Updated at: 01-06-2022 - By: Lucas

Getting behind the wheel and finding that the steering wheel is locked is one of the most frustrating things that can happen. If your steering wheel is locked, you won’t be able to start or move your car. This is the last thing you want to deal with when you’re in a hurry.

But how are you supposed to get the steering wheel unlocked? Because jamming the key in and moving things around might work in the end, but it’s very frustrating and can take a long time.

The good news is that it’s easy to unlock your steering wheel, as long as everything is working right. We’ll break this up into two parts: the first is for cars with keys, and the second is for cars without keys.

Unlocking a Steering Wheel With Keyed Ignition

How To Unlock Steering Wheel-1

If you know how you turned or pulled the steering wheel to lock it, you’ll know how to unlock it. If you can’t remember how you locked the steering wheel, just try each of the four possibilities.

Each car is different, so you might need to try turning the steering wheel to the right or left, or you might need to push up or down on the steering wheel.

Turn the key in the ignition while keeping pressure in the right direction. If you need to, jiggle it around a bit. That’s all you need to do. The steering wheel should now be unlocked, and your car should start.

Unlocking a Steering Wheel With Keyless Ignition

When you have a keyless ignition, you don’t have an ignition to jiggle the keys in. This makes it a little different to get the steering wheel unlocked. But in a lot of ways, it’s the same.

First, you’ll need to put pressure on the steering wheel in the right direction. This means turning the steering wheel left or right or pushing it up or down. If you remember how you locked the steering wheel before, you’ll need to do it the same way again. If you’re not sure, try all the different ways until you find the one that works.

From there, press the start button without stepping on the brake. This should turn your car on in accessory mode, which should unlock your steering wheel. Once the steering wheel is unlocked, all you have to do to start the car is press the brake and turn the key again.

Why You Can Lock a Steering Wheel

How To Unlock The Steering Wheel Without The Key

When you can’t get your steering wheel unlocked, it’s natural to wonder why it locks in the first place. In reality, it’s a way to prevent theft, and if you know what you’re doing, you can lock your steering wheel on purpose or keep it from doing so.

After turning off the engine and taking the key out, all you have to do to lock the steering wheel is turn it to the right or left. When you hear a click, you know the steering wheel is locked.

When you lock the steering wheel, thieves won’t be able to get in the car because they won’t be able to unlock the steering wheel without the key.

If you’re in a bind and don’t have the key and are trying to figure out how to unlock the How To Unlock a Steering Wheel Without the Key

steering wheel, you’re out of luck. The steering wheel lock is there to keep you from being able to unlock the wheel without a key.

But if you need to open it and don’t have a key, you’ll have to take the whole steering column apart. It’s not easy and takes a lot of time, but that’s how it’s supposed to be so a thief can’t steal your car.

Final Tips

We’ve all been there, and it’s easy to get frustrated, but shoving things around won’t solve the problem and can make things worse.

Remember that you shouldn’t have to use a lot of force to unlock your steering wheel, and trying to force things into place can break parts. Also, don’t try to help by spraying something into the ignition or steering column.

Spraying things into the steering wheel or ignition won’t help, and it could cause damage. Lastly, if you think your steering wheel lock is broken, it’s time to have a pro look at it.

If not, you’ll have to take the whole steering column apart to figure out what’s wrong. It could be a problem with the key or with the locks.