Busted ignition - ignition cylinder rod replacement (2 Viewers)

[OregonLC]

That was my exact plan Rob! But with the wheel lock, a push button start is kind of pointless.

 

[Sixgunz]

Well, add my 03 to the mix of this problem.

I've encountered a problem it seems no one else was dumb enough to do.

I backed the two Phillips screws all the way out of the plastic housing at the back of the cylinder. As I got the second one out, two pieces of plastic, two copper discs, two small springs and two small ball bearings dropped in my hand.

I have no idea how to put this back together.

I was able to get my old broken shaft out after two hours, but I need to know how to assemble the rear piece before progressing.

Help!

 

[lx470cinci]

Post #33 is spot on for replacing this. I will add that the screws that hold the white plastic housing to the ignition casting do not need to be fully removed. This makes the removal and replacement of the ignition rod very easy.

Cheers!
Greg

 

[BTUMAN]

Has there been any correlation between not being able to turn the ignition and this failure? I was almost stranded once when I could not get the key to turn. Tried everything and called a tow. After the tow got to me, as I was about to pop the neutral switch to make it easy to load on a flatbed, I got in and it started just fine. Since then it occasionally seems to lock up but I can jiggle the stirring wheel and get it to start. It obviously seems to be linked to the steering wheel lock and I wonder if this is a separate issue folks have had or could it be another method of failure? I know when it breaks there has been no warning. I did use liberal amount of graphite in the key hole lately to see if this helps. I have a 2000 LC with 261k miles and don't have a record of any replacement yet.

 

[steelynorm]

locked ignition

Seems we have same problem.
U can get a new key which helps, just got off phone with locksmith he said Toyotas have issues with wafers in lock. I am going to have him rebuild my ignition, see how it goes. He said wafers wear out and the new one will have same problem eventually.

 

[BTUMAN]

Seems we have same problem. U can get a new key which helps, just got off phone with locksmith he said Toyotas have issues with wafers in lock. I am going to have him rebuild my ignition, see how it goes. He said wafers wear out and the new one will have same problem eventually.

It sounds like it is a second type of failure that can occur with the ignition- both the internal wafers and the lock shaft.

 

[Sixgunz]

It's a shame you have to buy the entire ignition bracket just to get the cam out of it. They are two separate pieces that don't need to be sold together (ie: they aren't "mated"). Toyota obviously knows about the problem - hence why they offer the new, more stronger design.

Does anyone know when they redesigned the cam? Anyone with a 100 older than that should switch it out as preventative maintenance, IMHO. There is no "field fix" for this and when the cam breaks, you are stranded.

 

[Dryhop]

Thanks for all the information in this thread. parnoren and hard6out (posts 33 and 154) and others got me through the repair this weekend. I saved $100's thanks to all this great info. As others have experienced, I initially had the CAM 180 degrees off! Wow, easy to do even when paying close attention on dis-assembly as advised. In order to spin the cam, in my case, I had to get the steering wheel lock disengaged. I was able to do this by powering up the system and turning the key to the off position (where the lock was -wrongly- disengaged). I was then able to remove the key cylinder, back off the white plastic module on the back, and rotate the cam.

 

[dwainf]

Hi There! Thanks for the posts! I just bought a 2000 LX470. I drove about 20 miles, stopped for a coffee, and bam! Key turned, truck on but not running! Rats! I just joined the club. Getting the part through Toyota. I wonder if my 94 Cruiser has the same issue...

 

[DJWUZJ]

I'm wondering if we should start a collection of all recorded busted ignitions, similar as they are with the front diff?

Toyota had a new part # for 03+ ignition cam, however the most recent 03 posting appears that didn't take care of the issue? Not sure how many others are in this boat...

 

[DWNUNDR]

did mine early last year... if I remember correctly the part was around $100 or so form some link I found here or ebay... took an hr to do as I couldnt get the snapped off chunk out... it got cocked in there haha..

 

[dwainf]

Good Morning (afternoon?) all!

I took some pictures that may help to solve the 180 out issue. I hope this is not a case of flogging a dead horse.

This is how I got the bracket from Toyota.

This is the angle that the shaft is at to allow the key at the bottom to go through the base of the tube.

