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I looked long and hard on this site, or any site for any information on the mysteries of ignition column repair, but found nothing. Only references to the Bentley manual. So here's my detailed posting of what I unveiled when I needed to fix my ignition column after it failed just yesterday. All I did was start the car and drive away, and was startled to find that the car wouldn't shut off after parking for a lunch date. The key would simply turn without resistance. Even more shocking was discovering that the entire internal ignition assembly pulled free with the key still attached. I'd never before seen the ignition assembly apart, but from what I could tell, the bottom base of the core had sheared free.
I had visions of having to remove the negative wire from the battery to shut it off, then reattaching it and push-starting the car to drive it until I got the thing fixed. But then I discovered that if I slipped the key with the core still attached back in the hole, and used considerable downward pressure while turning the key, I was able to turn off the engine. Using the same method I was unable to restart the engine. Then with the aid of a flashlight I could see inside the hole that the remaining bottom piece had something resembling a slot. Using a flat end screwdriver inserted in that slot and turned like a key, I was able to restart the car without much effort. A temporary solution at best.
I did happen to have a spare ignition (entire shift/ignition console actually) assembly pulled from my previous 900, but needed help with how to proceed with the swap. I also wanted to be able to use the large SAAB key that operated the now broken ignition column. That meant swapping the guts of the key system. After searching far and wide for any online information on how to do it, I found nothing and decided to venture forward and go as far as I could. Here's how it went.
I should say here that while I don't know the official technical terminology of the various parts and pieces, I'll do my best to be as logical and descript as possible. The ignition column is a two part assembly - an internal core inside a circular external column casing. When you insert and turn the key, it's the internal core that rotates, at the bottom of which is a slotted base, which fits over a tab that rotates a set of gears that are subsequently attached to the starter switch.
What keeps the key assembly locked into the console housing is a spring loaded pin that locks into a slot at it's base. That pin is accessible through a hole in the shift column housing. To get at it you have to remove the console cover and perhaps either slide the front seat fully forward, or remove the seat outright. I can't describe exactly where the access hole is, but it's at the base of the ignition console, to the rear and at an "8 o'clock" angle as you look down over it. With the key in the ignition and in the first (park) position (not lock, run or start), the pin can be pushed in with a probe of some sort (medium jewelers screwdriver). With the pin pushed in and while pulling the key out, the entire column can then be pulled free. In my case it was the internal core that sheared, with the external casing remaining, so I had to find something inside the column onto which I could attach a hook/pry of some sort to pull it free. I suppose a large enough object forced tightly into the hole would also work.
With the broken assembly pulled free, I still had to pull the good internal core from the spare column assembly. That was the tricky part and took me a while to figure out. Turns out the pin which allows you pull the entire assembly free from the console is also used to seperate the internal core from it's casing, thus giving you access to the inner workings, which I needed to keep using my orignal large SAAB key. So, to pull the internal core from it's casing you first insert the key, then turn it and align the slots on the bottom (an obvious visual alignment) as you pry the aforementioned release pin outward enough until the core pulls free.
With both cores pulled free I set about exchanging the little pieces from the sheared key core onto the spare sound internal core. Doing so afforded me the opportunity to thoroughly clean and lube the internal workings (I used a gun cleaning solvent and lube, but any WD40 type stuff would also work). I was actually quite surprised at how dirty and filled with gunk both internal cores were. Doing your own locksmithing is not all that difficult, but you have to make sure to keep the small brass key tabs and springs that fit in the internal core in the proper order. I also had to do some additional filing to the brass tab surfaces as they had become worn, creating ridges and causing friction where none should be.
The end result was a success. A rebuilt, cleaned and lubed ignition core, operated with my original key. About four hours of work. I saved a few hundred dollars I'm guessing.
posted by 152.163.18...
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