Ignition key disaster

Dick Steinkamp

Dick Steinkamp

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Yesterday, I pulled the Bavaria into my driveway at home, shut it off and rotated the key to the far anticlockwise position so I could remove it. It wouldn't come out and the steering wheel was locked which shouldn't be locked unless the key is removed. The key wouldn't rotate to any other position either.

I tugged a little on the key, and it came out along with the lock cylinder and a bunch of little springs and metal cylinders...


IMG_4986.jpeg




IMG_4982.jpeg


After panicking I found that if I reinserted the barrel with the correct orientation, that the key would go in like normal and start the car. Also, if I rotated the key anticlockwise to the stop, I could remove the key and the steering would lock. With the rubber trim back in place it looked and worked like normal...

IMG_4989.jpeg


At least I can still drive the car.

In poking around, it looks like a real chore to remove the cylinder that is still in the column. I would think someone like Santa Monica Lock may be able to put things back together if they had all the pieces. Maybe it is easier to remove the upper column and send that along with the other pieces?

Is there an easier way to put this back together than the above?

Maybe even replace the whole upper column with another (I'm not too picky about matching keys)?

Ideas?
 
Dick Steinkamp said:
Yesterday, I pulled the Bavaria into my driveway at home, shut it off and rotated the key to the far anticlockwise position so I could remove it. It wouldn't come out and the steering wheel was locked which shouldn't be locked unless the key is removed. The key wouldn't rotate to any other position either.

I tugged a little on the key, and it came out along with the lock cylinder and a bunch of little springs and metal cylinders...


View attachment 102345



View attachment 102347

After panicking I found that if I reinserted the barrel with the correct orientation, that the key would go in like normal and start the car. Also, if I rotated the key anticlockwise to the stop, I could remove the key and the steering would lock. With the rubber trim back in place it looked and worked like normal...

View attachment 102349

At least I can still drive the car.

In poking around, it looks like a real chore to remove the cylinder that is still in the column. I would think someone like Santa Monica Lock may be able to put things back together if they had all the pieces. Maybe it is easier to remove the upper column and send that along with the other pieces?

Is there an easier way to put this back together than the above?

Maybe even replace the whole upper column with another (I'm not too picky about matching keys)?

Ideas?
Click to expand...

not an expert in anything, but the e3 is a complete mystery to me

in the e9, there is not way to remove the upper part, the lower one goes reasonably well removing two bolts

then removing the barrel takes time but it is doable, the barrel holds two parts, the lower one is the switch that has the cables, easy to remove but very dangerous, first you need to remove a little beheaded screw, almost impossible to see, usually covered in red wax, a tiny flat screwdriver will suffice to remove it, once you do that check the integrity of the cable connections with regard to the switch case because you will have to pull from the cables down to remove the switch, if the plate with the cables is not strongly locked to the case, there is a risk of break open the switch and those springs will be very difficult to assemble again

once yo do that you should remove the beheaded bolt that fix the locking prong, and now you can remove the whole barrel while fiddling with the key in the clausor

doable, but...
 
HB Chris said:
When key is on off position steering locks if wheel is turned a bit, key doesn’t have to be removed.
Click to expand...
My July of '71 production Bavaria will only lock the steering if the key is in the far anticlockwise position and removed. With the key still in that position, the steering operates normally. As soon as the key is removed, if the steering wheel is moved slightly it will lock. My 1976 Porsche is the same. I always thought that was a good feature. If the throttle stuck full while driving you could turn off the engine and still have steering.
 
Dick,

it can be put back together. i have never worked with the cylinders for Pebra keys, but i can put most lock cylinders back together. that being said, you need the barrel, the cylinder and all of the pieces to do so - along with the key. it looks like you are probably still missing some pins and springs. count the number of 'divots' in the key - that's how many springs / pins there should be. some springs may still be in the barrel ... but some of the small pins might be in the carpet - a magnet is your friend.

if you can take the barrel out and want to send it to me, i will do my best to put it back together. for that matter, a decent locksmith should be able to do so as well ... but you will have to remove the barrel from the car.

scott
 
rsporsche said:
Dick,

it can be put back together. i have never worked with the cylinders for Pebra keys, but i can put most lock cylinders back together. that being said, you need the barrel, the cylinder and all of the pieces to do so - along with the key. it looks like you are probably still missing some pins and springs. count the number of 'divots' in the key - that's how many springs / pins there should be. some springs may still be in the barrel ... but some of the small pins might be in the carpet - a magnet is your friend.

if you can take the barrel out and want to send it to me, i will do my best to put it back together. for that matter, a decent locksmith should be able to do so as well ... but you will have to remove the barrel from the car.

scott
Click to expand...
Thanks Scott. That gives me hope :) .

