Can someone give me some suggestions. I am trying to remove the lock cylinder from our 1990 Honda Civic Si. I have the service manual and it shows to turn the key to I and then depress the lock button on top and slide the cylinder out. Well that doesn't work. My dad, my brother, and I have all tried and we can't get it to come out. Is there a trick to this? We were trying to remove the steering lock, but we can't do that until we get the lock cylinder out. Please help!
Need help! can't get lock cylinder out to remove steering lock
- Thread starter arpenn
- Start date
gran racing
Super Moderator
Before doing this, confirm that this will work on your Civic.
Most Honda owners I know don't actually remove the lock. Instead, what is done is using a sharp drill, drill into the area that looks like a button. The key is to do this very slowly. The first time I did it, I went too far and had to wire the start using a switch on the dash. The second time it worked perfectly and took less than five minutes.
Post this question with my general summary on www.HondaTech.com to see if it'll work for your car. If you do some searched there, you should be able to find detailed instructions and pictures on how to do it.
Most Honda owners I know don't actually remove the lock. Instead, what is done is using a sharp drill, drill into the area that looks like a button. The key is to do this very slowly. The first time I did it, I went too far and had to wire the start using a switch on the dash. The second time it worked perfectly and took less than five minutes.
Post this question with my general summary on www.HondaTech.com to see if it'll work for your car. If you do some searched there, you should be able to find detailed instructions and pictures on how to do it.
Dave's right, don't bother removing all of that as it can be done with it installed. On the bottom side of the lock cylinder is a round silver "button" looking plug, about 1" in diameter. In the middle of that is a recessed area. Right at that point, drill through the "button" with about a 1/4" drill bit. Do it slowly as you don't want to break through too far. Once you've done that, you should be able to see the end of the spring that engages the steering lock. Reach in the hole with a needle-nose, grab that bastard, and rip it out. Viola! No steering lock!
OK that sounds easy enough. But the more I think about it I think I would like to get rid of the keys and just have a toggle and push button starter. If I do do that I can just remove the whole ignition assembly which would disable the steering lock. Can anyone tell me how I should wire it. My stock ignition has several wires going to it and I am sure that some of those wires probably power things like the ecu, fuel pump, etc. Your help is much appreciated.
gran racing
Super Moderator
I really suggest you keep the lock in place. As I mentioned, with my first car it was hard wired like you're talking about and while it looked cool, I wished I had the lock on it still. It sure made taking the car much easier! Keep using the key for now and later on after transporting the car to a few races, if you decide to wire the start you can always do it later. It'll be much harder to reverse it once done.
Security really isn't an issue. The car is in a locked garage unless it is at the track in which case my brother, my dad, and myself are with the car. We talked about it and we want to go with the toggle switch and push button start. We may regret it and we plan to do it in such a way that we can reverse it. Dave you said you did this to your first car, do you remember how you hooked the wiring up? Anyone else that has made this modification?
Thanks
Thanks
spnkzss
New member
Don't remove, just add to. I had a problem that if I stalled the car I could not reach the key to restart. Just turn the key to the on position, leave it there and then add a start button. That and I don't think you can "remove" the switch. 
I don't remember the specifics to removing the lock itself, but there is a button looking screw that hold the lock to the column. We took a wiz wheel to it and put a groove in it. The groove then held a flat head screw driver very nicely. We then removed the screw, disabled the lock, and screwed it back in place.
HTH. It's been 6 years since I've done it and the new car got the old column that I already had set up.
I don't remember the specifics to removing the lock itself, but there is a button looking screw that hold the lock to the column. We took a wiz wheel to it and put a groove in it. The groove then held a flat head screw driver very nicely. We then removed the screw, disabled the lock, and screwed it back in place.
HTH. It's been 6 years since I've done it and the new car got the old column that I already had set up.
So I can't remove the lock assembly from the steering column? I don't see why it would be such a big deal to wire around it then and leave it. I'm in the same boat as spnkzss when I am strapped in I can't reach the ignition switch. So if I stall the car I would have to unhook start the car and then rehook my safety belts. Tell me how that is safe? Some of these rules make no sense to me. How could using a push button start and a toggle switch give any advantage?
dickita15
New member
David. I have always used this as my justification.
From 9.1.3.D.1.e
Any ignition system which utilizes the original distributor for spark timing and distribution is permitted.
And then they added this to make it even easier to justify
From 9.1.3.D.1.a.7
Wires and connectors in the engine wiring harness may be modified or replaced.
If one has the savy to wire the stuff correctly while installing a different IGNITION switch the steering lock is gone at the same time.Last night I drilled the switch and got the spring out, but that was all that came out of the 1/4 hole I drilled. What would happen if a guy removed that whole disk? Could you then remove the lock pin also? Would the ignition switch still work? We have a HSDE in 2 weeks so we are leaving the key switch for now. I was just wondering if anyone has removed the lock pin also?
I'm not sure how different the Civic ingition switch assembly is compared to a Miata, but in the Miata a single screw (or maybe two, can't remember) holds the cylinder to the actual switch part. What I did in my car is to take the whole thing off the car...from looking at online diagrams, it looks like a simple job in the Civic, and that maybe a single recessed screw from the back allows removal of the cylinder. Looks like a bracket with two screws holds the whole thing to the column. I'd remove that, disconnect the switch, then you can Dremel or chisel your way in to remove the pin.
I know people that have: removed the spring and RTV'ed the pin in place, removed the spring and screwed the pin in place, and opened the whole thing up and removed the pin completely. I opted for removing the whole thing. I just took a cold chisel to the cover and took the little block/"pin" out.
If I were you I would not drive around (let alone race) unless you secure the pin, or even better, remove it.
That's my opinion.
Regarding an alternate way to turn on the car, I think for some people it IS a safety issue, either because it's hard to restart the car if it dies, or because they will turn it off accidentally with their knee (seen it happen).
I know people that have: removed the spring and RTV'ed the pin in place, removed the spring and screwed the pin in place, and opened the whole thing up and removed the pin completely. I opted for removing the whole thing. I just took a cold chisel to the cover and took the little block/"pin" out.
If I were you I would not drive around (let alone race) unless you secure the pin, or even better, remove it.
That's my opinion.
Regarding an alternate way to turn on the car, I think for some people it IS a safety issue, either because it's hard to restart the car if it dies, or because they will turn it off accidentally with their knee (seen it happen).
Eagle7
New member
Done it - in my first race ever. I've now got a toggle switch on the console.
dhardison
New member
Not a Civic, but on my '00 SSC Focus I removed the whole disk and out popped the spring and lock pin. Couldn't have been simpler.
It would concern me that jarring around during a race that pin might jump back up and jam the wheel. Unlikely but............
Dan
Just to flame the legal/illegal steering lock fire a bit. I'll throw out some facts. Oh, oh look out here comes the sleeping giant off the couch.
With my 1985 1st gen RX-7 Spec-7/ITA & with my 1990 Spec Miata with a drill press I REMOVED the steering lock lug from the ignition switch. As of this date if the rule has not been changed via a Fastrack the rule specifies that the steering lock SHALL be REMOVED. Not defeated.
If people don't follow the simple easy rules it sure allows people to wonder what other rules they don't follow.
With my 1985 1st gen RX-7 Spec-7/ITA & with my 1990 Spec Miata with a drill press I REMOVED the steering lock lug from the ignition switch. As of this date if the rule has not been changed via a Fastrack the rule specifies that the steering lock SHALL be REMOVED. Not defeated.
If people don't follow the simple easy rules it sure allows people to wonder what other rules they don't follow.