General Strange ignition problem

[ect76]

Hi there- First post, but you all seem a helpful bunch and hope you can shed some light on a problem a friend is having with his 1997 Brava 1.4S.

He drove the car to work last night and parked it up in the local NCP. All was fine.

This morning when he went to go home, the key will not turn in the ignition. It will turn enough to unlock the steering lock, but will not move past there and seems jammed solid. For the steering to remain free, he has to hold the key as far as it will turn, or else it will lock again. To get the key back out the ignition, he has to turn the steering until it locks, then wiggle the key.

The strange thing is it will turn fine to the Park setting for sidelights, but doesn't turn the other way (Not even far enough to light the dash lights).


Obviously, it's either a problem with the steering lock or ignition barrel.

When turning the steering wheel with the key turned as far as it can go the steering will occasionally lock and other times make a clicking noise which you can feel on the key.

How would we go about fixing this, and why should it be fine the entire time he's owned it, then suddenly catastrophically fail like this?

At the minute the car is stuck in the NCP until he can get it recovered, so any tips, suggestions or ideas would be highly appreciated!


Thanks in advance,

Ewan.

 

[jug]

i think the steering lock is the problem. i would jack the front of the car up, turn the steering wheel left and right as much as possible with the key inserted (lock to lock if possible), and then hope the key turns all the way. also take spare keys along and try them.

if it isnt the steering lock it must be a damaged ot stuck tumbler on the ignition barrel, but that would usually prevent the barrel turning at all so i doubt the barrel is the problem.

 

[ect76]

Hi there!


Thanks for your reply.

The AA guy came out today for hin and essentially, after trying everything else he could think of, smashed the ignition barrel apart so it can now be started with a screwdriver with the key taped to something in the ignition column for the immobiliser (He was a bit vague about what had been done here!!!).

This is obviously not entirely secure, so I was wondering about any place at all that a replacement ignition barrel could be ordered from, as well as (please everyone pitch in here and give me your rough estimates!) the cost for said item? It's plainly obvious he needs one, but we don't even know where to start looking!! Are the keys on the old Bravas coded - I.E Will ECU need some programming to recognise a new barrel and key for immobiliser?

The AA guy was really helpful, and said he had dealt with a lot of these before (Although not on Fiats) and said it was probably a tumbler in the barrel (Most likely the very bottom one that deals with the end of the key).
Thanks


Ewan

 

[jug]

if he gets a new barrel and key, he will then have 2 different keys, one for the doors and one for the ignition. thats a bit crap.

i would get another ignition barrel altered to fit the current keys, or have the original one repaired (probably not repairable if the AA have abused it rather than chopping wires, as they should have done). many locksmiths can do this alteration, and it does not cost much.

although any ignition barrel can be easily modified to fit any key. all you need is the barrel, a key, and a dremel or similar tool with a grinder bit. insert the key into the barrel and most of the tumblers will pull into the barrel at least partly. any that are not flush with the barrel now need to be trimmed down by grinding them until they sit flush with the barrel. then the barrel will work with that key.

another alternative is to get a set of barrels (on a brava there are 5) and at least one matching key. then he could fit all 5 of the lock barrels, and replace the metal key blank from an old key with the metal blank on the new key. that key would then work the immob. this would mean no programming of the immob is needed. also the ney key blank can be copied to make any other original keys work the locks.

it is also possible to stick the glass chip from inside one of his original keys into a new key so it works the immob. the immob in his car is paired with the red key chip, nothing else needs to be kept as that red key chip can be used to program any other key inot the immob, its easy to do that, a quick search of the bravo/a section will find the blue key programming procedure.

there are other options, but the easiest and cheapest is to modify an ignition barrel to fit his existing keys. its really easy and a scrapyard ignition barrel will only be a couple of pounds.