Key hard to remove from ignition lock

[Edward Bloomer]

Well here's on for you. I think I maybe having the same problem. First the key was hard to get out, then I remote stop working, then the AC and head lights will not come, then the steering lock will not wok. Now when I pull the key out the dash says key not removed. After turning the key back and forth the head lights and AC starts to work. Is all this caused by the key lock or do I have more than one problem? This is driving me nuts.

[FAST FWD]

Originally Posted by Edward Bloomer

Well here's on for you. I think I maybe having the same problem. First the key was hard to get out, then I remote stop working, then the AC and head lights will not come, then the steering lock will not wok. Now when I pull the key out the dash says key not removed. After turning the key back and forth the head lights and AC starts to work. Is all this caused by the key lock or do I have more than one problem? This is driving me nuts.

Yes, usual symptoms of the ignition switch failure.

[No SubstiTTute]

Originally Posted by Edward Bloomer

Well here's on for you. I think I maybe having the same problem. First the key was hard to get out, then I remote stop working, then the AC and head lights will not come, then the steering lock will not wok. Now when I pull the key out the dash says key not removed. After turning the key back and forth the head lights and AC starts to work. Is all this caused by the key lock or do I have more than one problem? This is driving me nuts.

Mine had the same symptoms as yours. $28 for the ignition switch and an hour or two under the dash to install it. 6 months later and it still works great. Here is a link to a DIY I used.

http://www.gagme.com/greg/996/igniti...ignition08.jpg

Renntech.org also has a DIY.

[FLpaindoc]

Happened to me a few months ago. It went from key hard to get out to been unable to get it out at all (at a parking garage) very quickly. Done under CPO at dealer. I knew what it was because it happened to my '99 996 a long time ago.

[NBTBRV8]

I fitted my new lock mechanisim last weekend, 996 347 017 01 and will add in some photos to the DIY found on Rennlist, thanks to the original author dmcole.

This is a DIY for anyone who wants to replace their crappy ~’99-’03 ignition switch with the upgraded switch/steering lock combo Porsche came out with in about ’04. I’ve seen this problem in both 996 and Boxster posts, so I suspect owners of both models may undergo this repair. I was able to do 90% of this from the driver’s seat rather than having to work under the dash. It may be possible from underneath, but I was glad not to have to do it. I’m sorry I don’t have pictures. Cameras just aren’t my thing. However, I will try to create very accurate
descriptions in lieu.

As far as DIYs go, it’s not so much difficult as time-consuming. The workspace is very tight; I’ve got small hands and forearms, but I still found it tough to reach certain bolts from time to time. Also, you need either very compact tools or the ability to improvise. For example, I put a Torx bit into a set of needle-nose Vise-Grips to get one screw out. Aside from these relatively minor issues, it’s not so bad. With that said, here we go…

First things first:
1) Completely disconnect the battery. I can’t prove that total disconnection was necessary, but I also didn’t have the alarm go off suddenly. Better safe than deaf or shot by the neighbors.

2) Remove the rubber gasket around the ignition key. I could pull mine off just using my fingers.

3) Remove the left hand vent. There’s a nice writeup on this already; so I won’t repeat all of that here.

http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?a...ost&id=6617

4) Once the vent is removed, remove the screw straight in the back back that holds the vent tube in place

5) Now reach or crawl under the dash and remove the center horizontal vent tube under the steering column and the vertical one you just freed up in the step above.

6) Put on a long sleeve shirt. After working through the vent hole for a couple of hours, my forearm is pretty beat up today. I’ll save you the same realization…

You’re now ready to start working on the issue at hand.

1) Reach to the back and disconnect the wiring harness from the ignition switch. It just goes straight off the back; no special clips there and don’t twist it.

2) Remove the immobilizer. It’s the black box on top of the steering lock housing. (NBTBRV8 note: on RHD the whole lock unit it fitted in mirror image so the black box is underneath the lock housing.) Unclip the little wiring harness on the front right. This one has a little catch on it so don’t just pull it out. There is a little plastic Phillips head near the key that you give a quarter-turn. Mine had ‘wings’ on the Phillips head that I could turn by hand. Once you’ve turned this, slide the immobilizer straight toward you along the top of the steering lock housing. That will free it up to remove.

