Learn How to Unlock or Lock a Steering Wheel

Imagine this. You’ve just gotten into your vehicle after a long day of work. You’re trying to start your vehicle because you have somewhere to be. It’s dark. It’s late. Your partner, or maybe a mother, is waiting for you. You go to start your car, and you panic because your steering wheel is locked! Not to worry. We here at Garavel CJDR can help you learn how to unlock a steering wheel. Looking for information on how to re-lock your steering wheel for security purposes? Yeah, we can help with that, too! Our service center is here to help with all your service needs!

How to Unlock a Steering Wheel in Five Steps

Preventing yourself from panicking in a situation such as the one above can be difficult. Fortunately, unlocking a steering wheel is very easy in the vast majority of circumstances. Here’s what to do:

1. Pull the wheel down in the same direction you did when the wheel was originally locked if you’re aware of which direction that was.
2. Not sure which direction you should pull? Try both, but start slowly — the wheel will budge a little bit when you pull in the correct direction. You may need to wiggle back and forth a little gently with the key in the ignition. But don’t force it.
3. While you are holding your steering wheel in the correct direction with a little bit of tension/resistance, insert your key into the ignition and start it.
4. If the wheel doesn’t unlock and/or the engine doesn’t start, try turning the wheel in the other direction and repeat the above step.
5. Your steering wheel should now successfully be unlocked! If you can’t get this procedure to work, then we recommend that you schedule a service appointment now.

Unlocking a Steering Wheel: Helpful Suggestions

Want to avoid causing damage to your steering wheel when attempting to unlock it? Keep these suggestions in mind:

• Do Not Use Brute Force: By using brute force in an attempt to unlock your steering wheel, you may wind up damaging parts of the steering mechanism and incurring expensive damage. Instead, follow the steps above while applying very light pressure/resistance.
• Try a Different Key: If you hadn’t already thought of it, the problem may not be with your steering wheel, but actually with the key you’re using to start your vehicle. If you’re using an old, worn-out key that can no longer successfully engage the car’s tumblers, you’ll have trouble with starting your car. In that case, we invite you to order a new key with our parts center.

How to Lock Your Steering Wheel On Purpose

There are many reasons why someone would want to lock their steering wheel intentionally. Most have something to do with security and anti-theft protection measures. That said, if you’re looking to keep your steering wheel locked and your car safer on Greenwich or Bridgeport streets, here’s what to do:

1. Turn off your vehicle and remove the keys from the ignition.
2. Turn the steering wheel one way or the other until you hear a clicking sound.
3. Your steering wheel will lock once it clicks until you return, unlock the steering wheel following the procedure found earlier in this piece, and start your car.

Learn More Car Service Tips with Garavel CJDR!

Now that you know how to unlock a steering wheel and how to lock a steering wheel, we invite you to contact us if you have any additional questions about servicing or maintaining your vehicle in Norwalk. We’re happy to help!