MyNameIsAlex

Alright so I have a 96 Accord V6 auto. I haven't used the car since this morning. Went out about an hour ago to go pick up some take out, and the damn thing key wont turn. My automatic starter was able to turn the car on, but when I went to put the key in it just wont turn. The key moves slightly both ways, but not enough. Whats confusing me is that in the process of trying to figure it out, I realized I was able to move the gears freely both while the automatic starter was on and while it was also off. I've never been able to move the gears while the car is off with or without the key in the ignition. The car is on a very small incline here in my parking complex. The wheels appear the be straight, although the steering wheel is slightly angled. Im even able to move the car, while the auto starter is on using my e-brake to slow down but with the steering wheel being locked and the regular brake shutting the car off theres not much I can do to figure it out. I really do believe that it has something to do with the parking not being engaged and being able to be moved freely but I don't know what else to do. I mean it shows its in the park position on the dash, when the car is on, but it doesn't lock I guess like it normally does when the car is off. Anyway I'm lost, don't know what else to do. This is the first time I've ever had a problem with this. Can't do much right now since its late here and don't want to cause any disturbances to my neighbors in the complex, but I really need to figure this out in the am. Thanks in advance for any help.

hope the above makes sense lol

19Accord97

Did you try leaving the car off, putting it in park, applying the brakes and gently turning the wheel either left or right until it unlocks and then start the car?

phootbag

I'm sure you know but I have to ask, is the steering wheel locked and being forced against the steering lock mechanism preventing the key from turning?

Does the key come out of the ignition?

Does the key come out of the ignition in any gear position?

What position is the ignition lock cylinder in? ie, OFF, ON, ACC etc?

MyNameIsAlex

1. the steering wheel doesnt seem to be forced against the locking mechanism.
2. Yes the key does come out.
3. Yes it comes out in any position.
4. the ignition lock is in the off position.

MyNameIsAlex

I tried this, but no luck. Ill wait a while and see if it just manages to fix itself. dont know what else to do.


still confused though about how I can change the gears while the car is off. thats never happened.

phootbag

There is nothing outside the ignition lock cylinder which will prevent the key from turning except the steering wheel being pressed against the steering lock mechanism. If the key doesn't turn, the failure is most likely the ignition lock cylinder.

phootbag

I forgot to ask, does the gear selector move in and out of park without your foot on the brake pedal?

MyNameIsAlex

Yes it does. I just hit the button on the side of the shift **** and i can change to any of the gears, no brake. All the gears work fine when I turn the car on but it just doesn't seem like the parking lock engages as it normally would. Tried for about an hour just now to get it to work. No luck. The key is able to turn slightly. I would say about 1/8th of the way to the #1 position. Even tried reversing the car off the small incline here to a level position but still nothing. The key just won't budge. Also tried to be a little more aggressive with the forcing the steering wheel left or right while hitting the brake and turning the key, again no go. I'm stressed out as hell already lol and my thumbs are killing me lol. All of this is just out of no where. hope I can get it fixed soon. Can't stay stuck at home.

phootbag

Sounds like a problem in the ignition lock cylinder. One thing you can do is remove the ignition switch on the back of the lock cylinder behind the colum covers. Unplug the switch from the relay box first so you don't make lightning. I'm wondering if the switch might be bound up and failed inside. You could try removing the ignition switch and see if the lock cylinder turns.

MyNameIsAlex

yeah maybe. couple more hours spent this evening trying to get it to turn, no luck. kinda just beat right now. I have a few mechanics in my family that said that would help but it's kinda hard to get them to come over and leave a job that pays to help me out. not expecting them to work for free & they never want to charge family full price so u know how that is. kinda have to just wait for them to be free. sucks for me but I don't really have any other options right now. just so confused at how this all happened so randomly. never had any problems like this. i don't know what else do

MyNameIsAlex

I want to try and do this but I'm kind of scared Ill mess something up even more or like the airbag explodes in my face. I posted another thread about where the steering wheel lock pin was thinking maybe i could pull it out and get the wheel to turn but have not gotten any responses. Don't really know what's what inside the steering column

phootbag

The steering wheel lock bar is integral to the ignition lock cylinder. You would have to remove the lock cylinder from the steering colom to defeat this feature. I understand your hesitation. That is wise. You may need to seek the aid of a professional in your area.

