About a month ago, I tightened my steering wheel wobble, but now my lock cylinder is acting up...I don't know if they are related. It is hard to click it into the on position, and after starting the car, it doesn't want to return to the on position. It sometimes keeps the starter running, and I have to physically turn it back to the on position...It also seems to be disconnecting the ignition circuit (speedo, radio other than clock, etc) between on and starting the car. If it doesn't keep the starter running, sometimes the car will run without turning on anything with switched power. What do I need to replace? The lock cylinder itself?

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Thanks Aus!
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It called the ignition switch,you need to drop the steering colum to get to it,it's located on the steering colum and is fairly easy to replace.There are 1 or 2 flat pan head screws holding it on,so those screw are alittle hard to see (If you cant figure why it's not comeing off, thats why).Once installed,check all of your key positions befor tightening it down.It sounds as though your,ignitions swich moved or was'nt installed right.It doesn't sound like the key switch to me.

There is also a rod running down the side of your steering column which connects the ignition switch to the lock cylinder, you may have tightened something onto that and it is not hard to return causing your symptoms. take a look you will see the rod on the steering column turn the key and see if you get resistance in its movement.

quote Originally posted by James Bond 007: It called the ignition switch,you need to drop the steering colum to get to it,it's located on the steering colum and is fairly easy to replace.There are 1 or 2 flat pan head screws holding it on,so those screw are alittle hard to see (If you cant figure why it's not comeing off, thats why).Once installed,check all of your key positions befor tightening it down.It sounds as though your,ignitions swich moved or was'nt installed right.It doesn't sound like the key switch to me.

I have the same problem, only it takes a real hard (too hard ! ) twist of the key in order to get it to engage the starter. Question: When you say drop the steering column, does that mean drop the steering column post down from the dash ? If so what is the procedure for that and how big a job is it. Do you have to remove any plastic dash panels for instance ? Thanks in advance.

I just dropped the column to take a look.

The switch was not loose and did not seem to be binding. I sprayed some white lithium into it just to be sure. I am going to pick up a new lock cylinder and take the thing apart in a few weeks. It seems to be binding in the cylinder or in the "sector"- the gear that moves the rod. I am not sure what the problem is.

To drop the colum,first remove the plastic cover that may be on the bottom,then there is about 2 nuts supporting the colum.Once you remove the nuts,the colum should drop right down.

It sounds like you didn't get the ignition rack and pinion system engaged properly when reassembling the column.

JazzMan

It was good when I reassembled everything. The column worked fine for about a month, and all of a sudden I am having problems. Regardless, if the issue does not heal itself, I will have to take that damn thing apart again.

Interestingly enough, it seems to have healed itself...of course, 10 minutes after I ordered a new lock cylinder from the Fiero Store...