PFFlier Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 I stopped by a wrecking yard the other day and found a PF with a key in the ignition. I need the key, cylinder and door cylinders. It is an AT and there is no engine or battery in it. They key will not come out. There is no release button. I'm thinking it must be a sensor wired to it that has to be in park. I tried putting it in park, but with no battery and probably no cable, it would not open. Does anyone know if the key cylinder needs voltage to it (like 12v) to allow the key to be removed? Is there a way to fool it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pav Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 (edited) That seems strange...there was no lock release as far as I know on any of the WD21s. Give it a shot of WD40 and bring a set of pliers. My guess is it might be rusted in there or the previous owner or a worker there jammed it in good. Edited June 24, 2015 by Pav Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 They do have a lock button on the manual ones. Mine auto pathy i know for sure won't release the key without it being in park. Maybe bring a jumper pack and see if you can get it to release. Or just remove the whole ignition. Sent from my SGH-I747M using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPath88 Posted June 24, 2015 Share Posted June 24, 2015 Yeah like the others said, take the whole thing and work on it at home. 88 5spd Ignition Of course even having this means nothing in my truck, as the key is so worn that it can be removed in any position. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 This happened to me, but in a Toyota, not a Nissan. The key was stuck in the ignition... It still worked fine, started the car, etc, you just couldn't remove the key. Ended up replacing the entire unit after a locksmith couldn't get it to work correctly. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawairish Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Couldn't tell you how a 94 shifter is, but on my 04, there's a mechanical cable that runs to the shifter and prevents removing the key unless the shifter is in park. I had to remove it to pull my shifter to properly fix a band-aid job by the PO. When I put the cable back on, it needed a little adjustment (it wouldn't release the key even while in park)...but adjustment was really easy. The little white thing to the right of the measuring tape at the 2" mark is part of the cable in the pic below. On the shifter side of that white thing, there's a black thingamajig that adjusts tension. You may need to do that, or just simply confirm it's connected to the park-release solenoid assembly. (The park-release solenoid is what needs a power signal from the brake pedal to allow shifting from park; once out of park, the cable is what prevents removing the key.) Sorry I don't have a pic of it. But you should be able to see and adjust it without having to remove the shifter. I can't remember if you can manually fidget with it while detached, but I would think so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedPath88 Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 there's a mechanical cable that runs to the shifter and prevents removing the key unless the shifter is in park. This makes sense to me, because on the few auto's that I have had and had to move the shifter on, without battery power, I have never had a key related problem. Given the age I would bet it is a mechanical lock, maybe electrical on newer vehicles, but I would hope not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawairish Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 I wasn't even sure what that cable did at first. In fact, I was troubleshooting a problem that I wasn't even sure where to begin...it started when I realized that I could take it out of park without even having my foot on the brake. I pulled the shifter and saw that the PO had wedged a short piece of tubing into the shifter release override. Thinking it was some sort of dangerous convenience, I removed it and put it all back together without giving it another thought. When I tried to take it out of park, I realized why he did that...I couldn't take it out of park. And then, I realized I also couldn't take the key out. Double whammy! The problem I had was a bad switch in the shifter. This switch and the brake pedal need to be depressed to open the solenoid and shift from park. Digikey has the exact replacement switch, btw...soldered it in, problem solved. But anyway, it seems simple enough to have been used 10 years prior. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFFlier Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 Thanks for all the replies. The key is not rusted in place. You can turn it like starting or off but just can't remove the key. It jiggles around slightly like a normal one. Sounds like the best idea is to remove the whole thing but I wanted to make sure the key worked on the doors before I bought it since the door lock cylinders are what I need most. Is there a trick to getting the lock cylinder out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawairish Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 I was under the impression that the ignition switch was either riveted to the column, or used security bolts where the head shears off after fastening. Maybe just a security bit? Obviously, these things are meant to deter theft, so I can't imagine the process of replacing parts—whether the guts or the whole assembly—to be simple. Almost seems like you'd save yourself some trouble by just buying the whole steering column... If the cable I mentioned does exist, it should terminate near the ignition switch, I'd think. You could probably trick it there. One parting thought...you didn't say whether you had an MT or AT, but the donor is an AT. If you have an MT and have the push button like what RedPath88 posted, something tells me you shouldn't get this ignition switch. (Unless you think you can just get the tumbler assembly and install it in your existing column). The whole point of both ignition lock types is to prevent the key from turning to the Lock position before the key can be removed. This is likely to prevent the steering column from locking while driving. I guess just make sure you're not defeating that system, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFFlier Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 One parting thought...you didn't say whether you had an MT or AT, but the donor is an AT. If you have an MT and have the push button like what RedPath88 posted, something tells me you shouldn't get this ignition switch. (Unless you think you can just get the tumbler assembly and install it in your existing column). The whole point of both ignition lock types is to prevent the key from turning to the Lock position before the key can be removed. This is likely to prevent the steering column from locking while driving. I guess just make sure you're not defeating that system, right? The one it is going into is an AT also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hawairish Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 Excelente. And good luck getting all the stuff you need! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KovemaN Posted June 25, 2015 Share Posted June 25, 2015 FYI - In my last A/T Pathfinder, I had to wiggle the shift control in park to get the key to come out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PFFlier Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 FYI - In my last A/T Pathfinder, I had to wiggle the shift control in park to get the key to come out. Good to know........Now I have a better idea what I'm getting into next time I head to the wrecking yard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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