Then, you push in this tab at the top of the shaft. This will retract the other tab on the side of the shaft. It is the same as pushing your key in to turn to the "lock" position.

Then, rotate the shaft until it looks like this, with the tab on the side facing down. Next, ensure that the squarish block at the bottom is engaged in the slot in the switch. Tighten up the screws on the white plastic switch. You should be able to hear the switch clicking as you rotate the entire shaft. Replace the ignition key tumbler assembly by lining up the slot and the tab at the top of the shaft. The key will have to be in roughly the "Acc" position. Takes a bit of fiddling, but the whole thing will snap into place without much effort when correct.

My vehicle started right away on the test and the steering wheel did not lock.

I sincerely hope this helps as it is a chance for me to pay back a little of what I owe to this forum / website.

 

[mcewan13]

I joined this exclusive club unexpectedly last Friday. Oh goody! I h ad no idea that the venerable Land Cruiser could be completely stranded by such a simple little part.

So I had the truck flat towed to the nearest shop (LC NW) but they don't seem to want to work on it. Their fallback locksmith has no clue. He wanted to replace the complete ignition system and have the whole vehicle rekeyed. I'm glad I'd already searched MUD and discovered this thread while waiting on the tow, or I might have ended up with a very expensive repair bill.

I'm now deciding on whether to have the rig towed to my house to self install either the whole bracket assembly or simply swap out the broken rod, or to have it towed to local auto electronics shop in Vancouver to have the Advanced Keys PTS system installed. http://www.advancedkeys.com/Prod_AK104S.html

IF I pursue the Push Button option, what issues should I be prepared to deal with? The steering lock is addressed by these systems by shaving a key and leaving it in the ACC position with a blank cover over it. The immobilizer is addressed with a bypass relay. I think the main question I have is whether I can leave the busted rod in place, or whether it needs to be replaced before proceeding with a Push to Start system. If I leave the broken rod in place (or remove the lower portion that interacts with the steering lock) is there a possibility of the steering lock engaging inadvertently?

The furnace went out on the coldest week in Oregon history, the truck stranded me last week, and my brand new smartphone was run over by a bus on Sunday (glad I bucked up for the insurance!!!). I think I'm due to win the lottery now!

Thanks in advance for the input!
.matthew

 

[mcewan13]

That was my exact plan Rob! But with the wheel lock, a push button start is kind of pointless.

Oregon, I noticed that you were looking into this system in another thread on IH8MUD. Were you aware that the push-button-start system disables the wheel lock? Is this why you decided to abandon this install, or was there something else you discovered that turned you off?

It appears to me that the button system (AK105B) bypasses the steering lock by leaving the shaved key in the ACC position. The switch system (AK105S) covers the shaved key with a switch on the oem keyhole and retains the wheel lock function.

Cheers,
.matthew

 

[mcewan13]

Updated part # for 2003 - 2007 model years

FYI - it looks like there's a different part number for the 2003-2007 model years. I figured this would be useful as more of the '03+ trucks join this club.

 

[wareagle]

Mine won't turn any longer. I added graphite, but now the wafers appear to be toast. Any suggestions on rebuild of cylinder.

 

[Topoguide]

I am considering myself very lucky. I did not see this thread... and my ignition failed in my garage.

So I am now out of pocket over $200 for the part and some of my time. No towing and no time stuck in the middle of nowhere...

* For those of us who have an '03 and newer there are a couple changes to the procedure.

First: The part number is 45280-60610 (note the one digit change... this makes a HUGE difference. The tube that holds the cylinder, rod, etc is 180 deg from the prev model.

Second: When removing the black plastic piece around the ignition switch pry off from the sides, there is no screw.

Third: When removing the key cylinder use a punch or screwdriver through the hole in the top of the housing. I removed the plastic piece that sits over the steering column to make this easier.

NOTE: If you completely remove the plastic piece screwed to the back of the housing (as I did) all of the little pieces will most likely fall out... as another poster mentioned. To reassemble hold the plastic piece like a cup, then put the pieces back in and just spin each piece as you put them in, they will seat themselves... then carefully put it back on. One advantage of taking this plastic piece all the way off is that you can twist then push the broken rod from the back and it will pop right out and very little fishing required.

