Pickard1 0 Posted July 18, 2007 My steering lock has jammed on. Ive tried turning / un turning the key to no avail. Last night I stripped the steering wheel, cowling and indicator stalks. I now have a large splined nut, a circlip and a spring that appear to be holding the steering lock onto the shaft. Can I remove these and slide the ignition barrel / steering lock casting off? I cant really see any topics covering the same problem. The limited advice I can see is to smash it all off, but I was hoping there would be a less destructive solution. Any help appreciated. Cheers, Dan Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted July 18, 2007 Yeah you need to use a (good) 3-legged puller to remove that splined adapter, withfraw the lock housing and drill out the barrel... Is yours an adjustable column? If so I have a brand new lock housing somewhre... you also want to get a new ignition switch while your in there... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toad 0 Posted July 18, 2007 Will your key actually turn then? My lock once broke so it wouldn't turn, and I had to replace it. If you look in the Haynes manual for a golf it shows you how to drill the lock barrel out of the steering lock. Alternatively buy a new lock and line it up. You will have to drill a small hole into the casing, so that you can depress the spring clip that holds the barrel into the casing. the barrel will then slide out. then you can use a large screw driver to turn the alloy piece at the end which operates the steering lock and ignition switch. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Supercharged 2 Posted July 18, 2007 Hmm - another thought - you need to unlock it to get it off the column Have you tried shaking the wheel and key to undo?? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pickard1 0 Posted July 18, 2007 The key turns and the engine starts, I can even drive forward and backwards in an Austin Powers Stylee :lol: I have tried unlocking / locking several times and general wiggling but it didnt unlock. I have taken the precaution of buying a housing from the VR6 that Andy Brookes is breaking. I am a little worried now about the talk of 'is it a tilting mechanism' - I thought they all were :? Hopefully the one I have brought will fit. It is sounding like I will have to break the lock in order to withdraw the housing. Is it an option to hacksaw through the casting between the ignition key and the column, I presume the lock mechanism is here..... Thanks for all the replies....car is in Autotrader tomorrow, couldnt have happened at a better time! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pickard1 0 Posted July 20, 2007 I have taken some pictures of where I am up to. I want to try drilling the lock as advised by Mr Toad. Unfortunately I dont have a golf manual. Could someone indicate on one of my pictures where I should drill or alternatively post up some instructions. This is a complete nightmare, even by Corrado standards :lol: Thanks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Toad 0 Posted July 20, 2007 Where the red dot is. As for angle. Imagine you are drilling straight through the middle of the lock. you only need to go 5 mm or so, just through the aluminium. you should then see the lock barrel and the thin strip of spring steel clipping it in place. I'll try to find a lock later to show you. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pickard1 0 Posted July 20, 2007 Thanks for your help Toad. :D If you could find an example it would very much be appreciated. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pickard1 0 Posted August 5, 2007 Right then, I thought I would provide a little update on all of this now that I have the car working again!! After removing the horn, then the steering wheel, then the cowling I had access to the steering column. I drilled a hole as per Toads instructions but nothing happened. I then drilled another hole and the lock barrel came free. Unfortunately I cant remmber which is the good hole - :oops: sorry people! Prise out horn: Disconnect horn wires: Undo large nut (22mm i think): Remove cowling by undoing 3 phillips screws from below: To remove the top cowling it was necessary to undo the 10mm nut holding the handle for the steering wheel height adjustor. Remove wiring loom to indicator storks. (4 plugs): remove indicator storks (3 flat head screws - although these looked to be replacements on mine) Drill Hole: This still didnt sort the steering lock so I looked at the design a bit more and noticed that there was a pressed in panel on the side of the ignition barrel. Using a hacksaw I enlarged the seam and then prised this out with a large flat bladed screwdriver. This pulled out a load of gubbins from the bottom of the ignition barrel including the steering lock. I refitted the barrel and could now steer and drive the car. However part of the 'gubbins' I had removed was the spring that clicks the ingition switch back from the starter motor position. So although the car was drivable it was not a good idea, and eventually ended with a burnt out starter motor :( when i forgot to disengage the starter motor. With panel prised out: Gubbins that came out: This week my new steering column arrived. Andy had sent the whole assembly right down to the UJ down by the pedals. My first intention was to swap both columns, but this didnt work as mine was attached to the car using what apeared to be rivets, which I didnt fancy drilling out. After looking at the ignition barrel some more I decided that it appeared that you could remove it without pulling the splined nut off and removing the circlip, disturbing the roller bearing etc...... I experemented on the new assembly first by removing the two bolts that went through both pieces of casting (see pic). The assembly came apart fairly easily but wouldnt slide clean off the column as the steering lock was catching. I used a knife blade to slide in between the two halves and depress the lock bolt, this worked and the ignition barrel casting came off. I repeated this procedure on the assembly in the car, this came apart even easier as it didnt have a steering lock. It was then easy to swap the good barrel onto my car. Rivets: Splitting the ingition barrel casting (remove 2 bolts from position arrowed): (mine had a torx style screw and a 10mm bolt. andys had two allen head bolts. I'm not sure what should be standard. I now have a working ignition switch and steering lock. The only downside is that my ignition key doesnt match the boot (delocked doors) as I am using andys key. I dont see how it is possible to change the key barrel though as it appears the assembly is put together by pressing in the lock components in the factory. If anyone knows better please let me know as I would like to be using the original key as I have three copies. