Before beginning, here is a catch-up, “your car is failing to ignite not because of the ignition but due to unexpected locking of the car’s steering wheel”!

People often experience the problem of their car failing to start the ignition. This might become an unnecessary hassle if they are to attend a meeting on time, and in the morning, their car is failing to work. Even though they have implemented all the strategies to solve the problem, no such result is found.

Some main reasons for steering wheel lock during the time of driving

Problems with the car power steering pump

Technology has advanced day by day. Cars are not like they used to be 20 years ago. Today’s cars are equipped with power steering technology, which uses a pump to drive pressure to the wheel axle to rotate the wheel of the car when you rotate the steering wheel. This eases the driving experience, unlike old cars, which used to lack this technology, for which drivers had to put huge pressure on the steering wheel to turn the car. Today, thanks to advanced technology, rotating steering takes negligible work from the driver’s muscles. Even though this technology is advanced, it is quite fragile to damage. As the pump takes energy from the ignition of the car, when the car ignition fails, the steering wheel becomes stiff and hard to rotate, resulting in a steering lock.

Result of taking sharp turns

Some people like showing off their driving skills to pedestrians or car passengers. Even though you have done this action several times and no problems were seen, the problem gradually builds up, and the result suddenly pops up, maybe while you are in the long run with your car. When you take a sharp turn, the steering wheel applies a pressure known as torque to the wheel axles to rotate while you are at high speed. Sometimes, excess torque puts a lot of stress on the car’s rotating axle wheel, which might result in your steering pump getting stuck. And if this happens, it results in a steering lock. Now that you know the consequences of sharp turns, hopefully, you will avoid this kind of activity in your car.

The ignition lock of the car

A situation may be faced when the car’s key fails to turn even though you have tried to do so. This situation might be seen either when you are turning off the car by rotating the key or turning on the car by rotating the key, and the key doesn’t rotate. This unexpected situation is known as a sudden lock-up of the car where you are trying to turn the key, and the key won’t rotate. It is highly encouraged that if this situation is seen, you consult your car mechanic as fast as you can without wasting time.

Methods of unlocking the steering wheel and the tools that you need to unlock

Before proceeding, essential tools are a screwdriver, canned air & electrical Cleanser.

First Methods

Step 1: Insert the key into the ignition. Your steering wheel might be locked because you put pressure on it while leaving your car the last time you drove. Unlocking the wheel will require the key to be inside the keyhole and made to rotate.

Step 2: Turn the key gently. Slowly rotate the key clockwise and anticlockwise until there is a click sound. If there is a click sound, you have successfully unlocked the wheel. Be cautious not to turn the key harshly anticlockwise and clockwise, as this might break the cylinder or get the key broken and stuck inside the keyhole. If your car is to be unlocked by this method, it will be unlocked without applying much pressure. Adding more pressure will not affect the result.

Step 3: Apply pressure to the steering wheel. Your steering wheel is locked with a pin inside. Slowly turn the steering wheel on both sides and see which side rotates slightly. Then, apply pressure to the side that rotates slightly with one hand and, at the same time, use the other hand to keep rotating the car keys inside the keyhole. If this method is successful, the car steering wheel will rotate after you have done this activity.

Step 4: Avoid shaking the steering wheel back and forth. This damages the pin inside the wheel and makes unlocking the car steering wheel unsuccessful.

You must turn the wheel and key at once to unlock it.

Second Methods

Step 1: Use an electrical cleaner. Remove any keys inside the keyhole. Gently spray the cleanser inside the keyhole. Then, insert the key and remove it. The cleanser is enough to lubricate the keyhole if the cylinder is seized, which might solve the problem. If this works, you must replace the ignition cylinder soon.

Step 2: Spray canned air inside the keyhole. Then, insert the key and remove it. Repeat the process until debris comes out of the keyhole deposited inside it. Always wear eye protection as canned air might blow out the debris that might get inside your eyes.

Final Thoughts!

These two methods should unlock the car’s steering wheel if there is no major problem. If the problem remains, it is highly recommended that you show the car mechanic.

Finally, If you read our whole article, we can hopefully assure you that you will be able to know how to unlock the steering wheel without a key.