# Why won't the key turn in the ignition? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** geo, keys, metro, ignition, start\ **Created:** [October 31, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-wont-the-key-turn-in-the-ignition/38878 "2009-10-31T22:39:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phydeaux\_Speaks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Phydeaux\_Speaks](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Phydeaux_Speaks)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 10:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-wont-the-key-turn-in-the-ignition/38878/1 "2009-10-31T22:39:27Z")
Greetings from Costa Rica! We have a 1994 Geo Metro, and in the last couple of weeks it has developed a quite annoying problem. The key won’t turn in the ignition (unless, of course, we’re at the garage and the mechanic is standing there). The car has been in Costa Rica, where the roads are far from smooth, for a long time, plus it’s 15 years old, so we decided to go ahead and get the mechanic to replace the ignition cylinder. Today, the day after having the cylinder replaced, the key wouldn’t turn in the ignition. We’ve also made sure the steering mechanism is locked and that the gear selector is firmly in park. Help? ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 11:23pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-wont-the-key-turn-in-the-ignition/38878/2 "2009-10-31T23:23:08Z")
I dont know, maybe its me but I think you should take the car back to who ever replaced the lock cylinder. ---
**Author:** ![Phydeaux\_Speaks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Phydeaux\_Speaks](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Phydeaux_Speaks)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2009, 11:29pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-wont-the-key-turn-in-the-ignition/38878/3 "2009-10-31T23:29:29Z")
Well, yes, but as he didn’t think there was anything wrong with it in the first place, I want to be armed with as much info as possible. Plus, well, this is Costa Rica. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-wont-the-key-turn-in-the-ignition/38878/4 "2009-11-01T00:10:06Z")
Definetly something wrong with it now,perhaps his denial of a problem is that he wasn’t comfortable doing the job (did not know how) and you forced the issue. Just tell him it worked better before he replaced the cylinder, he can’t deny that. ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 12:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-wont-the-key-turn-in-the-ignition/38878/5 "2009-11-01T00:14:25Z")
“Firmly in park.” What happens if the gear selector is firmly in neutral? ---
**Author:** ![Phydeaux\_Speaks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Phydeaux\_Speaks](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Phydeaux_Speaks)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 12:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-wont-the-key-turn-in-the-ignition/38878/6 "2009-11-01T00:18:15Z")
It won’t go out of Park unless and until the key turns. Based on internet searching, that’s apparently a “feature” of Geos. ---
**Author:** ![EllyEllis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f14d63/32.png) [@EllyEllis](https://community.cartalk.com/u/EllyEllis)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2009, 2:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/why-wont-the-key-turn-in-the-ignition/38878/7 "2009-11-01T02:22:15Z")
If the steering wheel in turned and pressing the ignition lock, would that make it very diffacult to turn the Key??