ignition probs

[lisarule]

hi everyone, pls help.
Its Christmas night on the santa run, its -5 and thick with snow!!! I stoped my car and took out the key locked it and went to get my pressys! When i came back i put the key in and the lock on the stering wheel refused to unlock, the key wouldnt turn. I needed AA to bring home the car on the back of a truck!! I think before i stop the car the heater blew hard twice then went off, but cant be sure!! Pls let me know what i can do, as i live in france and the garages love chargin the earth!!! I just payed 230e for the front breaks here!!! lol. thanks and merry christmas to all

lisa

[lozz]

same thing happend to me with a pug 306 ..its ablooming night mare to sort out,
its a piece of metal inside the barrel that locks up its on a little spring and they come out of place,
isprayed a little bit of wd40 in the barrel and got a very fine nail file and jiggled it about the locking pawl thing dropped back into place,

its worth a try,

[lisarule]

thanks i will try that, i put plenty of wd40 in it last night thinkin it might be the cold.
thanks for the advice, just need to find a nail file!!! lol

[lisarule]

just to add to my last post. i have bought a new battery for the key because it was flat!! yes i know... and has been for about 6 weeks, so changed that! Now thats changed nomaly the central locking would work, but it doesnt and when i open the door and put the key in it say its on mode econ active! Whats that???? Why has it done that??? Is it the car battery?? Cause it is very very cold here, about -10 last night. i forgot to say its a 406 break 1.9 hdi 2001.

thanks lisa

[FarmerPug]

Is your MFD (the screen above the heater controls) set to french, it should say economy mode, which is an electircal saftety thing which cuts off anything draining power 30 mins after the engine turned off, so say you turn the car off but keep the radio on, economy mode kicks in to turn off the radio, but as soon as the radio is switced on it should go away. As for the key if you take the battery out, it needs reprogrammed to the car, its not too hard, just stick the key in the ignition, turn it to the 1st stop the battery light should be the only one on, then hold in the lock button on the key for a few seconds until a bleep happens and thats it reprogrammed. As for the engine if its a hdi its a 2.0 dont mean to be smart just my strange dislike of odd numbers, but it is called a 2 litre by peugeot the old xud was a 1.9 thats not really important though. But try the key thing and hopefully it should do the trick and economy mode will go away after the cars turned on, the 30 minuites time does seem to decrease the flatter the battery gets.

[lisarule]

the main problem is the key wont turn in the ignition, its like the stering lock is on and wont come off.

lisa

[FarmerPug]

it might need a new barrel then

[jasper5]

Have you tried rocking the steering wheel side to side whilst trying to turn the key?

[FarmerPug]

Get a long screwdriver into it, and push all the bits out of the way so it can turn freely

[lozz]

Try moving the steering wheel Left to right whislt you gently wiggle the key in the Barrel,
also have alook at the key (dont mean to sound rude ) but as it got bent/ twisted worn out even
isat on my car keys once and it fubard up the key,

have you got a spare key you couid try ?

[lisarule]

yep, tried them all. Thanks for the advice i think i will have to change the barrel. If i change that, how will the computer reconise the new key?? Could i change the little chip in the old key and put it in the new one???
And do you know any sites with a diagram on for changing the barrel, it will be me doing it!!!

thanks lisa

[lisarule]

ok next question!!! lol
i have took away all the plastic housing around the barrel, you have the main metal housing around the barrel, after it looks likes a metel ring holding the main barrel. i've looked on here and it says you have to be able to turn the key to take the barrel out??? i might be a woman but that sounds stupid, cause if i could turn the key it wouldnt be broken!!! I have them special screwdrivers, (them star ones, in all sizes so no worries there)!

thanks lisa

[lozz]

There is a securing screw in the side of the Barrel:
But idont think it will come out if you carnt get the key in the ign as ithink it as too be turned to a certain position before it will withdraw out of the main housing,

saddly you might have alot of struggling to get this out maybe it may have to be drilled out, (sorry )

hopefully someone might be able to offer some better advice on this,

regard lozz

[lisarule]

i think i got that screw out, really tiny pain in the backside screw!!!
thanks for your help lozz.

[lozz]

Just a thought -whilst youve got all the plastic Cowling off
try tapping the side oF the ign barrel whilst you wiggle the key in the ign it might help free up what Evers jammed up in there,
if you tap > it just keep the Object that your tapping with Away from Any of the Electical gubbins,

My above suggestion might turn out to be Totaly usesless but anythings gotta be worth a try,