I was called to look at the ignition lock of a 2002 Toyota Camry that was malfunctioning. The issue was that the key would not rotate back to the “Lock” position to allow the key to be pulled out. If you look at the picture below you will see there are a total of 4 positions the key can go. The only position the key can come out in is the lock.The customers key would not come out though the car could be shut off and parked.
Most people believe the issue to be either the key or the ignition key switch.
I looked at the switch then removed it. I was able to get it to work perfectly out of the ignition housing but once back in the same thing would happen. I was able to use a screw driver flat tip to turn the hub inside the ignition housing and start the car.
I noticed that there was a small pin inside the housing that stopped the cam from turning back to what would be the “lock” position.
I realized that the pin was controlled by the shifter cable. This cable runs from the transmission shift lever to the top of the steering column. When the car is in neutral or park the pin allows the cam to travel to the “lock” position. If the car is in gear the key will not go into lock position for safety reasons.
There is a cable adjuster that can be adjusted so when the car is in park or neutral it will know it. Her cable was loose so it was not working properly.
Moral of the story: When something is wrong and you feel there is an obvious reason for this take a step back and look at the whole picture and investigate. I was immediately thinking it was the neutral safety switch and was ready to start replacement and or removal. I learned my lessons.