E36 ignition key question.

[Kurt Sampara]

I have a 97 M3 and the ignition key will just spin in the column and not start the car. It is starting to happen more often. Is this repairable without having to get new keys and cylinders? Thank you in advance. Kurt.

[Manolito]

A new key will probably help to delay the inevitable lock cylinder replacement. Also, if you normally use your key one way (e.g. logo facing you) it will probably work better if flipped 180 degrees.

On one of my '97 328s, the key would just spin if the car were parked on an incline with the front wheels higher than the rears. I had to push it off the ramps when I was working on it. It would also occasionally not catch unless we pulled out the key and flipped it over to the less worn side. It did this for a couple of years until one day my daughter turned the key to the off position and pulled out the key, and the car was still running. Then we knew we had to finally fix it.

If your ignition lock cylinder has worn out, you will probably discover that using a stiff wire to release the lock from the the housing works only with a brand new lock and housing. After 15 years of use, if you can get the lock cylinder to release from the housing using the stiff wire method described in the manual, you win the ignition lock lottery. It has been done, but don't count on it.

The stiff wire method requires a very heavy paper clip, the heaviest that will fit through the little notch in the edge of the silver part that spins with your key. Bend the tip just a tiny bit so that it hugs the side of the lock cylinder as you push it through the hole and down alongside the lock mechanism. When the key is turned to exactly the correct position, which is near the "On/Accessory" position, the wire will slide down in nearly an inch. If it hits bottom and then a moderate additional pressure gets you another 1/8" against a spring resistance, you should be able to pull the lock cylinder out while still pressing down on the wire to hold the latch back while you pull it free of the groove in the cylinder.

Since life is not like that, you are likely replacing the lock AND the housing. The housing is not hard to remove if you have a dremel tool and a small closed-end ratcheting box-end wrench. After removing the steering wheel and the plastic housing around the steering column and all the electronic components, you cut straight slots in the heads of the two security bolts with your dremel. Clearance is a bit tight above your steering column, but you can use a short straight-blade screwdriver bit and your small ratcheting box end wrench to turn it, and you can crank those security bolts right out.

Don't forget to take careful note of the positions and orientations of the two bushings between the steering wheel and the bearing in the lock housing. Put them back the way you found them or the steering wheel won't fit properly.

The HARD part of this job is putting back that stiff wire circlip that goes on the steering shaft between the bushings. You have to pull out on the steering shaft while pressing down on the inner bushing to center the bearing while opening the circlip with duck-bill snap ring pliers (which you don't have). That takes three or four of your hands, your tail swishes off the flies, and there you are!

Since you don't have the correct snap ring pliers, you can try to use multiple flat blade screwdrivers to force the circlip up its taper and into its groove. Odds are good that you will end up stabbing a screwdriver through your instrument cluster.

OR THE EASY WAY which I discovered the second time around, is you can cut a short piece of the 3/4" PVC pipe that you have laying around the garage from the last time you repaired the lawn sprinklers.

After installing the new lock housing on the steering column, lube the bearing and tap it into the new housing. Then slip the inner (plain) bushing down the shaft. Then place the circlip on the shaft, then your piece of PVC pipe. Now take the steering wheel center bolt and screw it in. Screwing down that bolt forces the PVC pipe to push the circlip up its taper and into its groove, while simultaneously pulling on the steering shaft and compressing the bearing. You can do this by yourself while holding a beer in the other hand!

You just tighten the bolt until you hear the sweet "click" of the circlip snapping into its groove.

Now remove the bolt and PVC and slide the outer bushing down over the circlip, replace the steering column covers if you haven't already, put the steering wheel back on. Reconnect the battery which you remembered to disconnect before you removed the air bag, and you have it!

AFTERTHOUGHT - If I had it to do over, I would try spraying a healthy dose of silicone spray or WD-40 down in the lock to see if that would help lube it such that the stiff wire method might work to release the old lock cylinder from the lock housing.

[Jeron]

It a fairly common problem and there are good write ups on the web.

[Kurt Sampara]

Thank you. My car does not have an alarm or keyless entry and the origional key was badly warn (door locks). My spare key works fine. Thanks again. Kurt.