Start Key Madness

The "ignition" key in my 2006 Jetta TDI suddenly has become very hard to turn. The first time it happened, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to turn the key far enough to start the car. I had to apply more pressure that I was comfortable with to move the key to the on and then start positions. Once in the "on" position, the key moves easily to start (crank).



This happens with the steering locked and no pressure on the key. I applied some Triflow in the lock mechanism and that helped quite a bit for a while, but then the problem came back in a week or so.



I am concerned that the time will come when I will not be able to turn the key at all and I will be stranded somewhere.


Has anyone else had this problem, and if so what was the solution?

Search the forum, as you appear to be experiencing a well known issue, for which there are already answers. The steering lock mechanism fails, causing what you are observing.

I searched the forum before I posted.

The works-95%-of-the-time fix is to turn the steering wheel slightly before turning the key... the steering wheel lock is putting pressure on the tumbler, preventing it from turning. Turning the wheel slightly removes the pressure.

One other suggestion: Tri-flow is a great lube but being a wet lube is also a great dust attractor that will tend to wear your locking mechanism out prematurely. Various locksmiths have various opinions on the right dry lube to use... graphite is the standard go-to but some worry that it's conductive. Never had a problem myself, YMMV.

The tumbler assembly is apparently almost never the problem, but the steering lock mechanism has known issues. Here is a link showing how they fit together:
https://youtu.be/5Bl3mdzLaYc

There is an engineering weakness in the design of the steering lock that can produce the problem you are experiencing. It is a royal pain to replace the steering lock, but it can be done.

Search for 'steering lock' to find the posts you need, plus, look on the turbodiesel site.