3) Remove the key cylinder. Around the key hole is a silver beauty ring. Around the edge of that ring is a small hole. Make sure the hole is near the 7 o’clock position instead of near 1 o’clock. Mine had turned 180 degrees at some point and made this cylinder removal impossible until I figured that out. Insert your valet key (it’s just easier, but your regular remote key will work) and turn to position 1. Now stick a straightened paper clip (I used one of the larger, sturdier clips instead of a standard one) in as far as it will go. The cylinder should virtually fall out if you’ve done this right. If you’re having to tug on the key to pull it, try again. Carefully disconnect the electrical clip from the key cylinder. Leave both the key and clip in the cylinder and set the thing aside.
(NBTBRV8 note: I removed the housing completely before attempting to remove the lock barrel. I couldn't get my lock barrel out so ended up taking it to a locksmith. The locksmith told me that the trick is to turn it marginally past position 1 which I wasn't doing.)

4) Disconnect the steering lock housing mounting screw near the key. This requires the same Torx bit you used to remove the side vent cover. I didn’t have a stubby Tork driver; so I clamped the bit into a pair of needle-nose Vise-Grips to get it loose. Once loosened, I could unscrew it by hand. Once the screw is out, swing the vertical mounting strut up and out of the way.

5) Disconnect the mounting bolt next to the steering column. A small 10mm ratchet worked for me. I didn’t have to put a wrench on the nut, but I had to use a bit of hand work to finally get the nut off and the bolt out. (NBTBRV8 note: The bolt is not fixed in the housing, the nut is put on with a bit of blue thread lock. So you can undo it to start with then you need to stop the bolt from turning whilst continuing to undo the nut. In the photo below you can see the nut)

6) Remove the steering lock housing. The trick here is that there is a spring-button that locks the housing into the steering column. You can see what you’re up against by looking at your replacement part. You depress the spring through a small hole on the steering column. I used a 2mm allen wrench to depress the button so that I could wiggle the housing out. (NBTBRV8 note: you can just see the hole you need to insert a pin punch in, in front of the nut you need to remove in point 5. Press the silver spring loaded pin in all the way and wiggle the entire housing out of the steering column).

Item removed where you can see the spring loaded button you need to push in. Plus in this photo you can see that the steering lock is speared out.

(NBTBRV8 note: you can just see the hold around the silver lock on the inside of the black beauty surround that you need to insert a pin in to to remove the barrel.)

Now you need to prep the new part.
1) Remove all of the clips from the old housing and attach them to the new one. There is a metal clip that secures the mounting screw near the key hole and two plastic wiring guide clips. I removed the plastic clips by punching out the center pins from the bottom (they are small and actually come completely out; don’t lose them) and then carefully squeezing the prongs until the clip came off. Attach them to the new part. (NBTBRV8 note: punch the pins out and then you can give the clips a bit of a twist to free them up and then put a flat blade screw driver underneath them and flick them out.)

Here are picture of the new part:

2) Put a little lubricant (just a light surface wiping, nothing more) on the housing surfaces that insert into the steering column (around the spring loaded button).

Install the new steering lock housing:
1) If the shiny silver steering lock ‘spear’ is extended from the housing, use a large flat blade screwdriver in the center of where the key cylinder would go and simulate turning the car on. This will retract the spear.

2) Insert the end of the housing into the steering column. This was the hardest part for me. I don’t know if the new part was just thousandths of an inch bigger or what, but it was 20 minutes of wiggling and jiggling that thing to get it in. Don’t forget that you will have to depress the little spring pin once it gets to the flange. I wasn’t sure I heard the spring pin pop into place in that hole; so I crawled under the dash to inspect it to be sure I seated the thing completely. (NBTBRV8 note: it is tight to push back in and you need to get it lined up spot on).

3) Replace the mounting screw near the key hole. By the way, I never replaced the 10mm bolt at the steering column. I couldn’t figure out how to restart the nut on the bolt, plus with that spring pin engaged, I can’t see how the housing could ever come out under normal use.

4) Reconnect the wiring harness to the ignition switch in the back.

5) Reconnect the immobilizer and its wiring clip.

6) Push the key cylinder in firmly (aligning it in the little guide on the top left of the steering lock housing) and pull the paper clip. It should be secured. Remove the key. Reconnect the tiny wiring clip to the key cylinder.

7) Reconnect the battery.

8) Start the car at this point to ensure that you’ve done everything right. If the car won’t start, something didn’t get reconnected properly or you have a different issue. Note: it is not necessary to have the headlight switch reassembled to start the car.

If the car starts at this point, start replacing the rest of the stuff you pulled out. Start with the vent tubing. It was helpful to loosely attach the vertical tube with its screw before reconnecting the horizontal tube underneath.

Once done underneath, tighten the vertical tube and replace everything else. Be very careful with the headlight switch reattachment as that lighted ring looks pretty fragile and the little bulbs have to fit exactly right into the plastic ring that covers it.

Start ‘er up and hope that the new part is a thousand times more reliable than the one you replaced.