Hey guys, The steering wheel is locked and key wont go into ignition.... How do you unlock it? Thanks 83 308gts
Sometime the wheel locks when you turn it after you pull the key. Try to turn the wheel a bit left or right then insert the key. Happened to me once.
Are you sure your using the right key? Not trying to be funny but I spent a better part of an hour one time trying to get my pickup key to start our 2nd suburban. (Thanks to my wife throwing keys together) I found on my GTB that one of the ignition keys did not work, Best of luck!
The key "not going in" at all points to a cylinder failure. You are not going to get the wheel unlocked at all without the key cylinder turning. Sometimes as others have posted the wheel being turned to one side or other can bind the locking rod, but that has little bearing on the entry of the key into the cylinder. Take it apart before you damage some very hard to find NLA and expensive parts! Fill out your profile..
As I warn in the "lost my key" threads, the springs and pins are not very robust. If you have had one of them fall out, you are "done" without rebuilding the cylinder.
Wow thanks for the feedback.. I really like the one about "am I stealing it" It's a friends car and I'm doing other work on it... This just happened to break while the car is at my place... Is there an easy way to just remove the cylinder and use a regular push button switch to start it?? Anyone have wiring diagram?. I was thinking to remove lock cylinder which will unlock wheel.. Then figure something out for starting it.. It's going to take forever to find another cylinder and I want the car gone...
The ignition switch and locking rod come out as an assembly, the wiring block on the back is "lots of wires"....wiring diagrams are out there but you need the EXACT one for your year.
No the car is not for sale, especially over a key switch.. Give me a break I'm thinking to remove the cylinder and locking rod and see if I can get it apart so the car will start..
Does not hurt to ask here. I bought a 78 308GTS for $9500.00 off this website years ago just because it bumped a curb and cracked a wheel. Rest of the car was fine. See if you can find a parts manual PDF and it will help you with the troubleshooting. Good luck.
Maybe so......Is the steering wheel centered, or cranked off to one side? That can exert a binding pressure on the whole assembly. Once the cylinder/housing/lock rod is removed, you will see a tiny pin on the side, painted over with the black paint, a locksmith will drive this pin out, to slip the cylinder with springs and house top pins out on to the bench. there is a house top pin for every key indent. He will get that sorted and make you some new keys. And then you can put it all back together!! And, you will never lose the keys, or turn the car off with the steering well off center, again....
Just in passing,there is a small bolt head on the anti-theft bar on the bottom side that protrudes that should be present. If the bolt is not present, the cylinder is designed to lock. The design, as it was explained to me by a Ferrari parts vendor, is the heart of the anti-theft mechanism. If the bolt is not present, then go to the hardware store and get several different sizes and try them until one of them fits.. Also, the original bolt is of very soft metal so the the head can be whacked off with the soft blow of a hammer, which is (suppose to) make the car "theft-proof". This is a total falsehood to me. Also, if you continue to keep wacking the inner end if this bolt by forcing the steering wheel, you are damaging the key locking pin and the ignition module, plus running the risk of braking off the super soft key in the lock. If the head of the bolt has already been broken off, then you must remove the entire device from the car and employ a screw extractor to dig it out. One more thing..if the black ignition module is damaged or worn out, this will keep the key from operating, thus not permitting the key to turn far enough to release the steering wheel lock. I have experienced this twice, having to replace two ignition modules. That's two full days of sheer grief and hell. So while you're at it, replace the module. It is probably 90% the true villain here, anyway. I hope that this is of some value to someone. Thank you so very much. Jq.
I think I have a spare 308 ignition lock/cylinder assembly I bought some time ago as a spare. I have matching keys as well. Would this interest you? PM me if so. Greg in Houston
Hello, I took it all apart and removed the factory tumbler.. The car starts with just the switch and a screw driver..haha The locking mechanism is not needed and I can use a regular new switch and tumbler in its place.. I prefer not having the column lock anyway.. This is no prize winning concourse vehicle.. Im happy if it starts.. So anything that be replaced with modern switches/wires I have no problem with..
