Hello Everyone, 1985 Chevy Caprice Station Wagon - someone broke in - jammed ingnition - steering wheel locked - broke the column cover and the slider thing that allows you to start vehicle without a key - left all doors open and car RUNNING!!! Any ideas on how to go about repairing or replacing?
No big deal, if they didnt break the tilt knuckle too.. Then its best to replace the whole unit.. Really easy operation, takes one third of the time that you replace the ignition lock..
They got the ignition rod to actuate the switch but didn't get the pin to release that goes into the lock plate, amateurs, with all the doors open it was probably a gang of punks looking to go for a joy ride, or deliver newspapers. The column is faster to replace if everything goes as it should, a few fasteners then plug and play. If it doesn't have a key you will have to take it apart to put in a lock cylinder anyway, so six of one and half a dozen of the other over repair. If the only things broken are the ignition switch and upper lock housing cover it's no problem fixing the column if you have the tools and instructions. You'll need a steering wheel puller and a lock plate removal tool along with some basic hand tools. If they messed up the guts you're better off finding another column, the cost of the housing may also be more than a used column too.
