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HELP!! Keys stuck in ignition!

M

Mudshack

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Billings, Montana
Yep. The keys are stuck. The won't make the final counter-clockwise click to let me get the key out. I have tried doinging it over and over: pushing in, not pushing in, starting it up and trying again, shifting thru all the gears and back into Park, making sure it is locked into Park, driving around and then trying again, and even letting my wife try. No joy. What could it be? In this town the jeep will dissapear if I leave a key in it. Shoot, I already had one stolen and they didn't have the key for it. Help me get the keys out so I don't have to sleep in it tonight. It is cold out.
 
Probably the cable not letting it go all the way back. If you pop off the cover bezel around the gear shift you will see 2 cables.... one is the trans shifter the other goes to the column.
If you watch while working the shifter back and forth you should be able to tell which one goes to the column and manually push it with a screwdriver or something to make it work the release properly.
When I first got mine I had to clean/lube it to make it work properly, it was only lacking about 1/8th of throw for it to work right.
 
Thanks, Rmart. I will have to try that when I get home and have my tools. Right now I am still sitting in it while my family is in at our Awkening service. I am rally chewing through this blackberry battery surfing for answers. I never would have started from the top down, I ws under the truck looking up. It does act like it isn't in Park. Thanks
 
wiggle shifter, wiggle steering wheel, pull out keys
 
its the one that moves when you push the shifter button.... watch which way its trying to go when you put it in park and try to push it farther in that direction..
 
No joy. There is no play in that shifter line. I was even underneath trying to see if there is any play in the tranny shift lever that the shift cable is attached too. Nothing. She is locked up in a garage for the night and I will dig in with the help of daylight, tomorrow.
 
The Park Lock cable runs from the key cylinder down to the transmission.

It has a mounting nut around the ignition switch at the foot of the steering column, the nut often works loose and the cable slops around--you may want to check there.
 
Simple solution, remove it from the column.
 
Mudshack said:
Yep. The keys are stuck. The won't make the final counter-clockwise click to let me get the key out. I have tried doinging it over and over: pushing in, not pushing in, starting it up and trying again, shifting thru all the gears and back into Park, making sure it is locked into Park, driving around and then trying again, and even letting my wife try. No joy. What could it be? In this town the jeep will dissapear if I leave a key in it. Shoot, I already had one stolen and they didn't have the key for it. Help me get the keys out so I don't have to sleep in it tonight. It is cold out.
Click to expand...


been there done that, just the other month. ended up with a broken key (along with the faceplate where the key inserts with the tabs on it) in the keyhole.
Johnnie Walker, simple solution? yeah i tried that, thats why i got frustrated when things got broke, lol
when it happened before all i had to do was wiggle the f out of it & when i finaly got home added a quart of fluid & no more stuck key. (til the other month that is, didn't have anymore fluid & no cash to pick any up. was at the P.O. droppin off the rent).
so try addin some tranny fluid, turn it on, run throiugh the gears ("on" but not running), SLAM it into Park & try to remove key.
 
Cracled-butt, very good idea and it did feel like it was shifting hard while I was running through all the gears. But, I just went and checked and the fluid level is perfect. I don't have room to add a quart of ATF. I will say that the ATF looked toasted. It looked brown like old motor oil watered down. I think I will drain and refill the tranny prior to any drastic measures...like taking it to the stealership.
 
Where you able to get the FSM adjustment procedure for the Park Lock cable?
 
Joe,
I haven't had a chance to attack the problem. Probably won't until tomorrow (son's birthday is today).

I have found the following diagrams in the FSM:
33ven9i.jpg


dm61w4.jpg
 
Last edited:
Mudshack said:
Now that is cool. I want to do that on my Pick-up. Don't think my wife will want to do that to her daily driver (her inherited, late father's XJ).
Click to expand...

I totally understand. Well for the time being, you could leave the key in the ignition but install a hidden fuel pump switch.
 
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