So, working on the project 280z today, I grabbed my key and turned the lock. It immediately felt like a weird turn of the key, like the key had kind of fallen out a bit mid turn.

Afterwards I realized that this key (got 6 with the car) is a bit smaller than the key I normally use. Must be an older key, or a door key or something. Oops.

After the turn I was able to pull the key out easily. It goes back into the lock fully and easily too. The 'real' key doesn't really fit in the lock now, but the smaller one I used goes all the way in.

Getting it to OFF though is another matter. It's stuck in ON. Cannot turn it. Had to take apart the ignition area and pull the plug to turn the car off.

The previous owner luckily had not broken the anti-theft screws, so I've got the ignition lock out of the car now to work on it. How can I get this lock to turn again? Has anyone completely pulled out the tumblers before? What's the secret to getting them out of the casing?

Edited May 30, 201113 yr by cksubs

This happened in my rx7 once.. i kept it intact and just put the key back in, hit the key with a hammer, and turned it right out.

Try LOC-LUBE first before getting out the BFH, me thinks

With a bit more wear, you'll be able to start the car with a house key, screwdriver, or popsicle stick!

A locksmith can replace the cylinder for you (keyed to match your doors), and it will work like new. It's not a very expensive job -- somewhere between $25 and $50, as I recall.