95 wagon LX Key broke in Half in the cyl help
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I am presuming you have another workable ignition key, in the event you can get the broken part out of the lock-cylinder?
Here is how I would go about it. Remove the ignition switch from the steering column, undo the electrical part - so you have the lock cylinder half of it loose. Then turn the key to the 'off' position, i.e. the position in which it would come out of you had the key handle to pull on.
Then, find a way to bring the lock-cylinder down fast onto on a hard surface - but with the key-slot OT having anything in front of it; unobstructed. When you bring the lock cylinder down hard, as if it were a hammer & with the key slot being down-most - the slight weight of the broken key will want to keep on moving, & may be jarred out. I have a bench vise, and would use that as my 'anvil' with its jaws open about 1/2". Its the same principle as getting the first ketchup out of a new Ketchup bottle.
To get the ignition switch out of the car, remove the steering column cover clamshell (may need to droop the column down to get the top piece off without breaking the flasher button). The OEM bolts for the ignition switch are the burglar-resistant kind. You can either use a cold chisel to force a slot in them for using a screwdriver to loosen, OR - use the cold chisel to bang on the edge of the bolt heads at-an-angle, so as to make them turn counter-clockwise. When I did this I replaced them with ordinary metric bolts from a hardware store. I forget whether they were M8's or M6's.
If you cant get the key out, you can buy a new ignition switch. It is possible to buy just the lock-cylinder part I believe, but its also nice to have a new ignition switch. (The Escort ignition switches are not the strongest design). Both the lock cylinder AND the electrical swtich section of it are items known to fail now and then.
Here is how I would go about it. Remove the ignition switch from the steering column, undo the electrical part - so you have the lock cylinder half of it loose. Then turn the key to the 'off' position, i.e. the position in which it would come out of you had the key handle to pull on.
Then, find a way to bring the lock-cylinder down fast onto on a hard surface - but with the key-slot OT having anything in front of it; unobstructed. When you bring the lock cylinder down hard, as if it were a hammer & with the key slot being down-most - the slight weight of the broken key will want to keep on moving, & may be jarred out. I have a bench vise, and would use that as my 'anvil' with its jaws open about 1/2". Its the same principle as getting the first ketchup out of a new Ketchup bottle.
To get the ignition switch out of the car, remove the steering column cover clamshell (may need to droop the column down to get the top piece off without breaking the flasher button). The OEM bolts for the ignition switch are the burglar-resistant kind. You can either use a cold chisel to force a slot in them for using a screwdriver to loosen, OR - use the cold chisel to bang on the edge of the bolt heads at-an-angle, so as to make them turn counter-clockwise. When I did this I replaced them with ordinary metric bolts from a hardware store. I forget whether they were M8's or M6's.
If you cant get the key out, you can buy a new ignition switch. It is possible to buy just the lock-cylinder part I believe, but its also nice to have a new ignition switch. (The Escort ignition switches are not the strongest design). Both the lock cylinder AND the electrical swtich section of it are items known to fail now and then.
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What would happen if you put a thin layer of JB Weld or super glue on the end of the half of the key you have and shoved in into the ignition? If the key makes contact with the other half then after about an hour you should be able to pull out.
chrome lock where the 1/2 key is ................
how do I take it out ? does anybody know ? help ? my email is [email protected] thanks escort guys
how do I take it out ? does anybody know ? help ? my email is [email protected] thanks escort guys
Joined
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9,941 Posts
Put some super glue on the end of a tooth pick and shove it in so it touches the broken part of the key. Then let it set and pull the key out by the tooth pick. I don't think there is an actual procedure to solve your problem. You need to get creative in a situation like this. You need something that will grip the other half of the key so you can pull it out. The other alternative is to replace the ignition.
removing ign. switch...
