Dear Fellow Brickboarders,

Hope you're well. Can anyone describe precisely how to remove the entire ignition lock unit, i.e., the housing for the lock cylinder and the ignition interlock cable? I have a key stuck in the cylinder and may need to change the entire ignition lock unit.

What is in the FAQs as to removing the ignition lock cylinder is simply wrong. There is no button, pressure on which releases the lock cylinder from the housing.

I have a factory-new ignition lock unit. That unit has no such button, whereby the ignition lock's cylinder can easily be removed. The lock cylinder seems to be secured by two pressed-in pins.

Thanks for your help.

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Dear Fellow Brickboarders,

Hope you're well. Removing the interlock cable from the ignition lock housing - by depressing the black plastic "button", accessible via a round opening in the top of the ignition lock housing - frees the key.

But the key gets stuck again.

It this a problem with the end of the ignition lock cable, or with the ignition lock itself?

Thanks for your insights into this problem.

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Hello Spook,

I can only relay my experience with a similar problem.

After removing the cable I have had no further problems with being unable to remove the key from the ignition. I wonder if trying to get some powdered graphite into the mechanism would free things up enough to allow it to move far enough to get to a position where the key can be removed?

Randy

Dear rstarkie,

Hope you're well and that Holidays have been enjoyable!

An on-line auction photo shows that there's a "shear screw" (#1359732, $5 at a U.S. Volvo dealer) in the steering column's bearing housing (part no longer available). That shear screw compresses a slotted extension from the bearing housing, so securing the ignition lock assembly. Once the screw has been tightened as required, the head "snaps-off", leaving the shear screw's shaft.

To remove the factory-installed shear screw, a hand-held rotary tool and a thin emery cutting disc will be needed to cut a slot in the shear screw's shaft. I presume that the lock assembly can then be pulled out of the bearing housing.

As this shear-screw's shaft points upwards, I'd guess it can be removed, without having to pull the steering column.\

Hope this helps and All the Best for the New Year!

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Is this the route you are taking at this point? All other efforts to remove the key have failed?

Randy

Dear rstarkie,

Hope you're well. I freed the key by removing the interlock cable from the ignition lock housing.

I'll await warmer weather before figuring-out what causes the problem. Volvo still supplies the interlock cable. I'm pretty sure that changing the cable requires removing the shifter assembly. I've done that, to change the neutral safety switch.

Hope this helps.

All the Best for the New Year!

Yours faithfully,

Spook

Hi Spook,

Just in case it helps, I thought I'd pass this along:

Earlier this year I had a similar problem: I could not remove the ignition key. I disconnected the cable but that did not release the key. However, when I removed the electrical switch the key came loose. I replaced the aftermarket electrical switch with a Volvo part and the problem has not come back. I left the cable disconnected.

I still have not taken the switch apart to see if I can figure out why it might have gotten stuck, and I'm not entirely convinced that the cylinder is without fault.

Best,
pmp

Why not just replace the entire steering assembly??&use the keys that come w it.??

Dear Blindboy,

Hope you're well. If ignition lock unit removal requires super-human strength and/or unavailable factory-type tools, I might tackle the major job of removing the entire steering column.

As Volvo supplies ignition lock units, there's likely a way to remove the ignition lock unit, by ordinary folks with ordinary tools.

I try to keep jobs as small and as simple as possible, absent very compelling reasons.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

Spook