I noticed that if I have the steering wheel turned all the way and shut the ignition to lock the wheel, it will not hold. The steering wheel pops and you can move it. Why? What is broken that it does that?
There is a plate behind the steering wheel that looks like toothed saw blade. It is under the turn signal cover. The way it works is the cylinder pushes a spring loaded pin up that should catch in the plate. If the plate is bent or the edges are beveled, it might not hold. Also, if the pin has been ground down with years of use (abuse) it might not stick up as far as it did when new. It is fairly simple to look it over if you have a puller and a little press to push the plate down while you get the snap ring off.
See my tilt column wobble article and you will see the lock plate and lock plate pin....most like your pin pop-up spring is bad or the pin is catching in the potmetal upper collar
This isn't something that will give you trouble, in the sense that you won't be able to drive it, unless the pop-up parts lodge in something and make the steering wheel stick, which is unlikely. If it were mine, I'd pop the wheel and the lock plate, and trash the locking parts (leave the lock plate so the spacing doesn't get messed up).This will not stop a determined thief from disappearing down the road with your ride, either way.
When the key is in the on position the pin is retracted away from the plate. SO it should not affect driving. I would fix it too but you should be able to drive it
Thanks, I not too worried about it. It only happens when the wheel is turned and locked all the way out left or right. when you shut the key it will pop loose. no biggie I guess.
