You can remove the ford ignition lock cylinder by using a screwdriver, it is the most well-known and easy way to remove the ignition lock on your Ford vehicle without using a key.
It is a simple process and will not take too much of your time, all you need to do is follow these 4 steps to do it.
Below you will find simple tools you will need throughout this process:
• A large screwdriver-with the help of this you can pull out the ignition lock cylinder without a key. With this, you can stick it inside the ignition lock and then turn it to the acc position.
• A hammer-if you feel it is very hard to stick a screwdriver inside the ignition lock cylinder then you can use the hammer to make your job a little easier.
First, you should disconnect the minus wire terminal from the battery of your vehicle, because here you are dealing with all the electrical connections. Unscrew the mounting screws that bring together the covers of the column.
Two hoods are near the steering wheel and two more are near the dashboard. To prevent any danger unplug your car’s battery.
For the ford ignition lock cylinder removal without a key, you need to use a good screwdriver.
Now stick the screwdriver inside the ignition lock, now take the hammer, and hit on the end of the screwdriver slowly. Keep hitting on the screwdriver until it will get in the ignition switch. You can also use a screwdriver as a key, without using a hammer. Then, unscrew the self-tapping screws and take them out.
After turning the screwdriver, make sure you turn it in the acc position. You may destroy the inside of the ignition, don't worry you’ll have to replace it anyway.
Now, you can easily figure out ignition lock cylinder is located. You will know whether you need to remove the kick panel or the steering wheel cover.
If the lock cylinder is on the steering wheel then find a tab underneath. This tab holds the ignition lock, when you push it down the cylinder will fall right out.
Now with the help of a screwdriver press it down. Press the screwdriver inside the cylinder, and pull out the cylinder.
If you can't find out that little tab, then take out the steering wheel cover since it is inside. To do this unscrew the self-tapping screws that secure the lower and upper hoods of the column, but make sure there’s nothing else holding the cover together.
All the area is clear, now remove the cover on top of the cylinder. Now, unscrew the screws underneath the ignition lock, you will see the little metal tab. This is all you need to do to remove the ignition lock cylinder.
You can replace the ford ignition lock cylinder by using a drill.
You have to be careful enough to replace the lock cylinder without a key by using a drill because it could damage other parts.
You need some equipment to remove the ignition cylinder, here are all the tools you will need:
• A power drill-to remove the cylinder
• A drill bit-choose a smaller one for the first pass. But as you start drilling more and more, you will need a bigger drill bit. So take a bunch of different sizes for this job.
• Paper Clip-you will notice a little hole somewhere on the cylinder, you need to push it down. To do this, use a paper clip to get inside.
• Plier- You need a set of pliers, during drilling your drill bit can stuck inside. To unstuck it you need to get a set of pliers.
• Bucket-Drill shavings are quite annoying to deal with. You can place a bucket underneath, it will catch most of your metal shavings as they are falling down.
As we said before, before Replacing a Lock Cylinder Using a Drill, disconnect the negative cable terminal battery to prevent any danger.
Working with the electrical connection can be dangerous, so it is important to disconnect the power source before dealing with them.
With the help of a power drill, you have to drill the ignition lock cylinder. It can damage other parts of your vehicle, so be careful.
Start drilling into the cylinder, but don't go all the way. Do it slowly, and keep it straight. Make sure the cap of your drill bit should come right off. Use a screwdriver, if it does not come out after a while.
After removing that, keep drilling. You may be stuck at some point when drilling. So, wiggle it a little bit, you can also place a bucket underneath the steering wheel, it will catch all the metal shavings as you’re drilling.
You will see the goblets inside the cylinder housing if you can't see them, then keep drilling and remove all the metal shavings inside.
The only thing you need to care about here is the lock cylinder, that's what holds the ignition together. Once you get rid of metal shavings, you’ll be able to remove the cylinder. When you make it out, just grab a screwdriver and pull it out.
Now you will see the tiny hole, inside that hole, there is a tab, press this tab gently.
Once you press this tab the ignition switch lock cylinder will come out. Now grab the paper clip, and try to get it inside. A cylinder without a key will fall out.
The last step of ford ignition lock cylinder removal without a key is to install it, by removal of the ignition lock.
Before installing the new one there, first, clean everything out. Now grab the new one and push it in. Now, lock the unit in the place, still if you are unable to push it in then remove anything that’s getting in the way.
To remove the ignition lock cylinder when the key won't turn, you need to grab your power drill and use it to make a hold in the key slot of the ignition cylinder.
Now insert the paper clip into the slot just to the left of the key cylinder. Then insert a screwdriver into the ignition cylinder and turn it to the right.
Before starting this process, keep in mind that the procedure for your vehicle might be different.
To remove an ignition cylinder, you need the following tools:
• Lubricant-Before removing the ignition cylinder rub a lubricant all over the cylinder. This is how you will reduce friction and wear over time.
• A paper clip-You need to use a paper clip to remove the tumblers from the ignition cylinder.
You should always disconnect the battery ground cable, it is an important step before dealing with all the electrical connections.
Now, remove the console and ignition switch. You will see the retaining tab on the side of the ignition switch, it holds the cylinder lock's electrical connector, remove the tab from the connector.
Be careful when pulling the ignition switch bezel. It will be unsnapped, but don't yank hard on it.
The ignition lock cylinder switch also holds the wiring harness. Carefully remove the harness from the hazard warning switch.
