I decided to leave the Crossfire at home for our 150 mile round trip on Saturday, and I knew that I'd have to attack this problem today because I rarely have any free time, even on weekends. I started at about 10 o'clock this morning, and probably spent about 2 hours of actual working time, with beer breaks,bathroom breaks, frustration breaks, and a few trips back to check this thread to try to solve a few problems.

The instructions and photos are a big help, and if I can do it, ANYONE can do it. I did have a couple of problems. Even though I was still able to turn the key, and I could easily depress the locking pin, I had to struggle to get the assembly out. That caused me to consider having the car towed in to my mechanic. Anyway, I kept on tugging, and it eventually came out.

Re-asssembly also was a pain, but I discovered that putting the assembly in the freezer before installing it actually works! After two or three attempts at pushng as hard as I could to get it in, I tried the freezer trick and it slid in easily. I'd suggest that this procedure might be a good idea for anyone who lives in a hot climate.

I did a couple of things that some people might find helpful. Because I really mangled the metal cover over the spring compartment when I removed it, I flattened it as well as I could and re-installed it with a loop of black electrical tape around it to hold it in place. I also wrapped the tape over the locking pin, so it wouldn't get in the way when I was shoving the assembly back into position.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to this thread!

 

The locking pin is back in? I thought you got to toss this.

 

You discard the spring and the pin that are inside the compartment. The other pin, which holds the lock assembly in place, stays unless you had to drill it out.

 

These tips appear to be really helpful, but I am unable to see any of the photos. I have tried on 3 different computers, and I'm wondering if there is another way to view this thread?
Thank you.

 

Download my pdf file. I'm on my phone and can't give u link, but read back a couple of pages, the link was mention a few times.

 

OK I did it and everything pretty much worked great. I was one of the unlucky few who cuoldn't turn my key past zero but was able to drill out locking pin with dremel tool and remove the whole section without taking the black key section off

QUESTION: After everything was put back together I get the beeping when I open my car door as if I had left my key in the ignition. So I went back in and unplugged the white connector and the beeping stopped however now when I take out my key all the power (radio, odo, time) stays on. ANY one else experience this? ANY solutions????

 

I've never heard of this one before. (Don't ya HATE it when someone says that?)

It has been over a year since my lock, um, locked up and I had to fix it. It's getting to where I don't remember everything about the fix. But one thing is sure, the microswitch-thingy that detects the presence of the key has failed. That is, it is permanently closed, indicating the presence of a key when there IS no key. The reason the problem goes away when you unplug the connector is that you have then removed the connection from the switch to the BCM, so the BCM no longer "sees" a key and acts accordingly.

Real easy to tell what is wrong - but what do we DO about this?

(It is at this point you should prepare yourself to not like the second option, and REALLY HATE the first option.)

1) You could order a new lock assembly and blow hundreds of dollars! Or....

I suspect that when you put the lock cylinder back in, it didn't seat right OR you damaged something when you pulled it out/put it back in.

This would be worth a try:

2) Pretend the thing has stuck again and (you won't like this) take the car apart again and put it all back together. My idea is that PERHAPS you have a little metal shaving, dirt, etc. stuck in there causing this little switch to stay closed. Maybe you can dislodge it! Look around in the hole the lock assembly goes in for ANYTHING that could get in the way!

Did you drill the pin out with the tumbler laying below where it could pick up a shaving???? If so, let's go in and see if 'we' can find it!

Also, I put a SMALL coating of 20W motor oil on the tumbller assembly when I put it back in, beings such a mechanical assembly, lubrication seemed like a good idea. If the "key presence tumbler" (if there is such a thing) is sticking, it would keep the switch closed. Remember I said LIGHT COATING of oil, as you hold the assembly in your hand just before you put it back in, dab some oil on your fingers NOT A QTIP OR RAG, and coat the mechanism. THEN put it back in.

Hope this helps.

(QTIPS can leave behind "hairs", and rags can leave behind, well, 'hairs' of their material that can interfere with 'stuff'. Wash your hands first for the same reason.)

 

Sticky Ignition Fix Revision #3 pdf is attached with picture.

Change Log
Added symptoms (Thanks onehundred80 for suggesting this)
Added telescoping steering wheel
Added very important first step


FYI - Removing the tumbler allows you to just press the pin in on the outside of the assembly to remove it. And to remove the tumbler you need the key to turn to position 1. Drilling the pin bypasses the need to remove the tumbler. Hope this helps everyone.

**12/28/13 Changes to v4 - onehundred80 pointed out that in step 6 removing screws #1 & 3 are optional.

 

How far do you have to drill out the pin? I have drilled it out past the enclosing black sleeve so the assembly freely turns and moves laterally and the key still does not turn. Do I have to go in further?

Thanks.

 

Awesome post. After showing Carmax the documentation on this issue, and having them and the Chrysler dealer they sent my SRT to both tell me over the course of four service visits that I just needed to hold the steering wheel differently and jiggle the key (not making that up), I finally gave up and fixed this myself.

This site is awesome...service centers that won't listen to you suck.

 

I wish I knew... never had to drill the pin. I THOUGHT you were drilling the pin to you could take the assembly out.

BUMP!

Someone answer his question, cause I cant'!

(Ill go read the instructions and see if I can figture it out.)

 

Sorry, I'm lost. Never got into this part.

SOMEONE will chime in with the answer.

 

Drilling the pin lets you take out the whole assembly. once you have the assembly out there is a hatch that you have to open. and inside this hatch is the pin/spring that has to be removed.

 

So pulling the tumblers is now not needed in his case?

(Just TRYING to understand.)

 

Correct. You do not have to remove the tumbler since you drilled the pin on the outside of the assembly. All "Mopar or No Car" should have to do now is take the assembly out, open the hatch(careful, it's spring loaded), remove the pin/spring that is under the hatch. Now the key should be able to turn. slap everything back together and it should be good to go.

FYI - Removing the tumbler allows you to just press the pin in on the outside of the assembly to remove it. And to remove the tumbler you need the key to turn to position 1. Drilling the pin bypasses the need to remove the tumbler. Hope this helps everyone.

 

It does, and I'd add the above to the text of the fix. Somewhere, not sure where.



I say this because of my 30 year mantra: The BEST way to fix something, is to first understand it's operation as much as you can!

 

Okay, no need to remove tumblers BUT... Does the assembly actually come out when the tumblers are still in? Examine the surrounding panel -- the black tumbler sleeve sits inside a plastic semicircle. Am I the only person who has tried this without their key turning? I still see a steering wheel removal coming because if I can't get the assembly out with the tumblers intact I'll have to remove the upper panel.

Thanks.

 

Yes the assembly can be maneuvered out with the tumbler intact. I too had to drill the pin because the key wouldn't turn to allow me to remove the tumbler.

Look at step 9 in my tutorial, the round rubber/chrome transponder ring/sleeve can be removed. also look at step 14. removing the screw that is pictured in step 14 will allow you to pry that panel up a little bit to get enough room to remove the assembly.

 

Thanks again for the feedback. Will let you know how it goes.

 

Success!!! Thanks one more time to all contributors.