MyNameIsAlex

I'm going to try and take the ignition cylinder out. There's a small relay/switch connected to it? i'm assuming it has to be taken out also. There are a few screws holding the cylinder in place. Hopefully it won't be to hard. Have to wait until the morning though. hopefully i can also get to the anti-rotation lock.

phootbag

The lock cylinder uses shear bolts to attach it to the steering colum. This means there is not going to be a head on the bolts. You have to use a chisel and hammer to counter rotate the bolts to remove them.

The ignition switch uses one or two screws to attach it to the back of the ignition lock cylinder. Back meaning the opposite end the key goes into. The switch doesn't need to be removed from the lock cylinder necessarily. I was suggesting removing the switch from the lock cylinder to make sure it isn't the switch that is preventing the lock cylinder from turning. Anything is possible. Still, I wonder why you are able to move the shifter from Park without your foot on the brake and the ignition off. I wonder if a malfunction in the ignition switch is letting the shift lock solenoid to remain powered up. I imagine it would be pretty hot by now, though.

So hard to help when the car isn't in front of me.

MyNameIsAlex

hey phootbag thanks again for your help. I've continued my search to find a possible cause. But yeah somethings defifantely not right about me being able to switch gears. I can literally get in the car while its off, not touch anything, and switch the gears on the selector by simply holding the button on the **** in. This has NEVER happened. the only thing that keeps the car from moving while I'm doing this is the emergency brake. i stumbled across this post here from sometime back that I thought was interesting.

I'm thinking something that has to do with the parking gear not locking correctly keeping me from turning the key. the parking gear and ignition switch/steering lock must not be communicating properly. may be way off base, but its about the only thing that makes some sort of sense at this point...to me at least lol.

anyway, yeah i've located the ignition switch. i actually to the cover off exposing the copper parts but put it back together temporarily b4 I went ahead with everything. i know there is a third screw holding the housing so ill get it when the time comes. and i've found the bracket with the screw with nothing on them to remove the assembly. still waiting b4 I go forward with that. at least I have friday and the weekend to sort everything out. i'll continue my search in the meantime

phootbag

If the park pin switch were the culprit I think the symptom would be reversed. They key wouldn't turn to lock and couldn't be removed from the ignition since the pin switch would be telling the interlock mechanism that the gear selector isn't in park. You can turn the key to on in any gear position normally.

gsnoorky

Hey, my feeble mother has a problem shifting from park to reverse in backing the car from the garage. It's a Honda Accord 10th Anniversary 4-cyl. The same is true for putting it into park--once, she couldn't figure out why the key couldn't be removed and called me to come over (I put on the (foot) brake and forced the shifter, with some difficulty, into park and removed the key).

The shifter itself is stiff when the car isn't moving and when it's put into park. I do shift it from d3 to d4 when accelerating onto limited access highways--no problem. The tranny itself shifts fine, seemingly normally, when the auto is moving.

It may be a good time for a tranny fluid purge and change along with a new filter at 90,000mi, anyway--will that likely do the trick for the shifter? I think she had the fluid/filter changed some time ago.

A friend of mine said that the shifter stiffness may be adjusted (I'm not certain if that is merely true of domestic autos)--is that true of the Accord-- of other Honda models?

gsnoorky

We took the Accord to a transmission place--they found only unrelated auto repair issues--nothing was found to be wrong with the transmission: They are puzzled....

The car wouldn't start after filling up at a c-store: The battery terminal connection at the wires became loose over the years. Tightening up the terminals solved that problem. I think that this or something else electrical is related to the tough shifter in some way, too. The shifter is tougher at some times than at others. In a sense, the problem is intermittent. Thanks!

gsnoorky

We did take the '93 Accord to our favorite Honda place last last last week. They replaced the tranny fluid (the filter for this model is "fixed" in place and can't be replaced according to the service manager--that's odd). This fluid change at the dealer is expensive--no one else wanted to do it, though. The Honda techs did fix some other related issues and did replace the linkage from the shifter--they had to order that part. The car was gone for three or four days; the repairs ended up costing about $1,500 for the 17-year old car. Now, though, it seems that the shifter performance is "nominal" (normal) again--always easy now and the same as "new." Such repairs are very expensive, yet, given the age of this "grandmother's" car, we think that's reasonable. (As always, we hope that its tranny, engine, and A/C hold together for a few more years!) Thanks!