beth93

Yes indeed! I'll try some more things tomorrow, thanks for your help, cheers.

Yep, tried that too! I'll try to get the car home tomorrow and then at least I can strip down the ignition lock and see what's what. I'll keep you posted with what I find. Do you know if the handbrake will work just as well with a dead engine and on a hill?

Right, just went up there, a bit of a nightmare in the dark on the edge of a busy road, but I gave it a go. The wheel turns nearly twice lock to lock I would say, so 600/700 odd degrees. The steering lock does not engage. In fact, I'm thinking we might try pushing it the 1/4 mile home tomorrow morning, but we live at the bottom of a sharp hill. Is the handbrake a cable job? I rang the local garage, but they don't have a towing dolly or flat bed.

Turning it yes, but not stop to stop, it's very stiff.

I appreciate it, but we have a spare blade and tried pliers, it won't budge. I honestly think if I try harder then it will simply snap off. But I will try again later. Thanks for posting the video.

Haven't ordered anything yet, car still up the road and more bothered about getting it home first. As there are different part numbers for the locks that I've seen, don't want to spend £100 ordering one that turns out to be wrong. Have tried calling local Auto locksmiths, but so far the one I have called say they don't deal with the ignition switch. And the local auto electrician , (who is very good, I've used him before), doesn't touch the ignition switch as it's a lock...........

Well I'm not sure, when I say barrel I don't mean the outer bit that the ignition module fits to, rather the actual barrel part that the key slides into as that is what I assume is broken. Just went up the road to try again, still no joy. And the unlock bit on the remote doesn't work so the blasted alarm goes off until I open the boot with the remote! And on reading on the 'net about how to change the barrel inner using a paperclip assumes that you can move the key to the 'on' position in the first place- aargh!!!

Do you mean swap blades from key fob?

Tried lube, still no joy. Not sure if you mean blades from the key fob?

Now looking at the one for sale on eBay, if I install the new lock, does it need to be paired with the car (immobiliser I mean), or is it plug and play as the barrel comes with it's own keys? Thanks.

Hi all, the ignition key in my 2008 Octavia estate won't turn. It's not the steering lock, appears to be barrel failure. We tried a lubricant and wiggling the key, and also tapping gently to try and get it to engage, but it won't. It turns just a little to the radio on position, but is solid after that. Skoda want £74 to replace the barrel with one cut to match the keys, but it takes 6-8 weeks as it is cut overseas. I need the car for work this week, and it's stuck outside a friends house a mile from home. There are secondhand ones available but I would rather have new. I have found one new on eBay, should I strip the old one off and check the number on the side before I order it? Failing that, can anyone point me at an online dealer who is guaranteed to send the correct item?