Steering wheel locked and push button start won't work
The steering wheel lock can engage tightly against the locking mechanism, preventing the ignition from recognizing the release signal when pressing the start button. Turning the wheel firmly to the left or right while pressing the start button usually relieves the pressure, allowing the steering column to unlock and the vehicle to start.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Turning the steering wheel to one side while pressing the start buttonDid this help you?
- 2Wiggling the key around for 5 minutes until it finally turnsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“The key will not turn I have to sit there for 5 minutes wiggling the key around until it finally turns the steering wheel is not locked I only have one key for the car so i can’t see if it’s just a worn out key”source ↗
“I have a 2020 Kia Soul with push button start and I can't get the steering w heel to unlock. I tried turning to one side while pressing the start button but it didn't work. Is there something else I can try?”source ↗