This morning the ignition key wouldn't turn. I fiddled around with gear
shift, steering wheel, removed and reinserted key and it worked! Restarted
several times later as I drove around with no problems.

2012 Versa Hatchback. Has one of those chipped ignition key - yes, I'm sure
I used the right key - I only have one on my key ring. Any ideas? I'm
concerned it may happen again and strand me. I suspect I did something
wrong. I've only had the car a few months. I'll read the manual again later
for clues when I have a little time.

I'm a worry wart.

Thoughts?

TIA


--
You know it's time to clean the refrigerator
when something closes the door from the inside.

On 08/15/2014 11:57 AM, KenK wrote:
This morning the ignition key wouldn't turn. I fiddled around with gear
shift, steering wheel, ...

The one thing you don't say you did fiddle with is stepping on
brake--did you perhaps forget the one time but reflex kicked in later on???

--

dpb wrote in :

On 08/15/2014 11:57 AM, KenK wrote:
This morning the ignition key wouldn't turn. I fiddled around with
gear shift, steering wheel, ...

The one thing you don't say you did fiddle with is stepping on
brake--did you perhaps forget the one time but reflex kicked in later
on???

--



Nope. That's not it. At least on my car. I just checked. Key turns
without a problem without touching brake pedal. Too Bad! That would have
solved my worry.




--
You know it's time to clean the refrigerator
when something closes the door from the inside.

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 12:41:36 -0500, dpb wrote:

On 08/15/2014 11:57 AM, KenK wrote:
This morning the ignition key wouldn't turn. I fiddled around with gear
shift, steering wheel, ...

The one thing you don't say you did fiddle with is stepping on
brake--did you perhaps forget the one time but reflex kicked in later on???

+1 For depressing the brake pedal...

On 8/15/2014 1:52 PM, Oren wrote:
The one thing you don't say you did fiddle with is stepping on
brake--did you perhaps forget the one time but reflex kicked in later on???

+1 For depressing the brake pedal...

Needed to get out of PARK, but not needed for
turn the key. Or, that's my experience.

Sometimes can't turn key means steering wheel
is pulling to one side.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

Stormin Mormon wrote in news:_3sHv.449979
:

Needed to get out of PARK, but not needed for
turn the key. Or, that's my experience.


Yes.


--
You know it's time to clean the refrigerator
when something closes the door from the inside.

On 8/15/14, 12:57 PM, KenK wrote:
This morning the ignition key wouldn't turn. I fiddled around with gear
shift, steering wheel, removed and reinserted key and it worked! Restarted
several times later as I drove around with no problems.

2012 Versa Hatchback. Has one of those chipped ignition key - yes, I'm sure
I used the right key - I only have one on my key ring. Any ideas? I'm
concerned it may happen again and strand me. I suspect I did something
wrong. I've only had the car a few months. I'll read the manual again later
for clues when I have a little time.

I'm a worry wart.

Thoughts?

TIA


I believe in fiddling with the steering wheel, you locked it. The key
won't turn unless the wheel is locked.

On 15 Aug 2014 16:57:19 GMT, KenK wrote:


This morning the ignition key wouldn't turn. I fiddled around with gear
shift, steering wheel, removed and reinserted key and it worked! Restarted
several times later as I drove around with no problems.

2012 Versa Hatchback. Has one of those chipped ignition key - yes, I'm sure
I used the right key - I only have one on my key ring. Any ideas? I'm
concerned it may happen again and strand me. I suspect I did something
wrong. I've only had the car a few months. I'll read the manual again later
for clues when I have a little time.

I'm a worry wart.

Thoughts?

TIA
Being "chipped" won't have anything to do with it. I suspect you
turned off the key with the wheels slightly turned, and the steering
linkage put pressure on the steering lock. With the lock "unloaded" by
fiddling with the steering wheel, it released and turned easily. This
COMMONLY happens if you pull into a parking spot in a hurry, and turn
off the key as you are rolling to a stop, with the wheels still being
turned. If you always roll to a stop, center the wheel (or at least
release all pressure on the wheel) and idle for a second or two before
shutting down it is unlikely to happen again. Just my experience from
decades as a mechanic.

KenK wrote in :


This morning the ignition key wouldn't turn. I fiddled around with gear
shift, steering wheel, removed and reinserted key and it worked! Restarted
several times later as I drove around with no problems.

2012 Versa Hatchback. Has one of those chipped ignition key - yes, I'm sure
I used the right key - I only have one on my key ring. Any ideas? I'm
concerned it may happen again and strand me. I suspect I did something
wrong. I've only had the car a few months. I'll read the manual again later
for clues when I have a little time.

I'm a worry wart.

Thoughts?

Steering column and ignition switch are interlocked, to prevent steering from moving unless
key is inserted and turned on. Under some circumstances, depending on how the wheel
was turned when the car was parked, it's possible for the steering to put enough pressure
against that interlock to prevent turning the key. The fix is to move the steering wheel a bit to
relieve that pressure -- there's enough play, even with the wheel locked, to permit that.

This is a common enough situation that the owner's manuals in some vehicles mention that.
And I think that's probably what happened to you.

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:50:12 -0400, wrote:

Being "chipped" won't have anything to do with it. I suspect you
turned off the key with the wheels slightly turned, and the steering
linkage put pressure on the steering lock. With the lock "unloaded" by
fiddling with the steering wheel, it released and turned easily. This
COMMONLY happens if you pull into a parking spot in a hurry, and turn
off the key as you are rolling to a stop, with the wheels still being
turned. If you always roll to a stop, center the wheel (or at least
release all pressure on the wheel) and idle for a second or two before
shutting down it is unlikely to happen again. Just my experience from
decades as a mechanic.

That is my vote.

What about a car parked on an incline? Takes a little trickery to
operate.

Doeskeyappear worn? I have had troubles with keys over the years since I am constantly on the road.

Some chipped keys can be bought at wallmarts tire center much cheaper than the dealer

For my venture, 90 bucks at chevy dealer 35 bucks at wallmart. PLus wallmart programs the chipped key rather than making the driver program the vehicle

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 18:53:28 -0700, Oren wrote:

On Fri, 15 Aug 2014 14:50:12 -0400, wrote:

Being "chipped" won't have anything to do with it. I suspect you
turned off the key with the wheels slightly turned, and the steering
linkage put pressure on the steering lock. With the lock "unloaded" by
fiddling with the steering wheel, it released and turned easily. This
COMMONLY happens if you pull into a parking spot in a hurry, and turn
off the key as you are rolling to a stop, with the wheels still being
turned. If you always roll to a stop, center the wheel (or at least
release all pressure on the wheel) and idle for a second or two before
shutting down it is unlikely to happen again. Just my experience from
decades as a mechanic.

That is my vote.

What about a car parked on an incline? Takes a little trickery to
operate.
That's what PARKING brakes are made for.

People sometimes forget that steering columns (and hence ignition switches) can lock because tires are pneumatic. That is, they're filled with air and can deform considerably.

I once got pulled over by a cop who decided to do a "field vehicle inspection" on my car because it looked like a jalopy to him. He claimed there was something wrong with my steering because I had to turn the steering wheel a full half turn before the front wheels on the car would start to turn. I explained to him that was entirely because those wheels were pneumatic and that it wouldn't happen if the tires were solid steel, or if I was driving when I turned the steering wheel. The cop realized I was right and told me to have the steering on my car checked!

If you turn the front wheels on a car that isn't moving, you can have quite a lot of force in the pneumatic steering tires trying to twist the tire back to it's original position, and it's that force that can lock up steering columns and hence ignition switches.