Here is the procedure edited for '03+

The procedure can be done in 2-3 different ways... The third and easiest way to do it is to just exchange the broken Cam Rod without taking the whole housing off the column.


This procedure (which takes less than an hour to do) is for an LX470 2002 (updated for 2003+):
First remove the plastic cover that sits under the steering column which houses the rear window buttons, the gas fill cover and the hood latch. Remove it completely for easy access. Four Philips screws hold the two latches, everything else snaps into place. Four electrical connections also need to be disconnected. Also remove the metal plate held down by four 10mm bolts. This gives you better access.

Remove the black ring that's around the ignition ([STRIKE]one Philips screw[/STRIKE] pry off from the sides) and place it to the side.

Remove the plastic piece that sits over the steering column and ignition switch. Remove the wire for the light dimmer to remove completely.

Now remove the key cylinder by inserting the key to the ON (or somewhere between ON and Acc) position and push a small screwdriver or a small punch in to the whole [STRIKE]underneath[/STRIKE] on top of the housing to release the key cylinder.

After removing the cylinder make sure you take a look at exactly which position the broken Cam Rod is in so that you get it right when inserting the new one later. I believe you can also look at the new one you just bought as they don't sell just the Cam Rod, but the whole housing (Yes, it is easiest to simply remove the rod from the new unit right there and insert in the same position into the current housing - after removing the second part of the broken rod).

Now the small broken piece needs to come out and this is where it gets a little trickier. As you will see on the new housing, there is a slot that allows you to insert or remove the Cam Rod which also acts as a lock so the Cam Rod doesn't come out again. Doing the whole procedure this way makes it difficult if not impossible to have a look in the back of the housing since it's still attached to the steering column.

The next step is to remove the two Philips screws holding the white plastic part that is attached to the back of the housing. It's possible to get a medium sized Philips screwdriver in there and remove the screws, but quite difficult to get the screws back in again. (tape the screw to the screwdriver while trying to locate the holes). Then back off the plastic part about 1/4" so that the Cam Rod can be turned easily. Using a pair of very long needle pliers the broken part can now be turned and pulled out. This is where you will look at the new Cam Rod and the new housing to see how to position the broken off piece inside the housing so that it can be extracted. Mine had to be turned about 90 degrees to the left.

After this you take the new Cam Rod and push it in all the way so that the slot in the housing is aligned with the part of the Cam Rod that needs to fit in this slot. I used a pair of needle pliers to push the rod in. Then turn the Cam Rod so it's in the same position as the old one was in when you first took it apart (again if you take it straight from the new housing and put it in you will be in the correct position). This should prevent you from placing the rod in the 180 degree wrong position. If you turn it 180 degrees the wrong way I believe you will have to use procedure 1 or 2 (removing the housing by drilling out the bolts) since the Cam Rod is now in the way for you to get in with a long screwdriver and release the steering lock. If you need steps one and two please see original post. Fortunately it worked the first time for me.

Good Luck and please send me any questions about the above ramblings.

 

[mpho]

Just making sure this is what I need...doing it for preventative...thanks

45280-60460

for my 99 wheel manual tilt steering???

 

[Porter]

And it's my turn to join the busted ignition club. Fortunately for me, in my driveway. Parts in Friday AM, so gives me time to research the surgery required. Thanks in advance to those who have contributed to this thread. This should definitely be considered a PM job for a middle aged rig, like mine. '99 daily driver with 230k. I absolutely saw this coming and failed to head it off! Could have been worse and happened on vacation.

 

[Porter]

I'm going to add to post #33 for clarity. You do NOT need to remove the plastic white housing on the back of the assembly, just unscrew 1/16" or so. DO NOT screw this housing back tight until you have inserted new rod. I learned this the hard way.

Here's the simple way to avoid the 180 degree off problem. Insert the new rod with brass flange at 12 o'clock.

With needle nose pliers, rotate slightly counter clockwise to seat the nub in the back of housing. Then spin clockwise to 4 or 5 o'clock position. That simple. The proper aligment is the brass flange at the 4 o'clock position. Insert key assembly, and bam, the rig comes to life and you'll know immediately.

You can practice this on the new assembly housing before the real thing, as you own a housing that you won't need. Just play with it to see proper alignment. The steering lock flange is not an issue, you do not need to depress it, even if you could.