I am wondering if anyone can help me diagnose what happened to my Corolla. 2009 "S" manual transmission. This morning I inserted the key and tried to start it but the ignition was "frozen" - key would not turn at all either way. The manual was not much help - I had the clutch fully depressed and the shifter in "N" position as it advised but still nothing. I was getting more and more irritated and pushing and pulling everything in sight when finally I gave the wheel a clockwise tug while turning the ignition key clockwise at the same time. There was then a click and it all freed up and the car has been fine since.
I'm wondering if anyone has any idea what happende or, more to the point, whether it is likely to happen again. I had thought of taking it to the dealer but doubt that would be productive as I have nothing to show them now. I think that I may have had something similar in my 2001 Corolla which I traded for the 2009, but I am a little hazy on this. Any ideas will be appreciated.
what you experienced was the wheel lock function. Its activated when you turn off your vehicle and turn your steering wheel one way till it clicks.
To unlock it, you turn it clockwise while putting your key into the "ON" position from the "OFF" position. There will be a click, as you heard, when the lock disengages.
yea there's a built in lock, im not very sure what it's used for, but it's not special to the corolla either, every car/truck i have driven has that, anything from Ford F150 to a Camry to a Dodge Caravan, if you try to turn your steering wheel after u turn off the car the lock engages, all u gotta do is do what u did and lock goes away, nothing wrong with your baby~
Nothing wrong, and there is nothing to do with the clutch or transmission that has an effect on the key turning. Just the lock cylinder itself and the column lock.
Yes that's correct. This is normal behaviour for most cars built these days. Even my old 95 Civic had it - although it's a rare day when the steering wheel was turned hard enough when stopped to get it to lock. Those that don't have this security feature, have had their cars rolled out of the driveway and shipped to Russia.
Yes that's correct. This is normal behaviour for most cars built these days. Even my old 95 Civic had it - although it's a rare day when the steering wheel was turned hard enough when stopped to get it to lock. Those that don't have this security feature, have had their cars rolled out of the driveway and shipped to Russia.
Problem is it isn't mentioned in the manual. Or if it is I couldn't find it. I looked all through the book without success and was about to have the car towed back to the dealer when I found the solution myself by accident.
The keys/lock cylinder cannot overcome the loads applied to the steering column lock if it's engaged with some torque still stored in the assembly. You're just off-loading this torque when you turn the steering wheel, therefore making it easier to turn the lock cylinder with your keys.
Cars since that late 70's early 80's have always had this. Nothing new.
New to me, anyway. I must have just been lucky before. Thanks everybody for your help. And before someone points it out, it is in the manual after all - page 128 under "steering lock release".
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Manual trans - ignition froze - big problem?
2009 Toyota Corolla
Linear Mode
