The ignition cylinder in my daughter's CR-V is flaking out - the key has trouble getting back to the OFF position, comes out while car is running, etc. I need to replace the entire cylinder.

The local u-pull it has a CR-V with one intact and I can grab the front door lock cylinders as well to match so I can get 1 key for the whole thing.

But how do you remove that bolt holding the cylinder in place when you do not have the ignition key, are in a junk yard so no power for cutting tools? That entire assembly is connected to the steering column with a single brass looking bolt that has what appears to be a 15mm nut that is tack welded to the clamping mechanism, and a pin hole of some sort in the rear. I can't move the ignition system to any position as the junk yard does not have the key.

How do you remove that damn bolt? On our car I have the key so if I need to move the switch to position 1 or something to depress the pin I can, but not this junk one.

Any ideas other than to try to chisel that bolt apart?

Note: I am not trying to just change out the ignition part on the back, that has the two screws and the wire harnesses. I need to replace the entire cylinder.

 

They are shear bolts.

Those can also be removed with a center punch and hammer. You would use the center punch to make an indentation on the head of the shear bolt, then while holding the punch at an angle, use a hammer and the punch to drive the shear bolt out counter clockwise.

https://honda-tech.com/attachments/h...emove-bolt.jpg

Edit: You're talking about the pin.

 

OK, thanks. I will give that a try. Any reason that pin cannot be replaced with a standard bolt that fits those threads? Once I remove that from the junker CR-V, I need to put it back into my CR-V, so thinknig why not just put a regular bolt in there for future ease.

 

So, you were talking about the shear bolt instead of the pin.

You can use a regular bolt. They may be metric bolt, M8 x 1.25 x 15.

 

You can use a normal bolt without issue. Shear bolts are only done for security reasons. Just be sure to save the shear bolt for comparison / matching the length and threads pitch. The pin is only there for steering wheel lock. Don't mess with that.

 

I would call it a bolt, as it runs through a clamp, has threads, and is threaded up into a nut. The pin I suppose is on the bolt head, running through the head. At any rate, it's that bolt that has to be loosened to let that cylinder housing come off the steering column, from what I can tell.

Thanks for the info!

 

Thanks! I figured this crazy thing was built the way it was for security.

 

I must not be looking at the pin then, as I am not sure where that is. Just trying to get that shear bolt loose enough to let that clamp relax and wiggle that cylinder out from what I can tell. Wish I took a camera to take a picture, but I am driving back to the junk yard tomorrow to take another crack at it.

 

Just follow the picture provided above. Sometimes you can get a pair of vice-grips on them and walk them out. A pair of slip-joint pliers will speed things up as well. Starting it with a punch and hammer is usually needed.

 

Honda Automotive Parts

 

You know what? I am feeling kinda generous today for some reason and being that I have only replaced lock cylinders on Civics, I thought I would look at the ole' FSM out of pure curiosity. Looks like there is more to it... You are welcome:

EDIT: Sorry, I can't get the image to correctly orient itself. I tried multiple times... damn HT.

 

Thanks for the page out of the FSM! I DL'ed it and rotated it on my end so all is good. I wonder how I am going to depress that lock pin without the key. Hmmm. Guess I will just twist and pry on the column parts as it is a junker anyway so can destroy anything there, as long as I don't fubar up the pin or the cylinder itself.

Appreciate it!

 

Well it sucked, but success. I think. Will see once the dealer makes a key and I install it all to see if it works. Was a remarkable PITA. If I had power I could have cut that shear bolt away no sweat, and could have cut out around the pin. Instead I had to do it with a cold chisel, hammer, and large flat blade screwdriver. I tried the punch at 3 o'clock and tap the bolt out thing. No joy. So I had to chisel the thing apart. The hardest part was peeling back the metal to release the pin, since there was no key for the thing. Obviously only something to do to a junker, not a working vehicle. If I was scraping the cylinder I could have just drilled out the pin, but I needed it.







This of course was the junk yard CRV. Hopefully that cylinder works and was worth the 2 hours of sweat and sunburn. $8 beats $150 any day though.

 

Daaaang... I told you to bring some more tools haha. At least you got it though. Let us know if it works out for you or if it got damaged upon removal.

 

So far so good. I brought the cylinder and receipt of such, along with the junker VIN, to the dealer and they cut me a new key. $2. ( I of course opted to have 3 made just in case, so $6.) It fit into the cylinder perfectly and disengages the column lock as it is supposed to. Nice smooth movement, no hang ups or sticking. Moves through all the positions with ease! It also fits into the door cylinders I purchased as well. I bought the entire handle for both sides, so they ran me $9.99 each. Will just pull the cylinders out and keep the rest for parts if ever needed.

Next, this weekend I remove the old cylinder and replace it as well as all the door locks (front and rear hatch) so that this new key works on the entire vehicle. Fingers crossed.

 

And boom goes the dynamite.

"New" ignition cylinder is in and works perfect. All doors are also re-cylinder'ed from the same junker CRV, so the same key now open all doors and runs the engine. Awesome.

Going to do a write up of changing out the ignition cylinder and post all the pics and watch-out-fors.

 

Very nice job. Says a lot for having a cordless sawzall though. Come to think of it, a $4 hacksaw would do the job.

 

Very nice, awesome you are going to make a write-up. Feel free to use my picture in there. Glad it worked out for you.

 

I'll use your FSM pic for sure, thanks!

 

I thought about a hacksaw blade, but it's pretty tight space and not a lot of travel room for a blade. If I had a good quality cordless sawzall with a short metal cutting blade that would have been nice.

 

Oh god I know she's hurting after you opened her up wide like that...............

 

Poor junk yard CRV! I have started considering the junk yard my personal training ground. I learn the "Oh ****" things there, then can be perfect on my vehicles. FTW!

 

Good idea.