Anyone ever stripped the ignition barrel down?

[Kitch]

Got the jammed ignition lock syndrome....key won\'t go in. I\'ve bought a new lockset from eBay, but it doesn\'t come with the housing or ignition switch, only the barrel itself.
I can remove the existing one by means of hammer no problem, but as I don\'t have another lock housing, I\'m worried I\'ll wreck it. I\'ve also never changed the lock/tumblers on their own before, only the complete switch. Has anyone else had a crack at it?

Cheers

[ken newbold]

I did once do this, ended up with a pile of bits on the kitchen table that found themselves in the bin

I will have a spare one if the same happens to you

[rmattila]

I've done it at least half a dozen times, but I guess I've never bothered to document it. Quite busy at the moment, but if you don't get any help by then, I'll go to the shop later and see if there are any dismantled locks to get pics of.

[mike22861]

Ive done a few of these you need to get the arrows to line up on the front of the barrel I think its in position 1 then theres a metal pin pushes in on the side of the lock and the barrel slides out. If you cant get the key in or turn the barrel I use a dewalt master keywith a 12mm bit take care little by little but dont go too far in and destroy the bottom where the mechanism sits.
I did away with the unit altogether on one had a key switch and a start button mounted on the electric mirror panel. Very now lol

[RxBX]

.............. I'm worried I'll wreck it. I've also never changed the lock/tumblers on their own before, only the complete switch. Has anyone else had a crack at it?
Cheers

Hi Kitch,
Have a read thro' THIS thread it may be of help !

If not report back !



.

[Kitch]

I did find that thread, but I don\'t think it\'s relating to my problem. Maybe I didn\'t ask the Q clearly enough as I think only Ken has got it!

Basically I know how to remove the ignition lock/switch assy, but in order to fit the new lockset I have to change the barrel alone in the ignition lock, so I\'m keeping the existing lock and switch, and purely changing the barrel with all it\'s pins etc inside.

I did manage to jimmy the lock a bit today and get it to recieve the key, so now I can remove the lock assy without beating ten bells of shit out of it and causing damage. I guess I\'ll have to start undoing circlips and things and report back!

[B-Hive]

Got the jammed ignition lock syndrome....key won't go in. Has anyone else had a crack at it?

Cheers

its kind of reassuring that its a known syndrome..as mine refused to take a key a few months back without warning...

With gardeners arriving and required access down the side of the house, I was needing to get the GT out of the garage in 24 hours with locked steering and locked ignition barrel..

Suffice to say all I could do was bash the beejeebaz out of the ignition barrel to remove it..

My solution was to replace the ignition switch with two toggle switches and a push button for the starter.. This one was mounted in the same hole as the original switch. The two toggles for accessories and ignition are mounted into the old LCD clock facia.. Very convenient harness access as the original wiring passes this position anyway... Problem solved... Never to be stranded with bad ignition or locked steering...Its not as if anyone will steal a matt black 85 Citroen. If they try even then they'd have to work out the toggles..

I can imagine that dismantling a barrel would be a fiddle at best even if you could get the barrel out in one piece..

Good luck

[Jaba]

Hi Rich, yes it can be done and is an easy job to do really. You have to be careful with the little tumblers and their springs as it comes out and they have to go back in the right position.

The last one I did last year was because the spring return from the starter position had failed due to an internal plastic part failure. Just take a picture or two of the starter spring so that you know where to fit it back in the correct position if you dont have an old spare.

Hope this helps.

[Kitch]

Well....

Lots of swearing today. The lockset I bought on eBay (as it turns out) isn\'t a complete lock set. It is:

2x door locks
1x glovebox lock barrel
1x fuel flap lock barrel
1x boot lock barrel (should your BX not have central locking).


Now I had previously assumed (perhaps a bit foolishly on my part) that one of these barrels was for the ignition. Having stripped the bastard down today I can confirm that none of them are for the ignition, which is now in many pieces including springs, pins and clips. I did briefly attempt to clean and reassemble, but the pins did look a bit of a funny shape on the tips and I quickly lost patience.

I\'ve ordered another set, this time from AEP. £83 bloody quid later, but it says it comes with the ignition lock including switch, so hopefully a nice easy fix. That is unless they email tomorrow saying they don\'t sell them anymore, yet still show them on their website (as they did with the speedo cable). I\'ll give them the benefit of the doubt for now though, hopefully they\'ll come through and I can get it out of the workshop!

[docchevron]

I got a complete lock set from AEP a couple of months back, so I think they still have supply for now, although valeo have stopped making them..
You can of course reassemble the lock minus the tumblers, I've done that in the past, but it does of course mean you can start the car with a fork, long finger nail, small penis, pretty much anything...

[Kitch]

AEP are useless! That's the second time I've ordered something and they then email back and say "sorry we don't do that anymore" Take it off your fucking website then!!!!

You probably had the last one mate

[docchevron]

sorry mate..

are there none of the bay??

[Jaba]

I have got a full kit that you can have for what I paid for it if thats any use ??

[garethj]

Holy thread resurrection, Batman!

After 2 days with the BX, the ignition key won't go into the barrel. The nice RAC man gave me a friendly chat about why I shouldn't have bought a BX in the first place and there's a low loader on its way.

How do I get the offending barrel out? I wouldn't be horribly upset if the locking pins were removed entirely but I need to get the thing running at least so I can replace it at my leisure.

Good second post, eh?

[citsncycles]

Have you tried looking down the barrel to see the obstruction? My GS did this a couple of years back and one of the pins had come out of it's slot and jammed as the key was pulled out. Luckily I managed to push it back into place with a screw driver then kept the key in the lock (it's well tucked away on a GS) until I located a replacement.