An old face needs help... =\

[talon95tsi]

Hey guys, its been a LONG TIME for me since I've posted. For most of the older members here, you'll recognize this car:
http://columbusdsm.com/members/images/car1_Tony_Eckert_01_small.jpg

Well, I have some bad news about this car. It was broken into last night sometime. They jacked my cd player, my sub woofers, and my amp. I'm not too bummed about what they stole because that all came with the car when I bought it. What I am mad about is that they broke the lock on the passenger side door and they somehow broke the transmission lock on my automatic. So now when I want to move the car from park to drive, I don't have to push the button down and have the brake depressed... it just slides back on its own. Here's the problem I am asking: I put the key into the car to see if it would start, which it did. I drove the car around town to make sure it was ok for driving, and that checked out fine. I get back to my place and turn off the car. The car powers down as usual but I cannot get the key into the "LOCKED" position in the ignition. So now my key is stuck in the setting right before the ACC. The power is off and so is the car, but I cannot remove the key from the ignition hole. I need to know if there's a trigger or something that I can push to release the key into the locked position. I have already taken the neccessary precautions of pulling my spark plug wires and removing the battery so it cannot be stolen, but I still want the key out of my car. PLEASE GUYS HELP ME! I know some of you have probably experienced the same, so you know how it feels to have your favority possession torn apart. This car was my baby. Please, someone help. (I've also filed a report with the police but they had no clue on the ignition either and neither did AAA. I'm going to report the stolen goods to my insurance in hopes I can get some $ back for it)

Thanks guys, and i'll be sure to post back here more often.

- Tony Eckert

[IAmSlow]

It's the ignition lock out. Preventing you from taking out the key from the ignition when the shifter is out of "D". They must have damaged something in the shifter itself. You might want to try to push the brake pedal until you hear a click around the shifter area before putting it in "P". I can show it on my bro's '96 AWD, but I guess it's too urgent to wait. In any rate, there is basically a switch in the shifter that has to be tripped in order for you to be able to remove the key from the ignition. Hopefully you can put the car in a garage if this is not resolved.

[BlackEclipse]

Since they easily got past your alarm system you should consider booby-trapping your car. Or adding a 2nd alarm speaker to make it REALLY loud.

[talon95tsi]

here's how they broke in...

They cracked my passenger side door handle and must have stuck something down inside and unlocked it like the AAA guys do if u lock ur keys in the car. So I dont know if that would have been enough to trigger my factory alarm or not...

Anyway, still lookin' for more help. Maybe if someone knows anything about the auto trans shifter or the shift box, that would be cool if u swung by. I'm down on East 12th Ave off OSU campus. I'm sure it's like a spring or something minor that got taken off to access the cd player and the harness. Grrr, I keep envisioning this about the thief! :finger :bash

[MitsubishiGirl]

I have a factory alarm and it doesn't take much to set it off. Same thing happen to me. They popped my lock, but the alarm came on and they left. 3 days later they tried prying the window open with a crow bar, the alarm went off again. My factory alarm just seems to go off easily (thank goodness). I've even walked by my car at night and pushed down on the hood to make sure it was down all the way (from working on it that day) and it set the alarm off.

[BlackEclipse]

If the factory alarm turns off with the turn of the key in the door then I suggest rewiring it so it does not do that. I know on the new VW Golf's and Jetta's all you have to do is jam a screwdriver in the key lock and turn and it turns off the alarm and unlocks the door. Dumb design. Alarm should ONLY be able to be turned off with remote or disconnecting it from the power.