Steering Wheel Not Locking When Turning Ignition Off..

Hey Everyone,

I could use some help troubleshooting an issue with my 2000 SR5- 2.7L, 4WD, Manual.

As stated in the title, when I turn off the ignition, the steering wheel doesn't lock. When this happens, the truck will not start (or turn over) unless I crank the wheel to one side or the other.

If I restart the truck within a few seconds of turning it off, it will lock when shutting it off within a few seconds of starting.

Any idea of what part is needed to fix it so the steering wheel locks when turning the truck off?

The ignition turns fine- The key inserts fine, and I don't need to jiggle it or anything like that. The battery is plenty strong and the starter performs just fine.

Any help in identifying the culprit is sincerely appreciated!

 

You have 2 issues, the first being the mechanical issue of the locking portion of the ignition lock housing not extending. To see why you are going to have to tear into the lock housing. What you are describing just might be normal operation of the locking steering, there are only so many places where the steering wheel can lock and by rotating the wheel you have to find one. The only issue with this is that the factory uses shear bolts to hold the housing onto the column. The shear bolts are designed to have the hexagon heads break off when they are tightened, this is a theft prevention measure. A sharp chisle on the perimeter of the sholder struck counter-clockwise will usually loosen them enough so that you can finger them out.

The no start/crank could be the electrical portion of the ignition switch and would be easy enough to check out while your are looking at the housing.