ignition barrel wont turn

[scud3805]

Thanks again i will give it a go and see how it ends up???

 

[scud3805]

Hi all Thanks for the help completed the barrel change over but not that smooth sailing as my barrel wouldnt let me turn the key to have it on accessories as per instruction diagram But after several beers and one broken key in the old barrel it was done im happy with the outcome barrel from holden $65 keying the barrel $10 and new key cut $55 total $130 but holden quoted me $230 and most locksmiths in my area all around $250 still ahead though If only the barrel would turn it would be straight forward

 

[slidways]

Mine did this last year apparently when i gets hot theres a little locking ball inside the barrel that gets stuck. its been a floor with the barrels since then vn days

 

[ignis]

Thought i would share my experience replacing the ignition barrel on my VZ. Particularly, the bits that arent mentioned above.

Firstly, unless you are keen on fiddly things, if you purchase the replacement ignition barrel, take the old barrel and the new barrel to a locksmith. Seriously. I spent hours working it out. The locksmith could probably get it done in 10 minutes and charge about 20 bucks.

If you are keen on recoding the new barrel yourself:

Leave the key in the barrel as you remove it from the steering column.
Slowly remove the key a few mm at a time.
As you pass each of the key sliders (whatever), note the position and number on the slider you will need to put the sliders in the exact same configuration in the new barrel.
Take the new barrel and insert the new sliders in the same configuration as the old.

Important: Make sure you insert the key barrel into the housing and turn it, it should turn freely. If not, you have the wrong key slider configuration.

To reinstall the barrel:

Ensure that the locking pin and all key sliders are inserted into the key barrel. The sliding pin should also be inserted at the rear of the barrel housing, locking the barrel into the housing.

Important: Before you insert the barrel and housing into the steering column make sure that you push down the lock inside the steering column where the barrel was removed. The lock is right at the back of the housing, and is U shaped. You can do this using a screwdriver (I did). It should click into place.

Turn the key to the ON position in the barrel and insert the barrel into the housing.

DO NOT try to force the new barrel into the steering column, if it does not slide right in first check if the key is in the ON position and that the lock inside the steering column is clicked into place. The latch on top of the barrel housing is really brittle and can easily snap. (I snapped my new barrel housing and had to use the old one in the end).

These few lessons, in particular the bit about the lock within the barrel housing had me cursing and yelling at the thing for hours.

Hope it helps others out there from making the same mistakes.

BTW whole thing cost me 40 bucks for the ignition barrel and 6 hours of my time. I reckon if i had to do it again, i could do it in about 20 minutes. :boxing:

 

[keirren]

Mine did this last year apparently when i gets hot theres a little locking ball inside the barrel that gets stuck. its been a floor with the barrels since then vn days

yeh mine did the same thing last summer while at the beach and had to replace the ignition the tow truck driver reckons he gets called out atleast once a week for this problem

 

[Not_An_Abba_Fan]

The key needs to be in the ACC position, not ON. I did our VT on Friday. Recoded the new barrel in about 15 minutes.

The problem with ours was that it got stuck in the ACC position because the little lock that holds it in the assembly had actually broken and inserting a pin through the hole had no effect. The part that is held up by the spring and holds it in the assembly had broken off just next to the hole so a part of it was still engaged. The only way I could get it out was belt it out with a hammer and screw driver.

Oh, and there is no need to remove the steering wheel or disable the air bag. Just remove the ignition plug from the switch on the back of the barrel.

 

[Chris5]

I also had this happen on a 35 degree day. Saved myself $350 by calling a friendly locksmith who told me to try WD-40. I had already tried graphite with no luck but the WD-40 did the trick! Worth a go if you are going to have to replace the barrel anyway. Good luck!

 

[Blickiss]

Hi all Thanks for the help completed the barrel change over but not that smooth sailing as my barrel wouldnt let me turn the key to have it on accessories as per instruction diagram But after several beers and one broken key in the old barrel it was done im happy with the outcome barrel from holden $65 keying the barrel $10 and new key cut $55 total $130 but holden quoted me $230 and most locksmiths in my area all around $250 still ahead though If only the barrel would turn it would be straight forward

How did you get the old barrel out without turning the key?
cheers

 

[Gus]

I got the job done for $50, happened to me as well and in the end i ended up making it work with a hammer and ended up just going to get the barrel replaced the same day.

If it has started happening i recommend just getting a new barrel as soon as you can. The barrels in commodores are supposed to last 4-5 years on average so yeah.

 

[Trent L]

Bought a new aftermarket ignition barrel with two keys incl for $57 at the local spare parts place.

Part no. NIB74
Nice Products - Auto Locks

Have a look in this thread

http://forums.justcommodores.com.au...on-barrel-tried-everything-but-wont-move.html