Last Saturday, I went to start my 02 V70 T5 and the ignition key would only turn to position 1. The steering wheel unlocked, but the starter would not operate and the shift would not move out of Park. This happened with all 3 keys (two original "master" keys and one original "valet" key). VolvoOnCall put me in touch with a Volvo tech who said that (a) it might be a "cable" that had come loose or broken or (b) the electronic ignition lock (that mates with the keys) might have broken. I called a flatbed to get the car to a dealer. Wisely, however, the driver would not load the car up with the trans in Park -- although he might have dragged it onto the flatbed, it wouldn't have come off. Fortunately, with the tow driver manipulating the ignition key and me on the shift lever, the trans suddenly shifted into Neutral. I did not have to apply much pressure to do this -- it suddenly unlocked. The key, however, still would not turn past position 1, so we couldn't start the car.

With the trans in Neutral, the car was put on the flatbed and brought to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a bad chip in the electronic ignition lock. This was ordered from Volvo, replaced, and the car now starts again.

My question: did I damage anything in the trans linkage by somehow getting the trans to go into Neutral with the key in Position 1? Or is there some hidden override sequence that the Volvo tech didn't tell me about but which I accidentally hit? (On my 97 V90 there is an "override" button just below the shift lever -- now I know why it's there.)