Ignition barrel won't accept key

[petecollier]

I have a problem on my 2008 (57) Octavia 1.6 FSI Elegance - the ignition barrel seems to be jammed - literally: you cannot physically insert the ignition key blade into the ignition lock.

 

Last Monday I had driven the car, parked and locked up. When I returned about 20 minutes later, the car unlocked perfectly normally, but I could not get the key in the ignition.

 

After trying everything I could think of for 30 minutes to no avail, I called my wife who brought the other key. That key would not enter the ignition either. After another 15 minutes of faff we called out the RAC. Their guy spent 20 minutes on his hands and knees trying and got no further than I or my wife had.

 

The RAC mechanic called a locksmith contact of his who, when told the symptoms, said it sounded like the tumblers had dropped in the cylinder. New cylinder needed, so the RAC gave me a 2-wheel tow home.

 

My regular mechanic recovered the car from my home to the Skoda dealer on Friday. He first tried several times to get either key into the ignition to unlock the steering. No joy. Blade would not slide into the barrel at all.

 

Skoda had the car to work on today. They called me up to say their technician had started the car 5 times, and they couldn't understand what problem I had been experiencing !?  When I explained again, they said maybe it was an "intermittent fault". I don't see how that can be - 4 people tried on numerous occasions over 5 days, and that lock was broken. Skoda technician says he got the key in first time and started the car!??

 

Does anyone have any experience of something like this? Am I going mad?.. 

Edited 8 July, 2013 by petecollier

[Eddie-NL]

it can happen

 

sometimes they stick and you need to jiggle the wheel from side to side.

 

probably won't happen again

[petecollier]

The wheel was jiggled and then some.

 

I don't mean, that I could not undo the steering lock, or that the key was in the ignition but I could not turn it to start the car.  They key would not go into the ignition at all. At most, the only the first 1 mm of the key blade would go into the lock. I would have had as much luck trying to stick my finger through the keyhole into the ignition as I had had with either key.

 

If I had just tried once and failed, I could understand it. Or if it was just me that had tried. But I spent a very long time over several days trying in all kinds of ways, as did my wife, an RAC technician, and a very experienced mechanic. The lock was jammed, they key would not go in.

 

Then Skoda say, key went in first time, what's the problem!?  I'm beginning to wonder if they were even talking about my car!

[medic999]

Their guy spent 20 minutes on his hands and knees trying and got no further than I or my wife had

Classic

Edited 9 July, 2013 by medic999

[Tech1e]

Either way regardless of being able to reproduce the fault or not the issue is only going to be the barrel anyhow so get a new one ordered.

 

If generally happens as they never get lubricated on service like they should and they dry up. It is quite possible that whatever tumbler was jammed is now moving, for now.

[07 vRS Taxi]

Happend to me over the christmas, the first tooth was jammed so I couldn't get the key in. I pushed it back with a screw driver and it's worked ever since. I greased the key and worked the ignition. When I pulled the key back out it was covered in fluff probably collected from the key being in my pocket. So maybe that's the underlying issue.

[keith3289]

This happened to me about a year ago - very similar problem and solution to 07 vRS Taxi.

[VRS-LE-OCT-II]

Logged in to add that I had this particular problem, key would not go into ignition, Entry barred by a white piece of plastic (dust cover) which is sprung loaded. This stop key entry totally.

 

It looks silver when you first look, but when you shine a torch on it -  you can see it is white compared to silver housing barrel material.

 

Simply place a thin flat screwdriver blade onto the edge of it and lever till it “clicks” back into place. Takes quite a bit of force to do this. But when you are stuck you will achieve it … I was about to call out the AA!

 

Actually first seen excellent advice on this in the TDI forum:

 

http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=207047&highlight=ignition+switch

[westfielder]

Same for me 2005 Octavia - couldn't find spray grease so had to use WD40 - quick squirt in the barrel and a small screwdriver to push back the offending tumbler and all seems fine

[rloades]

Same for me! Only problem I had was that it wouldn't let me lock the car, as the car still though the key was in the ignition.

 

 

I just stuck a screwdriver in the ignition and wiggled it around until there was a clunk, and then all was good!

Edited 20 April, 2016 by rloades

[gear]

I got physical with the steering wheel while forcing key at the same time.

Something clicked and in it went.