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[JamesV6CDX]

Help!

My friend has buggered his ignition on his Elite. He inserted the wrong key in the ignition (the key for his old cdx) and ever since, it is not possible to turn the correct key in the barrel. I've tried everything and it simply won't budge.

The steering lock is on.

Is there any way of removing his old ignition barrel and fitting the one off my old 2.0 - obviously he will have a different ignition key.

Cheers

[Marks DTM Calib]

Its a tough one and will require removal of the lock assembly.......

[JamesV6CDX]

Any ideas on the best way to do this Mark / anyone?

[Marks DTM Calib]

Actualy...thinking about it....its probably easier to swap the columns over.....I assume the donor and target both have the same gearbox type (i.e. manual or auto)

[JamesV6CDX]

They certainly do.....

Is it an easy job then?!

[Marks DTM Calib]

Well, Matchless is the man in the know......from memory, there is a clamp arrangement at the base of the column to undo, two bolts at the dash end (one is a sheer bolt and needs drilling out) plus another one which requires a few socket extensions to get at near the base of the column....

....not a job I have ever needed to do.

[JamesV6CDX]

Buggery

Would this be made any easier to change the barrel if we could get the key to turn just onec to undo steering lock?

Not an area I know a lot about.....

[Marks DTM Calib]

If you can egt the key to the numebr two position then you can remove the barrel.......and possibly repair it.

[JamesV6CDX]

Will give it a go tomorrow...

Is it possible that maybe the key is just worn, would getting a new key help?

I noticed that before, when it stuck, actually fully removing and re-inserting the key seemed to help matters, and it worked for a bit, but now is totally jammed again.

Symptoms before were, that you could insert the key, turn on the car, but if you tuened the car off, you couldn't turn the barrel again unless you'd removed the key and re-inserted it...

[Marks DTM Calib]

I susoect that when forcing th wrong key in one of teh tumblers got damaged.

If you could remove the barrel then you can file the tumblers so they match the key better, clean the tumbers, lightly grease them and away you go. If you do this then remember that the tumblers have little springs so remove the key carefuly.