Im in love with my 03 Disco SE but she's giving me the blues. I was able to install a new battery after having the car towed to my house. At some point between unloading the car to now I cannot get the ignition key to turn anymore which is strange since the tow driver had to put the car in neutral prior to towing. I was able to put it in park to take the key out. After that, I was no longer able to turn the key.

I tried the wd40 and small hammer trick-no luck.
jiggling the key while trying to turn the steering wheel- no luck but a sore arm

I'm not to confident on repairing the ignition myself since its my first Landy so..

i called a locksmith and he told me that he could remove the security feature off the lock so that the ignition can turn with a key or a screwdriver.At the most it would probably cost a little under $200 for the locksmith but im sure thats better than going to the dealership.

Any suggestions on what the problem could be in case i need to order some parts? Thanks in advance

 

see https://landroverforums.com/forum/di...ock-fix-35422/

 

Try resetting the alarm by locking and unlocking the locks 3 times in a row, with the fob, key or dash button.

 

Thanks for the thread link. I read that post but I'm not confident enough to try it myself yet . I'll keep reading over it though.

 

Thanks, I tried that method just now. I noticed the alarm light on the dashboard above the steering was flashing rapidly after I locked it then it went back to normal. The ignition still won't turn. I tired the key and steering wheel jiggle again, no success. My last resort will a be a locksmith but I guess I'll have to replace the ignition eventually. Its just crazy how it happened all of a sudden. I guess this is what everyone is talking about when it comes to frustration with maintaining these vehicles. Thanks for the replies so far.

 

sometimes lock cylinders will just drop a pin/tmbler just from age/use. I had it happen to my door lock not to long ago. A few dumb questions is the key going all the way in? and have you tried another key yet?

 

Wd40 - not sure if that will help a lock.
You are supposed to put graphite into it.

I would try a different key.
find your spare.

If your key chain has a lot of heavy keys on it - then you are wearing out the lock cylinder with every bump you hit which jiggles the keys.

 

Yes, the key is able to go all the way in the ignition. Unfortunately I only have one key. The blade broke off the remote but I was able to snap it back in. Home Depot, Lowes, or Walmart won't make a valet key but I read on here that Ace makes rover keys so I'll look into that. The key is able to open and lock the doors just fine and by looking at the key it still looks like it's in good shape. At the auction yard I was able to turn the key just fine. Since we couldnt change one of the tires at the yard we had to get it towed. Strangely it stopped working as soon as the tow driver unloaded it on my driveway but I'm not pointing fingers just yet lol.

 

For now it's just the single key by itself. I picked up some graphite lube this morning but lock is stubborn it still didn't turn.

 

I would crank on the steering wheel pretty hard back and forth and keep pressure on the key to engage the ignition.

With left hand - steering wheel turning back and forth.
Right hand - key pressure clockwise and pushing it in and out and jiggling it at the same time.

If you are using a stump of a key - that is not giving you any leverage and I doubt you will have success.

The tow truck driver could do it...
As he deals with bad keys, cars, junk all day and you do not.
He probably has big huge hands and is used to all this stuff.

you need a decent key.

this is from our BB at a different time:

I came out of a store and got in the Rover and the key went in but woudn't turn. I called a locksmith who worked with it for about 20 minutes and said there was nothing he could do. There's no moving the vehicle without being able to turn the key, so I had the rover picked up and hauled to my Rover shop. To make a long story short, he had a new switch overnighted and installed it yesterday. The new switch has a different key which will only work in the ignition. The old key, which of course has the remote on it, has to remain with me for remote use and for the driver's and rear door. Here's where it gets interesting. My Rover guy's supplier has sent my Rover's VIN # to the factory so that they can make me a switch that will fit my old key. I should receive that in about 45 days. At that point I take it back in and trade out the temporary switch for the new switch so I can then use my old key for everything. All of this is for a total cost of about $800.00. I'm amazed at how complicated and expensive this switch thing has become. I'm thankful that I have a Rover guy who would drop everything and get me back on the road the next day, though. That was worth a lot. The dealership was absolutely no help, had wrong information about my options, was going to be more expensive, and wouldn'thave even lookedat the thing for over a week. Has anybody else heard of anything similar?