Also, remove bolts of the retaining ignition switch, and pull the switch. Install the new ignition switch here with a retaining pin and bolts.
It is time to put the key into the new ignition and turn it ON. The cable lock should clip back into the retaining tab then reconnect all the ignition switch electrical connections.
Also, connect the hazard warning wiring harness and bezel, don't forget to line up the bezel slots to match the lock cylinder retaining pin, and push it to snap it back into the place. Now, reconnect the lock cylinder electrical connector, and put it in the retaining tab.
Drilling out a ford ignition lock cylinder is only possible with the ignition key. But you can drill it out. It can only be used as a last resort since you can damage components behind the cylinder.
In your vehicle, if the ignition switch and lock cylinder are separate, there is a high risk that you will destroy the ignition switch along with the lock cylinder.
• First, test your drill bit in the lock cylinder, only use the bit that is smaller than the cylinder. For this project use the hardened bits because ordinary bits can damage by drilling metal.
• Then lock the bit into the drill chuck, and tight the drill chuck carefully.
• First, start the drilling at a low speed to create the groove at the end of the lock cylinder.
• Don't create too many deep holes, create a hole that will not allow bits to slip at a higher speed.
• After this, increase the speed of drilling to the highest setting to drill out the key lock cylinder.
Don't put too much compulsion on the drill machine, if you will force the drill into the lock cylinder, it could burn out the rotor inside the drill motor.
Here you will find how to key your new ignition lock cylinder, keep in mind that the procedure could be a little different for your vehicle according to its design. But in this step-by-step guide, you will know how to set up the new ignition.
For this project to set up the new ignition lock cylinder, you need the following tools.
• Paper clip- You have to use the paper clip to remove the tumblers from the old ignition.
• Lubricant- As you know lubricants help to reduce friction, here you also need to rub a lubricant all over the ignition to minimize the friction and wear over time.
First of all place both the new ignition and the old one on a clean surface.
It is a simple procedure, but it could be a mess with all the tumblers around.
To avoid this, remove the tumblers from the old ignition. To do this, find the lines across the ignition lock cylinder.
Inside the cylinder, you need to find out the “circle.” So grab a paper clip and get it inside to take it out.
Once you remove the first tumbler, you’ll see it has a number on it. For example, it could have the number 6 written on it.
So, if you see the number 6 was on the first slot, then all you need to do is just put the new tumbler in that exact same slot.
Grab a spring and put it inside the new one, before putting the tumblers on the new ignition cylinder.
Removal of ignition lock cylinder without key in a Dodge is a completely different process. Follow all the given steps to remove the old Dodge ignition lock and replace it with a new one.
Before working on the project, make sure you disconnect your vehicle battery ground cable. It is important to disconnect the electrical connections to prevent any danger.
• First of all, depress the retaining pin, ford cars have an ignition lock that’s fixed by a retaining pin. You should depress it to unlock the ignition to pull it out of the column easily.
• Now turn your ignition lock ON, while the retaining pin is depressed, Because you don't have a key you must use a drill to do this.
• Now remove all the plastic from the steering wheel column, it will provide you access to the electrical switch assembly, as well as to the lock.
• Now pull the lock from the switch. To do this depress the active retaining pin to release the lock. Also, remove the lock and switch to find the active retainer then turn ON the switch and depress the active retaining pin at the same time. It is time to pull out the lock, it will be easily removed from the switch.
You can also consult with the technician to help you to repair or replace your car’s ignition lock cylinder. Because a technician has special tools and equipment that can effectively remove your vehicle's ignition lock cylinder.
All you need to do is just grab your key and put it inside the ignition. Your ignition lock must go down when you put the key inside it.
Repeat the same procedure for the tumblers and springs.
After setting up the rest of the tumblers, again put the key inside to make sure the lock goes down. When you put the key inside all the tumblers should move.
Now take a lubricant and put it all over the tumblers, that's it. You've victoriously set up the new ignition.
Are you looking for a ford Ignition Lock Cylinder Replacement Cost, because you don't want to remove the cylinder on your own?
Here is all the information you need to know, regarding the cylinder replacement cost. It will be helpful for you before taking your vehicle to the dealer:
Usually, dealers charge for the replacement of an ignition lock cylinder about $300. Labor takes about an hour to replace the ford ignition lock cylinder.
Sometimes, the key alone is not enough to replace the ford ignition cylinder, So the labor might have to employ destructive methods to replace it. Definitely, It will increase your final cost.
To do this labor has to rekey to match the old key, which also takes about an hour, They will also program the anti-theft system. In the final replacement cost, you can expect to spend about $400-$600.
These prices are subject to change completely depending on where you live. The price might be a little bit higher if you live in a big city.
There are many ways for ford ignition lock cylinder removal without a key. There are many proven methods shared in this article, if one does not work for you, you can always try the other methods.
Completely depends on your vehicle, but most of the time, the screwdriver is more than enough to remove the old Ford ignition cylinder.
But if the screwdriver method does not work for you, then you can always use a drill and drill the old one out.
This method may take some more time to remove the ignition lock cylinder, and some vehicle owners don’t feel comfortable using a drill on their vehicles.
Keep in mind that it is a complete step-by-step procedure, any of these methods take a little bit of time.
You might be able to get it on their first try, completely depends upon how clearly you understand the process.
Make sure that springs only go on the rounded part of the new ignition lock cylinder, now you can install the new tumbler.