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richroberts 0 Posted August 6, 2007 im sorry to tell you this after youve done the job. Ive just had a simular problem, Did the same as you but didnt drill any holes. Removed the sheer bolts, then once you can move that you can angle it in a way to get a hacksaw in there. Cut through the lock which then just dropped out, put all cowling etc and its all back to normal, no need for a new barrel or anything else, just dont have a steering lock now! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pickard1 0 Posted August 6, 2007 just dont have a steering lock now! I thought about doing this, but if the car got nicked you wouldnt have a leg to stand on with the insurance company. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig 0 Posted August 8, 2007 these things always seem to come at once, i had exactly the same problem in that i could start the car and drive forward etc just could not steer. having removed the plastic surrounds etc i drilled out the sheer bolts on the lock housing and it came away from the column and i could then just pull out the lock housing along with the broken steering lock so ive been driving around for a month with it all taped up Now ive just received the part from vw, a brand new lock housing to fit onto the steering column but i have the same problem in that i want to use the old ignition barrel as i don't want separate keys for the doors and ignition? How can i get the ignition barrel out from the old knackered lock housing and transfer it over to my new lock housing? which i can then attach back up. any helps much appreciated as this has to be one of the most frustrating things to have gone wrong yet! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pickard1 0 Posted August 8, 2007 The only Idea I have had so far is to drill out the barrel from the good ignition column, then insert my old barrel and secure it with a little grub screw down the hole I drilled. Not perfect, but no one will know unless they start removing the cowling. :? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig 0 Posted August 8, 2007 i plan on using a new lock housing so the steering lock will work. so if i drilled the ignition barrel out of the old lock, can i just place the whole ignition barrel into the new lock housing and itll secure itself? its turning out to be a right nightmare. thanks for the reply 8) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pickard1 0 Posted August 9, 2007 Im not sure how the new lock housing would come from VW. I brought mine from a car that was being broken on here so it came with a barrel and key already in it. Has your new lock housing come complete with a key barrel etc or is it just the housing? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig 0 Posted August 9, 2007 mine is just the housing on its own, no key barrel. so now i have to transfer over the barrel and attach the new housing to the steering column as it was previously held on by 2 sheer bolts? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pickard1 0 Posted August 9, 2007 My shear bolts had already been replaced and so had the ones on the replacement barrel I brought. I think realistically there isnt much dannger of a thief breaking in and taking the time to undo your replacement bolts... Does the new unit come with the steering lock bolt and all the fiddly springs? Would it be just a case of sliding the lock barrel into the casting? Sorry for al the Q's. Im thinking that ordering a new housing might be my best way of keeping the original key. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
richroberts 0 Posted August 10, 2007 my car has an immobilser so im not worried about it getting knicked, and if it did come up i would just say they must have cut it out! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Craig 0 Posted August 10, 2007 what a drama, i followed toads advice and drilled the hole (spot on location by the way) and after depressing the latch and a little wiggle i managed to swap the barrel over to my new housing! joy! but when it came to fitting it onto the steering column i noticed the new housing had a metal lip where the sheer bolts go and the old one didnt, so surprise to find it didnt actually fit, despite being the same part number! instead if complaining to vw i just simply got the hack saw out and cut it off and it then fitted perfectly, so now i have a fully functional steering column and lock as brand new! its so nice to have the indicator stalks in the proper position :) so its finally back together, and yes the new lock housing does come with the steering lock mech attached, just a case of swapping over the ignition barrels and all is as good as new and no need for new keys etc! thanks for the help! such a frustrating job! 8) Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Pickard1 0 Posted August 10, 2007 Last 2 questions: Do you just push the barrel into the new housing and it clips itself into place? How much for the housing? :lol: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
