My key wont turn whatsoever. I was connecting a reverse camera today and had the interior in pieces while I worked it all out. I also had the battery disconnected while I worked. After a few hours of stuffing about I finally finished, put everything back and reconnected the battery. Now the key is deciding to not turn in the ignition. Checked all the fuses in the cabin and under the hood and everything is fine. The interior lights come on everytime I open the doors so power is still working.. Worst thing is all my windows are down and as I can't turn the key I can't get power to wind them up and I'm stuck in healsville at my girlfriends holiday house..

Can't even push the car into the garage for the night as the steering wheel was turned fully to the right when I parked it and the steering wheel won't budge now.

Any ideas on what to do?

your steering lock may be engaged
try pulling the steering to the side (that you can) and then while holding it in position turn the key to overcome the steering lock

You are a legend.. Can't believe it was something so simple.. I was certain I had f'd something up royally. Thank you :)

your steering lock may be engaged
try pulling the steering to the side (that you can) and then while holding it in position turn the key to overcome the steering lock


JoshSX[/B];1560555]You are a legend.. Can't believe it was something so simple.. I was certain I had f'd something up royally. Thank you :)


:nuts:.........:facepalm........as soon as i read this post ,i knew what was wrong ,but some one had beaten me too it ,i was just awaiting your response to this.

It is quite amazing the number of people that don't realise the basic functions of their car.

I remember one member wondering why his dash lights were so dim or bright and he wondered if there was a way of adjusting the level.

Unknowingly ,he had had the car for a number of years and didn't realise that the rheostat for the dash lights was on the trip/odo button.

Lesson here i guess ...is study the manual or read the rules or instructions .

We all do it .."she'll be right mate ...i know what im doing " :D

The amount of times I've been asked for help with this exact problem or the old starting-the-car-in-D problem.

Not too hard to get caught out by something simple. Rented a Toyota bus, couldn't get it out of Park. Needed foot on brake, my first experience with brake/gear stick interlock. lol

Pretty embarresing lol 3 years of driving, had 2 different cars in that time and that has never happened to me once... Till now. On the plus side the reverse camera I was putting in works ;)

MadMax, the AWD magna/veradas have this feature. I went to pick my car up from a Mitsubishi dealer after servicing (old Yorke Mitsubishi in CBD). The service desk guy told me after driving my car from their upstairs store that there is something wrong with my gear stick as he was having difficulty taking it out off park. My heart almost skipped a beat when I heard that. I said I hope you haven't forced it out. He said he eventually got it out but don't know what he did to make it come out. I then said that the foot brake must be depressed as it is an AWD :nuts:.........:facepalm........

JoshSX, one other thing you should know is to let the park brake take the load before shifting into P epecially if there is any kind of incline as follows (otherwise you will find it very hard to take it out off P later on):
1. Apply foot brake and shift into N.
2. Apply handbrake/park brake and let go of foot brake to let the park brake take the weight of the car.
3. Reapply foot brake and shift to P.

This will prevent possible damage to the park pin which, if broken, ends up in the transmission.

Discovered that interlock on the AWD when I was reading one of the manuals. You would think the service personnel would be up to speed on that. lol My problem with the Toyota was that I normally have my foot on the brake anyway when I shift out of park, but this time I decided to let it roll back in neutral . . .no go! I'd been doing the right thing by the interlock all that time without realizing it was there. lol

We already have a number of interlocks we take for granted, like autos need to be in P or N to start, steering wheel won't turn without the key in the ignition switch, etc.
You would think there would be a placard somewhere in the car outlining some of these interlocks in new cars . . .

What's next on the "let's confuse people with an interlock" agenda? lol Temp sensor that won't let you start the car if the temperature is too low (possible ice on road), or too windy?

(My stepson has a brilliant interlock in his car - puff into it, if it detects any alcohol, car no start! Brilliant! Keeps him sober seeing he loves to drive that car!)

Discovered that interlock on the AWD when I was reading one of the manuals. You would think the service personnel would be up to speed on that. lol

We already have a number of interlocks we take for granted, like autos need to be in P or N to start, steering wheel won't turn without the key in the ignition switch, etc.
You would think there would be a placard somewhere in the car outlining some of these interlocks in new cars . . .

What's next on the "let's confuse people with an interlock" agenda? lol Temp sensor that won't let you start the car if the temperature is too low (possible ice on road), or too windy?

(My stepson has a brilliant interlock in his car - puff into it, if it detects any alcohol, car no start! Brilliant! Keeps him sober seeing he loves to drive that car!)

AWDs wont start in N :)

AWDs wont start in N :)

What? That would definitely catch me out! So Park only?

Do you need to have your foot on the brake when you turn the ignition key to start? Some cars do, apparently.

i need to depress clutch to start mine.... and i have to leave it out of gear when i stop because of turbo timer...

I didn't know how to open the fuel flap on my 380 when I first got it, was looking everywhere inside the cabin for a lever/button.

I didn't know how to open the fuel flap on my 380 when I first got it, was looking everywhere inside the cabin for a lever/button.

Found a couple of older ladies at a service station with that problem. Didn't help them, as I don't know the secret. I'm sure it's quite simple! Care to share? lol

haha yes !! when i drove my 380 from the dealer's lot, went straight to the servo to fill up and spent 5mins looking for the unlock button/lever. Then another 5mins reading the manual. Then gave up and decided to try opening it by hand :facepalm

haha yes !! when i drove my 380 from the dealer's lot, went straight to the servo to fill up and spent 5mins looking for the unlock button/lever. Then another 5mins reading the manual. Then gave up and decided to try opening it by hand :facepalm


It's one of those "am I really that dumb?" moments! lol

Found a couple of older ladies at a service station with that problem. Didn't help them, as I don't know the secret. I'm sure it's quite simple! Care to share? lol

Just unlock the car and fuel flap unlocks at same time. But you can close flap with car locked and then flap will be locked too

I didn't know how to open the fuel flap on my 380 when I first got it, was looking everywhere inside the cabin for a lever/button.


Found a couple of older ladies at a service station with that problem. Didn't help them, as I don't know the secret. I'm sure it's quite simple! Care to share? lol


haha yes !! when i drove my 380 from the dealer's lot, went straight to the servo to fill up and spent 5mins looking for the unlock button/lever. Then another 5mins reading the manual. Then gave up and decided to try opening it by hand :facepalm

lmao...........this is EXACTLY what happened to me when i got my GT...spent ages at the servo like a complete knob looking for the way to open the fuel flap....

wanna know the secret....the fuel flap lock is tied in with the central locking ,so ,unlock car ,flap unlocks ..

trick is ,that the flap is spring loaded enough to be kept shut ,to open it ,you just push the left hand side of the flap and it swings open

Nice to know. lol Filed away in my memory bank for future reference. Thanks!