Had trouble starting recently due to a slow crank on a low battery. Got going eventually and all was ok.
Today I think I found the reason as I was able to remove the 36 year old key without pressing the key button release on the column, thus maintaining the aux circuits in position 1 energised.
Sneaky car!
Low Batt - one to watch
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- Hawaiis0
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Low Batt - one to watch
Nothing is fool proof. Fools are clever!
- Alan_M
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Re: Low Batt - one to watch
I could do that trick with mine too. Then one day I couldn’t get the key out
. Lots of wiggling and eventually after about 2 hours it was out.
I got my spare new ignition key barrel out to swap it and then realised the key has to be in the lock to remove the barrel - about another 2 hours to get the key in and turn.
I got my spare new ignition key barrel out to swap it and then realised the key has to be in the lock to remove the barrel - about another 2 hours to get the key in and turn.
- rbgosling
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Re: Low Batt - one to watch
My key has happily been able to slide in and out of the barrel at any position since I bought it - at the time 22 years / 125k miles old.
Whenever I take it to a garage for MOT / tyres the mechanic always takes the key back to the ACC position then removes it, even when I try to explain about the little button.
Whenever I take it to a garage for MOT / tyres the mechanic always takes the key back to the ACC position then removes it, even when I try to explain about the little button.
"Farmer" Richard
1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
1990 Lotus Excel SE (Lilith)
2022 MG MG5 EV (not due to be a classic for quite a few years...)
- barker_001
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Re: Low Batt - one to watch
Mine too. You can tell 'em until you're blue in the face but they still do it...rbgosling wrote: ↑Mon Aug 29, 2022 10:15My key has happily been able to slide in and out of the barrel at any position since I bought it - at the time 22 years / 125k miles old.
Whenever I take it to a garage for MOT / tyres the mechanic always takes the key back to the ACC position then removes it, even when I try to explain about the little button.

Bryan
1990 Excel SE
"Look, there's a Ferrari..."
1990 Excel SE
"Look, there's a Ferrari..."