Manual swap steering/ignition lock issue: Solved

[Bob Duato]

I just finished up a 6-speed swap on my 540 and have some insight that may help some. After finishing the install I found that the key would not come out of the ignition. As some know, you need to clip the cable that comes from the shifter. However, I had just removed it entirely. This posed the issue of the car not thinking it was in park, and not releasing the key as a result.

Rather than ripping it all back apart to reinstall, calibrate and clip the otherwise useless cable, I opted to go the other route and see what was preventing the key from releasing. Following the instructions of DIY Ignition lock removal (https://www.bimmerforums.com/forum/showthread.php?2084434-DIY-Ignition-lock-removal) (and a bit of frustration) I pulled the lock cylinder. This revealed an assembly that the end of the lock cylinder grabs into to turn the ignition. Pushing that assembly in and turning counterclockwise releases it.

Note: To test each one of these steps, you do not need to put the lock cylinder back in, just put the metal assembly back in and turn with the key or other tool. If you can turn it counterclockwise and get to release without pushing it in, the key release issue is solved.

Without going into a lot of long-winded detail, you need to do 1-4 things to allow the key to release. The 1-4 because I tried four things and it now works perfectly, but I only know for certain one of them actually did anything - the removal of this nub.
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You can't see it in the picture, but its right at the end of the cylinder housing on the mid/bottom left. I used a Dremel to cut it off. This isn’t exactly something I would say is easy, but with a Dremel it just takes a minute. You’ll probably have to use the Dremel extension to get it to fit, and you can just rest it against one of the walls to keep it steady. You’ll also want to clean out the cavity as best you can after this.

I had considered just removing the thing that catches on the nub...
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...which would've been 1000 times easier, but there is a spot here...
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...where it locks in when the car is turned on so I didn't want to risk it.

Removing the nub is required. The rest of these may or may not be.

The first thing I would do is remove this pin...
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...from here...
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...except you would've already had to in order to cut the nub, so nice job, onto number two.

[Bob Duato]

Continued:

Next, remove the piece that would be right here (it's already removed in this picture)...
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This is the piece that the cable pushes into and would allow the cylinder to rotate and release the key. This piece probably just rotates freely now, but it no longer has a purpose and just takes a minute to remove. I left the white plastic ring on in case it acts as a guide.


The last thing is the only other non-reversible item, so leave it for the end. Very easy though, just cut the white plastic part on the cylinder so it's flush with the metal.
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If you didn't get it solved three steps ago, that’s definitely it. The steering wheel locks and unlocks when it should, and the ignition locks and unlocks when it should.

[moroza]

Good stuff. I recommend disabling the steering lock WIT.

[Bob Duato]

Thanks. One of my main reasons for doing this instead of the traditional wire clip was concern about the steering lock occurring while driving. It would seem that the clipped wire could dislodge from the park position at speed and be catastrophic. Perhaps those worries are unfounded, but to me this seems like a more reliable solution

[moroza]

I've seen steering locks close suddenly even without that cable. Indeed, I had it happen myself, though not on a BMW. Even at 15mph on a quiet back road, it was a terrifying experience. The reliable solution is to remove the locking tab altogether. Its purpose is to make cars slightly harder to steal (a swift kick or two usually takes them out). IMO, messing with the single most important control of a piece of potentially lethal machinery for the sake of keeping theft statistics down is a completely unacceptable threat to you and everyone around you. Might as well have a spring-loaded meat cleaver above the driver's head that requires a key, password, or transponder signal to stay where it is when the car is started.

[Bob Duato]

Yikes! That's something no one should ever have to experience. Can you point out which is the locking tab you are referring to?

[moroza]

688503688504

It's the slightly yellow thing in the middle.

I might have a use for your cable if I can't find my old one - pending diesel swap might use a mechanical fuel valve for tractor-grade reliability, and a cable that's activated by the ignition key would be perfect for the task.

[Bob Duato]

Nice, thanks. Ya let me know about the cable