[Music]
this way no real fix is real fast calm
today we're going to tell you about a
lock cylinder that won't turn now we got
a 97 Chevy Tahoe and the complaint is
that the ignition lock cylinder the key
is stuck and it won't rotate so you
can't get it unlocked you can't turn it
on or off you can't turn the steering
wheel you're basically just stuck in
your tracks there are several ways to go
about this but I'm going to show you the
way that works real well for us so again
if you have the symptoms on a late-model
GM steering column or an early 2000s and
your key just won't turn no matter what
you do sometimes we sit here and we
shake it and we shift it and try to
change the tilt it's probably not going
to do it now we've already made this
repair but I'm going to back up and show
you how it works and how we can do it
now remember the problem here is that
the ignition key will not turn therefore
you can't start it you can't unlock the
steering wheel or anything so we've got
to be able to get the ignition tumbler
to turn here's the bad one but first I
want to show you a good one so we've
ordered out the replacement and the
replacement comes with new keys but
right now I'm going to take the key out
now when you order out a new lock
cylinder there's various styles but this
is for a GM probably late 90s early
2000s if you don't know what kind years
has but you know you've got to take
yours out because it's broken then order
one out and take a look at it if it
looks like this one then this will be a
good chance that this will fix your
vehicle when it comes from the store
it'll have the key now you would
normally think with the key in this
would turn but if you hold this nothing
happens it doesn't turn but that's
normal and let me show you why and what
we got to do to fix it so how this
tumbler works is like this now we're
outside in the sunlight because I want
plenty of light so I can give you as
much detail as possible
now as you look at this tumbler this is
the new one again so when you put it in
the column it slides in and this is the
little keeper so it compresses but
that's normal but when you are going to
take this out this is going to be in the
column and right directly above that
there'll be a little hole and you'll
need to push something down in that hole
that will actually compress this then it
can come out so that's getting it needs
to be pretty small too but first let's
see how it works
now I want you to look real close at
this portion right here of the tumbler
notice how we're on a round basis it's
pretty much flat but watch when I pull
the key out when I pull the key out you
can see this rises up and want to put
the key in it goes down up and down up
with the key out down with the key in so
why is our tumbler stuck and we can't
get it out because the key is in this
thing needs to be down and if it is up
then it won't rotate but if it is down
like it is now it'll rotate but if the
key is out a little or if this is broken
it can't rotate that doesn't look like a
lot of clearance but that's enough to
keep it when it's in this cylinder here
from rotating so how what happens here
and what goes wrong okay so if you look
real close you'll see here is a little
keeper but underneath there there is a
little copper color spring so you have a
spring on this side and a spring on both
this side that keeps that in the up
position like it is right now
but when you push the key all the way in
it will go down so now what is the
problem I'll show you what the problem
is with our broken one as you can see on
our broken one one side is down and the
other one is up but our key is in if I
take our key out it comes up
both sides are up when I push the key in
one side is not down that may not look
much but that's enough to keep it from
rotating why is it up if you look right
here this little keeper has popped out
and our spring is gone with the spring
gone there's nothing in there to keep
this down so that we can rotate it is
popped up therefore the key is the
tumbler is stuck in the column now how
can we get this out now like I said
we've already done this repair and this
is the new tumbler in there and you can
see that the key goes in and out it
rotates the Karstark
that's how it's supposed to be now what
you'll find when you have the problem is
you can't rotate the key
you can't shift it you can't turn the
steering wheel everything because you
can't rotate the key so that's our
objective we got to get this out so that
we can free it up how do we get this out
I'll tell you how I like to do it now
remember the reason this thing's not
rotating is because this pin is up here
and we've got to get it to go down so
what we're going to do is try and create
a little vibration in there to make that
fall down the spring is falling out so
that you can see we can get to go down
but we need a little movement now this
is under tension first we've got to
relieve the tension now if you look at
the steering wheel when it's turned to
the right
it's just firm you can't go right
anymore but if you turn to the left
there's a little movement but you go to
