I have a 2000 Jeep Cherokee Classic. I parked the jeep at work and went in completed my shift and came out to leave. The key will go and if the door is open you will hear a ding, However it will not turn. I also cannot take the jeep out of park either to get it into neutral in order to be moved or jumped started.
Have you done the usual twisting of the steering wheel from side to side while keeping pressure on the key? Has there in the recent past been any indication of a problem turning the key? Would you venture to say that the key will not budge from its locked position? Or possibly the key moves slightly and then stops.
I have done the usual twisting. being that the wheel isnt locked i can spin it almost all the way around. there has never been any issues in the past and on the same day of this issue i stopped on the way to work and got gas. it fired up with no problem. i then went to work left it sitting for 8 hours came out and now it wont start. the key will go just a little bit but not enough for the inside lights to come on.
How heavy is your key ring…Do you have a bunch of keys on the same key ring
i only have a couple of keys on the ring and havent had a heavy keychain for a while. i usually keep my keys in my pocket and couldnt stand anything heavy in there.
I have to wonder if you can squirt some lubricant in there and run the key in and out,wiggle it around ect…
You can turn the key far enough to unlock the steering wheel? Did you try to turn it back to accessory?
If the key will move beyond the locked position it is likely that the tumbler/cylinder are not the cause for the key not turning. The ignition switch is likely in the column directly behind the lock cylinder and becomes the likely cause for the problem. You say the wheel is free to turn and that may or may not be involved with your problem. It seems likely that the steering wheel will need to be removed and the switch/cylinder separated and inspected. It is usually not too difficult to get at the problem with a few tools and a shop manual. It would be worth your time to shoot some penetrating oil in the lock and make a few more efforts to turn it though.