

vinnie201:
Thanks! Your advice is the most accurate I have gotten yet. I've had my steering wheel and instrument panel out before (to clean those pesky speedo/fuel needles). But this time I can't unlock the steering wheel to aim it down so that my torx driver will easily fit in there to remove the airbag (which I'm considering pawning to pay for this gig).

ANY advice from you would be appreciated GREATLY.

Which parts did you have to replace?

[Sulaco]

Does this seem too good to be true? Would it save me from buying the $200-$300 in replacement parts?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/94-96-Mercedes-C220-C280-Ignition-Switch_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2em20Q2el11 16QQitemZ330278033299QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fP artsQ5fAccessories

[DirectLA]

Someone over at Benzworld just posted this in the w202 section. Made me think of your issue again, maybe worth following the thread for a possible resolution.

http://www.benzworld.org/forums/w202-c-class/1362505-mb-key-question.html

[Sulaco]

I really wish it were that easy, but pre update 202's have classic mechanical keys. There are no parts to the key. The key is a solid metallic key with a plastic tip that goes on the keyring. There's no sensor in the key nor in the ignition assembly. It's roughly the same design mercedes used from their first car until the 1996 model year.

[DirectLA]

Apologies, I somehow missed that you told me you have a mechanical key earlier in this thread.

One thing I tried on an old Dodge with a similar problem was just to buy some graphite lube (powder form, comes in a small tube from hardware or auto parts stores) and give a brief "puff" or two into the assembly making sure you push back any door or cover that may be present so it gets down inside. This also worked well on door locks and a trunk lock that were sticking a bit, made them smooth and function just like new... great stuff. A very cheap and easy fix if the problem happens to be the mechanism just got bound up a bit. Maybe similar to what WD40 does but I don't like the idea of squirting liquid into electrical components.

Also, as far as that eBay auction you posted, I don't know if it would help you or not but as cheap as the part is you might want to buy it before someone else does just so you have the option. The seller said it's guaranteed to function and he also has a return policy so if you tried it and it didn't fix the problem it sounds like you could still get your money back. Good luck and keep us updated.

[vinnie201]

Originally posted by Sulaco
Does this seem too good to be true? Would it save me from buying the $200-$300 in replacement parts?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/94-96-Mercedes-C220-C280-Ignition-Switch_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQ_trksidZp3286Q2em20Q2el11 16QQitemZ330278033299QQptZMotorsQ5fCarQ5fTruckQ5fP artsQ5fAccessories

sorry been a little busy!, that ebay pic looks like the ignition switch with the cylinder (which you could very well change becuz the whole setup needs to be taken out from what i have experienced). i did purchase an ignition cylinder cover but that was only becuz mine was scratched and ugly from the previous owner. all you really need is the cylinder, which is the only functional part that i orderd for my car. (unless you find that you have to cutt the steering lock or wut not to get to the cylinder, then you will have to replace those parts as well). and you mite want to special order that part unless you want to walk around with two different sets of keys!! one for the doorlocks and one for ignition! I had to order the cylinder from mercedesshop.com and also had to furnish proof of registration and ownership. so the ignition key would match the doorlocks. the good news is that when you order the cylinder it comes with a new key so if you dont have a spare(i didnt) you will after you order it.
Truth be told everything is alot more understandable when your car is a mess but you have the problem piece in your hand. you will have no car but you will kno exactly what you need. i had a motorcylce at the time, so the job did take me a few days (i also didnt rush becuz i had an alternate means of transportation, so you mite be able to do this job quicker than me).

also one other thing i have no tilt on my steering so i winded up using the home depot/lowes or any hardware stores little pocket torx head foldable (kind of like a folding knife but with every torx head size). i took the foldable thingy apart to get the rite size torx head and using pliers was able to unscrew the bolt. i dont kno how but i managed to. jus some insight since ya cant get ur airbag off. I have fashioned some crazy crap to get bolts and nuts off believe me!

[Sulaco]

Such a curious twist to this story for me, fellas.

Since posting in this thread, I never did have the money/tools/parts to fix the car.

I did, however, meet an amazing girl and start dating her. After a month of me still being shuttled around in her Sebring, she convinces me to let it be towed to her dad's shop. He yanked the entire steering column out of a wrecked 96 or 97 and replaced mine with it. That bypassed the whole drilling of the ignition lock!

However, now I have the world's only 1994 C280 with a flip-out switchblade-style key from an updated 202. Too bad that little tri-star button on the key won't lock/unlock my doors...

Irony: the ignition switch in this used one is quirky. When I turn the key over it won't start the car. But if I turn it back towards the off position juuuust slightly, it triggers the starter and the car will start. Once the car starts I have to quickly turn the key back to the on position to keep it running.

I'm guessing that means I need to put a new ignition switch on the back of this used lock cylinder/housing/assembly?