I accidentally put a wrong key into the ignition of my 2004 Cadillac Deville. Finally wiggled that key out. Put the right key in the ignition and it will not turn and steering wheel is locked
Asked by Sherry Dec 16, 2018 at 03:18 PM about the 2004 Cadillac DeVille
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
I accidentally put a wrong key into the ignition of
my 2004 Cadillac Deville. Finally wiggled that key
out. Put the right key in the ignition and it will not
turn and steering wheel is locked
4 Answers
Sherry, insert the correct key again, turn the steering wheel hard left (as hard as you can even being locked), hold the wheel there and try turning the key. If it doesn't work turn the wheel hard right and do the same, in reality the top of the steering wheel will only rotate about 1/2" when locked. You can try letting a little pressure off of the wheel while attempting to turn the key if it still doesn't budge. It's not an exact procedure, but there should be a "sweet spot" somewhere in there that would allow the lock pin to release while you are turning the key. If turning it still doesn't release the ignition lock, the lock cylinder may have been damaged by the wrong key, and may need to be replaced.
If I get the lock cylinder replaced, will my remote still open the car doors and the trunk?
Yes the remote system would function as normal. However, replacing the ignition lock itself will require a new ignition key to be cut. Your old key would still work in the doors and trunk, but not the new ignition, unless it can be keyed the same by a dealership. All Cadillac models of that year also had a chip in the key as part of the anti-theft system, the key itself can be one of the suprising hidden costs when replacing the lock.