From the threads here that I've read on the subject, it looks like removing the inner barrel is not fun. :(. Any advice on that?

Instead of removing the barrel, would removing the whole top of the column allow the same reassembly process?
 
Dick Steinkamp said:
My July of '71 production Bavaria will only lock the steering if the key is in the far anticlockwise position and removed. With the key still in that position, the steering operates normally. As soon as the key is removed, if the steering wheel is moved slightly it will lock. My 1976 Porsche is the same. I always thought that was a good feature. If the throttle stuck full while driving you could turn off the engine and still have steering.
Click to expand...
Something is hanging up in the lock cylinder, there is a large pin that drops onto the column when key is in off position, I don’t think e3 or e9 are any different, they use the same lock cylinder.
 
Dick Steinkamp said:
Thanks Scott. That gives me hope :) .

From the threads here that I've read on the subject, it looks like removing the inner barrel is not fun. :(. Any advice on that?

Instead of removing the barrel, would removing the whole top of the column allow the same reassembly process?
Click to expand...
Dick,

i honestly don't know as i haven't taken one of these cylinders apart, but i have taken a few thousand regular cylinders apart. in traditional cylinders, the barrel can be accessed by both sides - you use a bar to slide into the barrel to hold springs / top pins in place once you've placed them in with tweezers - place all of the bottom pins in the cylinder, they flush out with the edge of the cylinder when the key is in place (the pointed ends fit into the divots of the key / flat ends stop the cylinder from turning if the wrong key is inserted ... the springs force the bottom pins into the cylinder to help lock against the wrong key - and keep the springs from getting caught in the cylinder). when the cylinder is pushed into the barrel, it pushes the bar out, making sure the springs don't go flying.
 
HB Chris said:
Something is hanging up in the lock cylinder, there is a large pin that drops onto the column when key is in off position, I don’t think e3 or e9 are any different, they use the same lock cylinder.
Click to expand...
Certainly possible...and perhaps the cause for the "disaster".
 
rsporsche said:
Dick,

i honestly don't know as i haven't taken one of these cylinders apart, but i have taken a few thousand regular cylinders apart. in traditional cylinders, the barrel can be accessed by both sides - you use a bar to slide into the barrel to hold springs / top pins in place once you've placed them in with tweezers - place all of the bottom pins in the cylinder, they flush out with the edge of the cylinder when the key is in place (the pointed ends fit into the divots of the key / flat ends stop the cylinder from turning if the wrong key is inserted ... the springs force the bottom pins into the cylinder to help lock against the wrong key - and keep the springs from getting caught in the cylinder). when the cylinder is pushed into the barrel, it pushes the bar out, making sure the springs don't go flying.
Click to expand...
It probably won't help any that I have 10 thumbs. :(
 
Dick Steinkamp said:
It looks like an E9 and E3 may be identical. The lock cylinder with key for both E3 and E9 are PN 32321105073 (RealOEM)
Click to expand...
Dick Steinkamp said:
Thanks Scott. That gives me hope :) .

From the threads here that I've read on the subject, it looks like removing the inner barrel is not fun. :(. Any advice on that?

Instead of removing the barrel, would removing the whole top of the column allow the same reassembly process?
Click to expand...

then if they are the same part i have answered your questions, giving you advice and telling you that you can not remove the top
 
Dick Steinkamp said:
I found these two threads on that subject. It doesn't sound like any fun at all. @sfdon seems to be the resident expert on ignition lock removal. I need to get a few of his secrets and some of his confidence before I give it a go.

https://e9coupe.com/forum/threads/ignition-key-barrel-help.30406/

https://e9coupe.com/forum/threads/ignition-switch-key-part-removal.9085/
Click to expand...


there is an additional thread that i created,

how to deal with the clausor and ignition switch

there are some details about this that i would like to share, it is not only about the
e9coupe.com e9coupe.com
 
deQuincey said:
there is an additional thread that i created,

how to deal with the clausor and ignition switch

there are some details about this that i would like to share, it is not only about the
e9coupe.com e9coupe.com
Click to expand...

Thanks, deQuincey.

There is lots of information in all 3 threads. It is somewhat confusing to me especially since there seems to be at least 3 variations of the lock assembly. I need to digest the information as much as I can, then just start into the disassembly for the information to make complete sense.
 
Dick Steinkamp said:
Thanks, deQuincey.

There is lots of information in all 3 threads. It is somewhat confusing to me especially since there seems to be at least 3 variations of the lock assembly. I need to digest the information as much as I can, then just start into the disassembly for the information to make complete sense.
Click to expand...
do not be confused, there are variations but all are removed in the same way
 
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