the right and there's no movement so
what we want to do is keep this in to
the left because that takes the tension
off of that tumbler if you're working
with somebody they can simply hold it
for you well if you're doing about
yourself like a lot of times I do I just
wrap a bungee cord around here and then
I pull it over here I reach somewhere
way down underneath the dashboard and
hook it on so it's going to stay in that
released position now remember the
tumbler the bad one we've got to get out
and because it's bad
we're gonna throw it away so it doesn't
matter if we scar it up a little bit
which we will just don't do it I'm not
gonna actually scar the new one up
here's what you need just a simple air
chisel except we don't want to go real
strong when you hook your air chisel up
normally and you press the trigger you
can cut metal with that but that is way
too strong for what we need so turn your
air chisel down to where it's much less
you can see
all I wanted to have is a little bit of
vibration to it now what you want to do
with this air chisel is just for the
right side along the key now remember
the steering wheel has got to be in the
release position just so that the
tension is off I don't want to scar our
new one up so I'm going to take the old
one that is already scarred I'm going to
show you exactly how that works you just
put it right next to your key and it
just creates vibration and what that
will do is make this thing vibrate down
so as soon as it does go down then you
can turn the key so in this position
just have your hand ready to turn it
again remember this is the good one have
it ready to turn your inner chisel when
it starts releasing at some point in
time it'll that little lever will go
down and your key will turn no way it's
a good way to do it because if you can't
get that out of there you're in look for
a big job you're gonna have to drop the
steering column take it apart put it on
the bench in order to get this tumbler
out of there so this is much faster it
may not work that may be your ultimate
outcome but this is a good way of doing
it works real well for us now if you
don't happen to have an air chisel you
can basically do the same thing with
like a screwdriver or a tool and just
sit here and tap it very fast but at the
same time that you're trying to turn
this key now as you can see that air
chill is just going to be a whole lot
more effective but this may work if you
don't have an air chisel now again this
is the bad one and you can see the
scarring from my air chisel that's from
it beating back and forth right there
but again it doesn't matter on this one
because I'm gonna throw this one away
anyway
but I don't want to scar up my new one
but again with the air chisel you simply
put your chisel in there have your
chisel power down
you can see the vibration in there
well that vibration is being transferred
into the whole thing and that's why it
works it pops that out now why do we
have to rotate this in the first place
well aside from the fact that that's how
you would start it and that's how you
release the steering wheel from being
locked that's also that you've got to
rotate it to get it out so when you're
in here remember we have to find a
little hole that pushes down on this tab
that tab will not line up with that hole
is just going to pass it until we rotate
this into the start position so you want
to have your battery disconnected
because once you vibrate this thing and
get it to actually rotate you want to go
to the start position but you don't want
it to start and then your hole will line
up and you can actually push this tab
down and then of a pull out you'll have
to take the lower cover off there's two
screws that come up from the bottom and
they're inverted or the reverse Torx
head then once that comes off there's
two crews that come up from the bottom
that hold the top on and those are
external torque tsa's where the threads
are exposed so two inverted torques is
hold the bottom on it'll come off and
two torques hold the top on when you get
those out the top will come off when
that's the case then you can look in
there you'll see the top of the cylinder
that this end you'll find a little hole
right in there you'll just see a little
hole put this in here go to the start
position push down on that and it should
pull right out now if you're not at a
shop but you want to avoid a tow bill
and you can do this to get the tumbler
to rotate when a rotates your vehicle
probably start the steering will unlock
you can shift it and drive just don't
turn it to the off position again until
you get your vehicle where you want it
to be so that they can actually remove
the tumbler now keep in mind this is
late 90s GM early 2000s you may have
earlier or later or a different brand of
car most ignitions have some type of
deal about this where the key has to be
released
you have to push a hole or push a tab or
something to get the tumbler out so
review your service manual and
to give you the details on your specific
vehicle I hope this has helped some of
you avoid a frustrating situation