Hi Good old Soviet here,HELP PLEASE!

Today was the day for visiting the outlaws, sorry inlaws. They are truly 'OK people'.

My Father in law has a small Citroen hatch back diesel left hand drive, which he brought to this country with him. I think it is a ZX or something as I am not the expert.

He asked me if I would look at the ignition switch as part of the key is broken off inside the lock. yet with the short piece of key, he is still able to start the engine. Sometimes when he is traveling the piece of short key with the handle falls out in to the drivers footwell.

I took the shrouding off of the steering with great difficulty as someone had been there before me and chewed up all of the heads of screws. I then had a clear view of the lock, which was held in the brass barrel with a brass bolt, and a sprung sort of pip. through a hole in the brass. I removed the brass bolt, and then tried to press the pip in with a crosscut screw driver, but the pip would not press in far enough to allow me to extract the ignition switch from it.

I think that some sort of tool must be put around the diameter of the brass barrel with something to force the pip down under it, to allow the ignition switch to be extracted.

i.e. it is just a small hole in the brass barrel with a pip that is spring loaded, which is similar to the zimmer frames or aluminum alloy walking sticks that is for adjusting the height for the person.

Does anyone know what the tool for compressing this pip would look like, and what the name of it would be? I felt that I had lost face, and had to concede that it had beaten me, so I need help for this one.

Thank you

Soviet:(

there could be push in pips either side of the lock , so just pushing one in wont allow removal

plus the lock may have to be turned to position 1 to allow removal , a la Ford

Hi,

I used to own a Citroen Specialist Garage back in the 90's and the secret to the steering lock pip is to push down hard on the pip whilst you are turning the key.Usually a metal punch or something will be sufficient, but it wont shift unless the key is turned.

there could be push in pips either side of the lock , so just pushing one in wont allow removal

plus the lock may have to be turned to position 1 to allow removal , a la Ford

Hi Ric, and thank you,

I have looked all around the brass barrel and there appears to be only one of the pips. It is a matter at the moment of pushing the pip in far enough, and surely there must be a tool for doing this one.

What you are saying about position 1 could also be correct, and I thank you for this useful information.

Regards to you

Soviet:thumbup:

Hi,

I used to own a Citroen Specialist Garage back in the 90's and the secret to the steering lock pip is to push down hard on the pip whilst you are turning the key.Usually a metal punch or something will be sufficient, but it wont shift unless the key is turned.

Hi Skorob,

Thank you, as you have confirmed what is being said by the last person that has answered me, in that the key has to be turned to position 1, while pushing the pip.

It is possible that because I have not turned the key, then the pip is not going in far enough of course.

Many thanks I will try again.

Soviet:thumbup:

From the Haynes book of words (I used to own a ZX and keep the manual at work as a reference).

Remove the shrouds.

Remove the retaining nut and washer (about the IM in "SIMPLEX" on the illustrated lock).

Insert the key, and rotate it to the mark between the "A" and "S" marks on the barrel.

Using a small-bladed screwdriver, press in the retaining plip you've found, and withdraw the assembly.

"refitting is the reverse, ensuring that the assembly is secure" . Check that the steering lock functions correctly before refitting the shroud.

Hi Ken,

Thank you so much, as this is the exact description of what I am needing to Know here.

I will print your thread off and use it when I go to see my relative the next time. This will be at the weekend I would say.

Thank you

Soviet

No problems, and I really do have the Haynes for the ZX (petrol, but I know the diesel steering column is the same) here anyway.

I make no guarantee about the accuracy of the subsection, since I never needed it.

That is correct for the BX with the simplex locks, so I'd guess it's the same for the ZX too

Did this job myself on a BX to make everything match up to a single key.

That is correct for the BX with the simplex locks, so I'd guess it's the same for the ZX too

Did this job myself on a BX to make everything match up to a single key.

horrible , easily bent/broken keys iirc

Luckily I didn't care about the one I was taking out.

The new one has a key that looks more like a + with the key on the top and bottom and the two - bits either side making the key stronger.

That was fine for me

From the Haynes book of words (I used to own a ZX and keep the manual at work as a reference).

Remove the shrouds.

Remove the retaining nut and washer (about the IM in "SIMPLEX" on the illustrated lock).

Insert the key, and rotate it to the mark between the "A" and "S" marks on the barrel.

Using a small-bladed screwdriver, press in the retaining plip you've found, and withdraw the assembly.

"refitting is the reverse, ensuring that the assembly is secure" . Check that the steering lock functions correctly before refitting the shroud.

Hi Ken,

I put this helpful knowledge that you have given to me in to action last Saturday, as the weather for doing it was very good.

What you told me here was completely accurate, and I turned the key to the mark between A and S and pushed the pip in, and disconnected the brown, black, and Grey wiring plugs from the back and the switch pulled out of the brass barrel.

To get the broken key from the switch was not so easy, as there is a small strange headed screw in the side of the switch barrel which holds the contents inside. I undid this one, and

took out a small latching pin for the central locking release plunger and its spring. This allowed me to then take out the electrical connecting plug, with its red and white wires from the rear of the switch.

Under this there is a small round plate inside with two little grub screws, and after releasing these, the tumbler unit can be withdrawn from the front of the switch.

I did this a bit over quick, and the top tumblers, and bottom tumblers and some of the tiny springs just fell every where around the table that I was sitting at. After much searching on ground and by the area about, I found all of these.

I worked out the problem after tapping the piece of broken key free. all the spring loaded 5 tumblers in the bottom are all the same length, and so I assembled these with their springs, and then I considered that all the the top 5 tumblers must fit the pattern of the key to make them all level, to allow the switch to rotate.

I inserted the key, and with trial and error inserted the different length tumblers on to their springs until they gave the flush pattern and fitted the shape of the key. There is is also a small return spring and little metal piece that has to be held in place as the assembly is put back into the barrel.

With several goes of trying I managed this one, and then reassembled the rest of the switch parts. Finally I used the second key of father in law spare, to test rotation, and this one was now fixed. I put the switch back in to the car, and checked operation of steering lock, and then put back the shroud parts, and fuse box cover.

I have now, recovered my face, that I had lost, at being beaten by this the first time. But the real problem solver in this was of course you. And I thank you again.

Kindest regards

Soviet:thumbup::thumbup:

Pleased that worked out right. As I said earlier, I really do have my old ZX manual beside my desk here.