Ignition key!!

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Dec 10, 2009 | 11:19 PM

jimford1

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Senior User

Joined: Feb 2004

Posts: 347

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From: Buffalo, New York

Ignition key!!

Why the F@#K does my ignition turn super hard when it is cold??? WTF?? I was turning it over with two hands tonight! Can I fix it??

Dec 11, 2009 | 01:12 AM

greystreak92

Lead Driver

Joined: Sep 2002

Posts: 9,182

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From: Gateway to the West

With a little heat (start the truck and warm up the cabin really well) and some graphite. Never use any type of petroleum-based lubricant on the keyswitch or any lock mechanism for that matter. If you get into the mechanism and find such lubricants you will most likely find a very sticky mess since petroleum products thicken when cold. You can clean a sticky mechanism with a penetrating lube but follow that up by wiping it off and adding the graphite right away. That way when the penetrating lube that gets left in there dries up it leaves the graphite behind to do the lubricating.

Dec 11, 2009 | 06:44 AM

helirich

Posting Guru

Joined: Apr 2006

Posts: 1,274

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The actual contacts are way down the steering shaft. (by your feet) Sometimes it gets tight down there. You may try some lube there also. Look for binding on the rod that goes between.