[s-cars] Twisted Key - Ignition sticky??

[Tim Radbourne]

I maybe overestimating the stickiness of the ignition.  I've only had
the car 2 months, so can't comment on changes over time.  Yes it can be
really bad if the steering wheel needs yanked, but that is not the issue
here.  No other ignition oddities.

Perhaps its just the weakness of the Wal Mart key stock that is the
problem causing the key to have a slight twist in it (although I had a
second key cut at a locksmith and it also has twisted).  The original
factory key with the IR fob isn't twisted at all and the car has 140,000
miles on it.  I would estimate both newly cut keys to be twisted about
15 degrees and this hasn't changed in several weeks.  Perhaps its
nothing to worry about...  Just didn't want to have the key break off
inside the ignition.

Anyone else have an S4 key they had cut from their local Wal Mart/Kmart
develop a slight twist over time???

Thanks....

-----Original Message-----
From: Franco Barber [mailto:feb at febsun.cmhnet.org]
Sent: Thursday, September 04, 2003 3:27 PM
To: Tim Radbourne
Subject: Re: [s-cars] Twisted Key - Ignition sticky??


Tim,
It should not require that much force.

My cars sometimes require that the steering wheel be yanked one way or
the other before the lock will turn at all, but when you once get the
wheel in the right place the key does not require a lot of force to
turn.

Has it always taken this much force or has this changed over time? Does
fighting the steering wheel help any?

Any other ignition related oddities?
Clicking noises, inside lights or AC head won't stay on, various
electrical oddities that go away when you wiggle the key?

There's a good chance that some part of the ignition switch has gone bad
and needs replacing.  The tumbler part that you can see from the front
is separate from the electrical part in the rear. The electrical part
tends to go bad every 4 or so years, so if yours has only been replaced
once there's a good chance it needs to be replaced.  Good news is this
is only a $30 part.  Takes about two hours to replace the first time you
do it.  I've had to do each of my two cars.

See this link for my story:  http://www.elektro.com/~audi/ignswitch/

Franco

On Thu, Sep 04, 2003 at 12:24:56PM -0400, Tim Radbourne wrote:
> My 93 S4 has an ignition that takes some force to turn the key.  Using

> the stock keys with the IR fob, you can get enough leverage, but I
> don't want that huge key in my pocket, so I went and had a key cut.
> Its difficult to turn this key in the ignition.  So difficult in fact
> that the newly cut key has been twisted by the force required.  The
> stock keys must be made of stronger stuff as there is no sign of them
> being twisted.
>
> I was considering squirting some WD-40 into the ignition.  Would it
> help? Or would it do damage?
>
> _______________________________________________
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>

--
Franco Barber                   feb at febsun.cmhnet.org
95 A6Q w/Gamma CD mit RDS!      Columbus, Ohio  USA
95 A6Q 5spd w/HCB-30 bluetooth car kit!