My wife was picking up our child from day camp today when I get a call that she can't start the car. She even used FaceTime and showed it to me, and I try to tell her to play around with it. It won't start nor get into neutral or drive. Then later on I figure it's got to be the steering wheel ignition lock, since this is a traditional key on the column. I parked it on the way, call her, and tell her to turn the wheel and she says she still can't start it.
So I get there, but only after looking around in three different parking lots until I figure that it's not a lot per se, and she actually parked quite a bit away from the drop-off/pickup point. But the parking spaces are in need of repair with some potholes. The front tires are lined up straight, but with one sitting on a pothole which likely put pressure against the steering mechanism. So I go right there, crank the steering wheel a tiny bit to the left, and start it immediately. She's amazed because she spend time trying to figure it out and couldn't.
Sometimes I wonder. This is one of the most basic things for anyone to try, and I even tried to explain it simply to turn the steering wheel before starting. But I had to be there in person to show what to do, and it ate up about an hour of my time getting there and back along with looking for where she parked.
So I get there, but only after looking around in three different parking lots until I figure that it's not a lot per se, and she actually parked quite a bit away from the drop-off/pickup point. But the parking spaces are in need of repair with some potholes. The front tires are lined up straight, but with one sitting on a pothole which likely put pressure against the steering mechanism. So I go right there, crank the steering wheel a tiny bit to the left, and start it immediately. She's amazed because she spend time trying to figure it out and couldn't.
Sometimes I wonder. This is one of the most basic things for anyone to try, and I even tried to explain it simply to turn the steering wheel before starting. But I had to be there in person to show what to do, and it ate up about an hour of my time getting there and back along with looking for where she parked.