Unlock This Problem!
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Elder User
Joined: Jan 2003
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From: Athens,Texas
Unlock This Problem!
My wife has a 2000 F-250 Superduty with the 7.3 engine. Sometimes when she gets out of the truck, the steering wheel locks in place. When she goes to use the truck again, the key will not rotate to start the truck and the steering wheel will stay locked. She has to turn the wheel slightly back and forth quite a few times to get it to unlock so she can rotate the key. This only happens once in awhile but it is very annoying. When I drive the truck, I shut it off in Drive, then put it in Park so it won't lock. Also, I found that if you press on the brake pedal while trying to turn the key helps to unlock it. Anybody have the solution to this problem? The only time my 2002 has done this is if I have my wheels turned all the way tight in one direction and shut the truck off.
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2005
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Originally Posted by skipperw
My wife has a 2000 F-250 Superduty with the 7.3 engine. Sometimes when she gets out of the truck, the steering wheel locks in place. When she goes to use the truck again, the key will not rotate to start the truck and the steering wheel will stay locked. She has to turn the wheel slightly back and forth quite a few times to get it to unlock so she can rotate the key. This only happens once in awhile but it is very annoying. When I drive the truck, I shut it off in Drive, then put it in Park so it won't lock. Also, I found that if you press on the brake pedal while trying to turn the key helps to unlock it. Anybody have the solution to this problem? The only time my 2002 has done this is if I have my wheels turned all the way tight in one direction and shut the truck off.
Junior User
Joined: Jun 2005
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Tell you wife to make certain the front wheels are straight ahead when she stops, then take her hands off the wheel, then put the foot brake on, then put it in park, THEN turn the key off. This will take the pressure off of the column locking pin as it will just slide into the detent.
Posting Guru
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 2,060
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From: Burnsville, MN
Good point. If she can reach the overhead grip maybe she could learn to use it insted of the steering wheel?
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Senior User
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 244
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From: Seminole, FL
That's exactly what I was thinking. The steering wheel is probably not locked until it is turned a little. She is probably not noticing it when she gets out of the truck but is grabbing the wheel as she gets out.
Let us know if this helps.
Let us know if this helps.
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Posting Guru
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Originally Posted by John P.
Tell you wife to make certain the front wheels are straight ahead when she stops, then take her hands off the wheel, then put the foot brake on, then put it in park, THEN turn the key off. This will take the pressure off of the column locking pin as it will just slide into the detent.
Junior User
Joined: Jun 2005
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Todays vehicles all have anti-theft locking stearing columns. Even if you hot wire it, ya cannot stear it. When you turn the iginiton key to the REMOVE position, the pin tries to drop into one of the many holes in the column. If it cannot drop, it just rests on the column until someone tries to turn the column then it drops in. But now the column is putting friction on it because it droped in while the column was being moved, then the wheel tried to move back to where it was, and zingo it is pinched.
To get it to release the pin you have to do two things at once, pat your head and rub your belly. Oppps wrong one. You have to put the key in the iginition and while trying to turn it, move the steering wheel slowly to the right then to the left, the entire time you are trying to move the key.
To get it to release the pin you have to do two things at once, pat your head and rub your belly. Oppps wrong one. You have to put the key in the iginition and while trying to turn it, move the steering wheel slowly to the right then to the left, the entire time you are trying to move the key.
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 3
From: Phenix City, AL
The steering wheel locking is completely normal. She's either A - leaving the wheels turned when she shuts off the truck and the steering turns the wheel to the lock postion, or B - She is pulling on the wheel getting in or out and turning it to the lock position.
Either way makes it difficult to get the key in. All you gotta do is turn the wheel a bit to release the pressure on the lock and the key should go in and and release the wheel lock.
Either way makes it difficult to get the key in. All you gotta do is turn the wheel a bit to release the pressure on the lock and the key should go in and and release the wheel lock.
Postmaster
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 3
From: Phenix City, AL
Hey skip, just for comparison, it's like parking an auto transmission vehcile on a hill, without the parking brake. You get that torque lock and it makes it harder than heck to get it out of park.
The steering wheel lock up is the same thing. Just a load placed on the steering mechanism causing it to lock.
BFR
The steering wheel lock up is the same thing. Just a load placed on the steering mechanism causing it to lock.
BFR
New User
Joined: Jan 2006
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mine is a 2000 with the 7.3 and 6-spd manual. Never had it happen except when the wheel is turned hard like you mentioned. I just try and make sure there is no tension on the wheel when I shut it down and don't seem to have any problems.