| njjoe |
This is a bit of a 180 for me. I am used to posting possible solutions for other members, not posting problems with my MO.
This morning I went out for coffee and parked my MO after a short 3-minute drive. When I went to restart the car after a 2-minute stop the standard (non-Intelligent) key would not turn in the ignition cylinder. I reinserted it several times but it would not rotate.
I depressed the shift interlock and cycled the the shifter several times, returned it to the PARK position and tried once again to turn the key with no success. I cycled the alarm with the keyfob, but still no luck.
I then made several rather vocal comments about procreation and the manufacturer of the MO :3:, and lamented the fact that the MO was parked a few hundred feet from the bay and a Nor'easter was kicking up which made working on the MO in it's present location a dicey proposition.
After finishing the coffee and reading the paper I tried the key again and the car started fine. Once home I was able to restart the car without any problem. :8:
No SES light. Original battery is at 37 months; electrolyte level is OK.
Any ideas? The b2b warranty expired last month so this repair is on me.
Thanx in advance.
-njjoe |
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| Warhammer |
When you put the key in the ignition and turned it did you get power to your console or did it act like it was dead?
If you were able to fully turn your key (and you heard the fuel system priming and the dash came on) did the starter just not turn over?
My knee-jerk reaction to your write-up was maybe something in the key mechanism is locked in place. I'm not sure exactly what happens in the key mechanism to make everything work.
Or maybe the powers that be are messing with you and you'll never have an issue like this again. :D |
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| Lightninrod |
Can't be the battery or at least I understand you to say you couldn't physically turn the key/switch right?
I had the same problem the other day; couldn't get the switch(intelligent key in my pocket) to physically turn to 'on'. Much to my embarrassment, my wife got in the driver's seat and rotated the steering wheel, freeing up the switch..... :4: |
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| Mr3Putt |
Reminds me of the time my Wife called and said her key would not open the car door.
I drove to the Mall she was shopping at (surprise, surprise) and found her at the food court. (This was when Maxwell Smart had the only cell phone)
We walked out to the car with my key and it opened right up.
We then tried her key and again it opened right up.
Then I went a few aisles over and tried to open the almost identical car with her key.
It still didn't work. |
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| Corin |
quote:
Originally posted by Mr3Putt
Then I went a few aisles over and tried to open the almost identical car with her key.
It still didn't work.
HA! That's awesome! I have just the opposite story. My dad had a Chevy Blazer, and once when we were on a trip we came out to the parking lot, dad unlocked the truck (manually, no remotes then) and we all started climbing in. That is, until we realized that it wasn't ours....
Same year blazer, same color, and same keys. Yeah, we felt really secure after THAT! :)
Anyway, NJJoe, might it have been a problem with the steering wheel pressing against the lock in a way that wouldn't let you turn the key? I've done that before, and after some frantic swearing and shaking of the wheel it "frees up". At which point, of course, I feel silly having lost my temper when I SHOULD have remembered how to solve the situation. |
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| Eric L. |
| Was the steering wheel locked? The key won't turn if the steering wheel is locked. You have to put turning pressure on the wheel and then turn the key to release the lock. |
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| BikerJohn |
I had a look behind the key barrel. I remember that there was a solenoid that interacted with the key mechanism that was tied into the shifter locking interlock. It's not the large white interlock controller unit but a smaller unit attached to the key barrel.
I'm wondering if that is starting to go on you...... |
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| zebelkhan |
quote:
Originally posted by njjoe
After finishing the coffee and reading the paper I tried the key again and the car started fine.
That was it right there. Mo just wanted you to finish your coffee.
I am with those thinking your steering lock mechanism was keeping you from turning the key.
Did you actually sit back down and finished reading your paper??????? |
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| njjoe |
Thanx for the replies, guys.
Eric, that was my first thought. So I immediately moved the wheel to ensure it was not against a detent, but still no dice.
Warhammer, the ignition cylinder would not rotate from the LOCK position. It was as if I had inserted the key to my Bugatti Veyron instead of the MO. :bsflag: It was definitely the MO key but it would not work.
Mr3Putt, nice story. I onced walked up to "my" MO at the mall and was about to have a heart attack when I saw the dent on the door until I realized it was not my MO. Mine was a few spots over.
zebelkhan, yes, believe it or not, after I finished cursing the Nissan gods, I pulled out the paper and enjoyed my coffee. I was not about to let Nissan ruin the start of my day.
Any other ideas?
-njjoe |
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| Warhammer |
Well...considering that you stuck the key in and could not turn it at all gives me 3 ideas:
1) Your key is getting worn down. Maybe the natural curves of the key is starting to get out of spec. Try comparing your key to the spare you have at home.
2) Maybe something is starting to stick inside the mechanism. Some lock oil or fine lock graphite might lube it up enough to solve the issue.
3) Maybe your steering wheel was turned just enough to keep it locked. If you didn't rotate it enough then it would not allow the key to turn.
My wife used to drive a Nissan Maxima. She walked out of Albertsons one afternoon and loced what she thought was her car. She loaded her groceries in the trunk and got in the car only to realize there was an old lady in the passenger seat. After a bit of confusion, she realized it wasn't her car and found hers a few spaces over. Yep...the key fob worked on both cars! :D |
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| zebelkhan |
quote:
Originally posted by njjoe
Any other ideas?
With all those stories about fobs and keys working on other cars, the only other thing I can think of is that after you got your coffee, you accidentally picked up someone else's keys and went to the MO, but the fob worked and the key did not. Then you went back inside to finish your coffee and read the paper. That is when you picked up your own key.....:D |
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| njjoe |
quote:
Originally posted by zebelkhan
With all those stories about fobs and keys working on other cars, the only other thing I can think of is that after you got your coffee, you accidentally picked up someone else's keys and when to the MO, but the fob worked and the key did not. Then you went back inside to finish your coffee and read the paper. That is when you picked up your own key.....:D
zman-
That's plausible, but does not apply in this case. I never left the MO once I entered it. I enjoyed my coffee and reading about the demise of the NY Mets while sitting in the comfort of my non-rocking front MO seat. When I finished the coffee I reinserted the key and all worked fine. Go figure.
Gremlins? Out-of-warranty defect timer? Sun-spots? Solar flares?
-njjoe |
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| BikerJohn |
quote:
Originally posted by njjoe
I enjoyed my coffee and reading about the demise of the NY Mets while sitting in the comfort of my non-rocking front MO seat. When I finished the coffee I reinserted the key and all worked fine. Go figure.
-njjoe
Maybe the MO also needed that morning coffee to get going again:D
Was it a Starbucks?:p |
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| Eric L. |
quote:
Originally posted by njjoe
zman-
That's plausible, but does not apply in this case. I never left the MO once I entered it. I enjoyed my coffee and reading about the demise of the NY Mets while sitting in the comfort of my non-rocking front MO seat. When I finished the coffee I reinserted the key and all worked fine. Go figure.
Gremlins? Out-of-warranty defect timer? Sun-spots? Solar flares?
-njjoe
I think I am going to have go with *aliens* on this one. Yes, aliens, as the MO is pretty UFO-like to begin with. ;) |
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