yes i had to drill the locking pin. it took a while and a new drill bit but i got it out. anyways the new switch is smooth as silk. but i'll never go to allen samuels chrysler again for anything.

 

Mine started locking up about six months ago. I pulled the ignition switch and realized there was nothing wrong with it and lubed as much of the steering lock as possible. worked great for a few moths and then started to stick again. I am getting close to not being able to turn it all, so I guess I better hurry up and fix it for good. I am not interested in buyiing expensive parts that aren't any better than the worn out parts. I will fix this by grinding the locking pin like some have done. This seems to be the only way to fix it forever. Some pics of this fix would be very much appreciated!

 

I took photos when I had this issue last summer (July 4th of all days). Only problem is in that tight a spot my camera can't focus well, it was very blurry. Instead of drilling the pin, I took a dremel with a cutoff wheel and cut a passage from the hole that the pin sticks out to the edge of the female collar. Took two minutes and the whole lock assembly slid right out. I decided to take off the ignition switch off the back and noticed it was starting to crack internally. This was @ approx. 20,000 mi too! Good thing the ignition switch came with the lock assy. all together. Cheap insurance to change the switch as well. I think it was like 18.00 by itself.

 

Thank you very much! I can just about picture what you are talking about since I have had the switch out before. I think this is the only real fix for this problem. Who needs a locking steering wheel anyway! this seems like a design problem and buying the same expensive parts doesn't seem like a good solution.

 

All right out there, this is the latest on MY episode of the ignition key that sticks and finally failed to turn: first let me tell you, I am not a Chrysler fan. I have always preferred GM trucks and foreign cars so this job was totally new to me.

1. My daughters car is in Dallas in a parking garage and multi friends tried everything but the key won't budge out of the wheel lock position. (the position you have to be in to remove the key, key goes in and out but won't rotate clockwise out of the "0" position)
2. Chryler wants $1400.00 to fix it as they are sure they know it needs a key tumbler and the housing and they want 900.00 just for the two parts.
3. Dad says "let me look at it first" the same thing all dads say, unless they are the type that just writes a check.
4. First, I can't get it to budge either, so we take the lower dash panels off and go to remove the housing assembly, but per the manual you have to turn the key to the number "1" position to remove the housing. (If we could get the damn thing out of the "0" position....WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO CHANGE THE HOUSING NOW WOULD WE! The reason it needs to be in "1" position is to allow a small 1/8 inch lock pin, (about 2 inches to the left of the key tumbler) to retract into the housing and then the housing will slide out of the structural sleeve it fits into.
5. No way to release the locking pin so out comes the Dewalt with a number 24 drill bit and being extra carefull to stay on the pin.......you have to be careful here as you are at an angle and to hold the drill and apply enough pressure is much easier with an extra set of hands.....presto, no more locking pin and the housing can be removed.
6. Now for some really good info....take the housing to your local MERCEDES DEALER as they are the ones that make the housing P/N A1934600104 and the price....are you ready for this....$136.00 plus tax. (Chrysler wanted over 300.00 for this same part!) Mercedes guys were so cool once I bought the housing from them at the parts counter I asked one of the service managers for some help. They removed the original tumbler assembly and installed it in the new housing. (you have to break the old housing to do this) and I thought they were just fantastic for helping out. (William, thank you again for making this happen! When I have someone with a Mercedes problem I will send them to you personally.)
7. I then took the new housing with the original tumbler assembly and installed it, the car operates like new and my daughter was only out $150.00
8. Which makes her think I'm really smart.....which truely is all a good dad wants from his 25 year old offspring.

I hope this helps anyone with the same type of issue.

Tom Vroom tvroom007@charter.net
And yes....that is really my last name...happy motoring!

 

Great job!

 

Hey Tom did you come by the dealership the other day? if so glad you got your daughters car going......

 

Yes, that was me. And I want to appologise for not mentioning you. But, I didn't want to get you in trouble either....I think you understand?

TV

 

lol no problem i understand glad i could help if you need anything else let me know.

 

Hey guys,

I had the same problem a month or so ago--progressively worse sticking of the key. It even got to the point for me where it would take 10-15 minutes to get the key to turn in the ignition. I didn't take it to the dealer sooner because a) I'm lazy, and b) none of you would complain about service problems with your dealer if you had experienced life in Dubai.

Anyway, went out for some dinner at a hotel, begged the valet not to remove the key from the ignition as leaving it in had been my brilliant solution to the problem. Went to retrieve my car after dinner, and waited . . . and waited . . . and waited . . . and I knew they had taken the key out and couldn't get the car started.

So . . . after trying to turn the key for 45 minutes myself, I finally gave up and took a taxi home. My car was stranded in a tight parking garage. Of course, they couldn't tow the car because they couldn't turn the steering wheel to move the car out of the parking space. Two days later, the dealer managed to get somebody over there who could get the steering wheel operational again.

Total cost to replace the ignition assembly was $340--the part itself was $150. They only replaced the ignition assembly and it works perfectly (knock on wood). Not sure what conclusion you can draw from that other than maybe people are having similar but not the same problem?

I also finally had to cave in and buy a new key--the final abuse to the key in the parking garage was just too much. I didn't want to take the chance I'd be stranded when the key disintegrated one day.

Attached are some photos showing the offending part and the damage to my key. Obviously they let me keep the old ignition . . . kinda like keeping a kidney stone, I guess.

 

That is the housing I was talking about. I guess that shows you how dealerships treat young females....1400.00 as opposed to 350.00

Tom Vroom

 

I had to replace my ignition lock and ignition switch housing last week. Chrysler dealer did it.
Lock came from Germany, coded to cars serial# for $227.00
The housing cost $379.00
Labor was $214.00
Misc. chgs and taxes $86 plus
TOTAL= $906.39

That hurt! But, found out the day after I picked up the car that I could have gone accross the street and bought the housing for $179.00 from the MB dealer. Same identical part, in a Chrysler box=379 in a MB box=179! Insult to injury.

I sure must love this car.....

 

Can one of you post pics of the pin that can be drilled out?

 

i cant get the key to turn and must drill or cut the pin out
Can one of you post pics of the pin that can be drilled out? ...from the ingnition switch..

 

.

 

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...n-key-fix.html


Here you go!

 

I had mine replaced last week,, and was given two keys all under ext warranty 50 duct along with the steering damper and rear drive shaft disk,, car was back to me in 3 days. jim

 

I cant get the tumbler back in!!!! Can anyone help??

 

Try inserting the key then it should slide in easily.

 

UOTE=Tom Vroom;357977][*][FONT=Tahoma]Now for some really good info....take the housing to your local MERCEDES DEALER as they are the ones that make the housing P/N A1934600104 and the price....are you ready for this....$136.00 plus tax. (Chrysler wanted over 300.00 for this same part!)

Tom Vroom tvroom007@charter.net
And yes....that is really my last name...happy motoring![/QUOTE]

this is an old post, but the problem has finalled cropped up on my 05 so I was searching the forum and found this thread and then this reference to a Mercedes part number. Looked real promising until I called the dealer. According to our local Benz dealer, this P/N A1934600104, is not a valid part number.

Any ideas on alternate part numbers? parts manager wanted the VIN number for my car but chuckled when I said it was a Crossfire, not a Benz, so it probably wasn't in his system. The Chrysler part number I have is 1-68001655-AA but haven't been able to get a cross reference for it.