27th Jan 2007, 22:11

I have a 2001 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. I had the "ignition key will not turn problem" in December and again last week. It's lubrication issue. In December a mechanic advised an expensive repair of replacing the key cylinder. before going that route I tried lubricating the key cylinder with a number of products. The one that worked is called "2-26 electrical grade" by CRC. The ignition key did not turn last week despite trying for ahlf an hour. I found and sprayed the "2-26" into the ignition key hole and the key is now turning freely.

9th Feb 2007, 18:07

The same thing happened to me yesterday on my '99 Grand Cherokee. The ignition key would not turn. Tapping the end of the key with a hammer while jiggling and turning worked as a temp fix.

The dealer quoted me over $200 - that is CRIMINAL! An Auto Locksmith Service quoted me $125 plus parts - better, but still expensive.

I'm not a mechanic. In fact I disdain working on cars. But to save money, today I took off the steering column cover as described in a previous comment (one phillips screw underneath the steering column) and took out the ignition key tumbler. It's really easy if you can get the key to turn. On the underside of the tumbler there is a square spring loaded "button" that holds the tumbler in. Once the key is turned part way, just press the button and the key will pull out with the tumbler attached. This whole procedure took under 10 minutes.

Since I only had access to one vehicle, I put the tumbler back in and drove to a locksmith. Then I took the tumbler out again in the parking lot. The locksmith (All-Safe Locksmith in Sacramento, CA) rebuilt my ignition tumbler in about 5 minutes. He charged me $8. That's right EIGHT DOLLARS!

I asked the locksmith what causes this problem. He said "bad design."

If anyone else is having the same problem, I'm happy to help if I can. You can email me at Caleb5505@yahoo.com.

11th Feb 2007, 18:19

I just wanted to thank you guys on the ignition switch tip (removal). It worked great. I got the switch out and it turns freely, so I may have other problems. Dave 2/11/07. 2001 cherokee sport

11th Feb 2007, 18:42

RE: Advice from 12/11/06

Thanks! You saved me a lot of money! My '99 Grand Cherokee key would not turn, even with the rubber hammer trick. Your directions were very helpful.

12th Feb 2007, 12:43

I am an owner of a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. Last night I could not turn my ignition; it was completely locked. I have had some problems in the past with this, but it was always fixed with a turning over of the key or a small jiggle. Not this time. To make matters worse, the steering wheel is locked as well. I tried that thing for about 30 minutes with my wife in the passenger seat giving me all sorts of great ideas to do. I had to leave it there in the parking lot and get a ride home. I will be back to try again today with this "pulling out the tumbler" method. If that doesn't work I will have to call a locksmith I guess. I want to avoid the dealership at all costs. I will let you all know what happens.

14th Feb 2007, 18:21

I have a 2000 Cherokee Sport. It has 102,000 miles. I have a high pitched squeal when I first start driving the Jeep for about the first 5 minutes. I am really stumped, I have replaced the left front wheel bearing, right front u-joint, cleaned out all the front brakes and replaced the backing plates, I also replaced the idler pulley because I installed a new belt and the next day I noticed the squeal. I have had my Jeep in the garage daily trying to solve this problem. It will not make the noise when I drive the Jeep when it is on the lift, in 2 or 4 wheel drive, and it will not squeal when idling. It only does it when it is first driven. Any ideas? Anyone experience this?

I do not have the shake you all mention, but I immediately replaced the steering damper when I bought the vehicle. I did have my passenger window regulator fail tho. I had to hold the window up with some heater hose and a pocket knife as a wedge.

I haven't been able to test my A/C because it is winter. I have dealt with many Cherokee A/C problems at my garage though.

28th Feb 2007, 10:16

I have had a lot of the same issues with my 2000 Jeep Cherokee Classic. Replacing the stabilizer bar fixed the highway wobbling. To work around the A/C squeal I just drive the Jeep a block before I switch the fan to high. Now I have a squeal in the front end that occurs once I get to about 15 mph. It is intermittent and is getting progressively worse/more consistent. I opened the window last night while driving (a big deal in Fargo in February) and you can hear the squeal well coming from the tire area. I know next to nothing about cars so would appreciate any help. Even if someone could give me some ideas about what it might be. The frequency gets higher as I accelerate and stops when I stop moving. It is unaffected by switching it in to 4WD. I know it's not the brakes because we had non-Jeep pads put on and they squeak terribly too to a different tune. I'm due for a tire rotation so maybe that will identify whether it is tire related. Please email me at ajkugel@gmail.com for ideas. Thank you very much.

7th Mar 2007, 16:06

I have gotten closer to solving the squeal, but still not quite yet. We've had extreme temperature changes here on Cape Cod and when it is warm (50 or above) there is barely any squeal to none at all. Today where it is about 0 it is non stop and extremely loud. I'm guessing it could be the front driveshaft, possibly the CV joint. It doesn't make sense why that would wear out. I might drop that driveshaft and drive the vehicle around to see if the squeal is still there. I've heard other Jeep owners complain of a squeal from the front driveshaft. Any comments or help is greatly appreciated.

7th Mar 2007, 19:29

To 28 February and 7 March:

The squeal that you are describing sounds very much like a worn fan belt (or serpentine belt). This would make sense if it's worse when it's cold, and when you accelerate. Belts are stiffer in the cold, and the power steering pump would tend to drag until it warms up.

Before you spend hundreds of dollars on bearings, simply check the belts. Are the surfaces that mate with the sides of the pulley shiny and glazed? Is the belt loose? From where it rests naturally between adjacent pulleys, can you move the belt more than an inch up and down? Do you hear the squealing when you turn the steering wheel sharply, especially when the tires meet resistance? If so, you probably need a $7 fan belt.