I thought there was a How-To on ign. sw. removal, but didnt find it. I know it has been covered in some forum, but here is MY technique:
You have to remove the clamshell halves that cover the steering column. There are 4 phillips head screws to take out from the bottom of it, then you have to 'snap' the top/bottom halves apart at the left and right sides. Now you can tug the lower clamshell half downward. It will hang by the wire going to the little green light for the ign. key. The top clamshell half wont come out - yet.
There are 4 bolts holding the steering column up, that you can now see from below the column. they take a 12mm socket wrench. With them removed you can let the column droop down a few inches, and work the upper clamshell half off. Be careful not to damage the flasher button, or the stalks for turn signals and wiper control. That is an expensive item - the multifunction swtich - about $250! Just beyond the multifunction switch is the plate holding the ignition switch up against the column. The factory uses 'tamper resistant' bolts here. You can either use a chisel to hack a 'slot' into the head of each bolt, so it can be unscrewed; or... A dremel moto-tool works here to grind a slot. I was able to use the cold chisel driving against the 'rim' of the tamper resistant bolts, holding the chisel at an angle to the rim of the bolt & hammering, to make it turn counter-clockwise. (When you re-assemble the new switch, you can either use the new bolts that come with a new switch, or a pair of bolts from a hardware store.)
With those two bolts out, the entire ignition switch can be lowered. It has two halves; the rear half is the electrical switch, the front half the key-lock. It has two connectors you will have to undo to have the switch come out of the vehicle. If you are replacing the entire ignition switch, there may be one or two phillips head screws involved here. I cant recall.
If you dont want the 'door open chime' function, look at the white plastic goody that is part of the ignition switch. This is the switch that lets the computer know you have the key in. It has two wires going to it. cutting either one will silence that 'door-open-w-key-in' chime, but the chime to remind you that the lights are still on after you turn off the ignition will still work.
Be sure to have the upper clamshell half back in place before you bolt the column back up in position.
Each time I wind up with a new 'key', I make a couple of copies of it, and store the original in my hidden location, using the copies to run the car. That way I can always get new good copies using the original key.
I thought there was a How-To on ign. sw. removal, but didnt find it. I know it has been covered in some forum, but here is MY technique:
You have to remove the clamshell halves that cover the steering column. There are 4 phillips head screws to take out from the bottom of it, then you have to 'snap' the top/bottom halves apart at the left and right sides. Now you can tug the lower clamshell half downward. It will hang by the wire going to the little green light for the ign. key. The top clamshell half wont come out - yet.
There are 4 bolts holding the steering column up, that you can now see from below the column. they take a 12mm socket wrench. With them removed you can let the column droop down a few inches, and work the upper clamshell half off. Be careful not to damage the flasher button, or the stalks for turn signals and wiper control. That is an expensive item - the multifunction swtich - about $250! Just beyond the multifunction switch is the plate holding the ignition switch up against the column. The factory uses 'tamper resistant' bolts here. You can either use a chisel to hack a 'slot' into the head of each bolt, so it can be unscrewed; or... A dremel moto-tool works here to grind a slot. I was able to use the cold chisel driving against the 'rim' of the tamper resistant bolts, holding the chisel at an angle to the rim of the bolt & hammering, to make it turn counter-clockwise. (When you re-assemble the new switch, you can either use the new bolts that come with a new switch, or a pair of bolts from a hardware store.)
With those two bolts out, the entire ignition switch can be lowered. It has two halves; the rear half is the electrical switch, the front half the key-lock. It has two connectors you will have to undo to have the switch come out of the vehicle. If you are replacing the entire ignition switch, there may be one or two phillips head screws involved here. I cant recall.
If you dont want the 'door open chime' function, look at the white plastic goody that is part of the ignition switch. This is the switch that lets the computer know you have the key in. It has two wires going to it. cutting either one will silence that 'door-open-w-key-in' chime, but the chime to remind you that the lights are still on after you turn off the ignition will still work.
Be sure to have the upper clamshell half back in place before you bolt the column back up in position.
Each time I wind up with a new 'key', I make a couple of copies of it, and store the original in my hidden location, using the copies to run the car. That way I can always get new good copies using the original key.
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