Steering Lock

[jono165]

I picked up my donor LWB vitara today from pickles. However it didnt come with keys. I managed to hotwire it so it starts and drives and the auto seems fine, has a slight rattle which im hoping is just the tappets or something else simple, if not a bare engine is cheap from the wreckers. I couldnt work out how to bypass the steering lock so that I can take it for a drive around my mates paddock before I tear it apart.

Has anyone managed to bypass this, I'm happy to destroy the column if I need to, I couldnt force the barrel to turn, its obviously all tamper proofed. I'm just going to put the vitara combination switch on my sierra column and use the entire vitara loom. It would be nice to be able to go for a little drive around the paddock.

[christover1]

Turn corners with the hand brake obviously

I did manage to brake a Moke steering lock with just brute force.
(My keys were in a mates car, and his car got nicked.

But an angle grinder could do it.

[jono165]

Haha fiddle brakes

I might just pop a barrel out of the door and go get a key cut to match from a locksmith. Thought there might have been an easier way without spending money, but the grinder is looking like a good option.

[christover1]

May be best not to test drive it anyway,

or you could see how good Vits are and lose interest in Sierras

A key is wise, makes the steering column more sellable.

[christover1]

Check around, keys are often secreted in the car by sellers, saves losing them.
Look under carpets, and other places.

[jono165]

I don't think there's any chance of that happening. I did have a dig through the interior thinking they might be around and couldn't find the keys. All I found was some spare change.

if I can get it to work with a key ill probably swap my sierra barrel into it so that it is keyed alike with my sierra locks and just use the whole vitara column. You need to be able to turn the ignition to get the barrel out. And then I get tilt adjust in my sierra.

[Matthew]

Bump key?

Could you put a "club lock" on the wheel, an extension, and then brute force?

[christover1]

I have a spare tilt column with key if you want/need it

[jono165]

That bump key idea looks interesting (just google it) and I like the club lock idea too. Ill give them all a try and report back.

Thanks Chris I'll let you know if I need to borrow it. Did you want to PM me a list of spares you might want when I pull it apart? (I'm keeping the engine, gearbox, diffs, brakes and wiring)

[Greg]

Put it on jackstands and drive it with the wheels off the ground.

There won't be any load, but it will rev and change gears etc if that's all you're trying to test.