What kind of device is used to lock the key into the ignition switch?
My daughters 1995 4Runner 6 cylinder automatic trans. decided out of the blue to not give up the ignition key upon shutting off the ignition.
The switch will turn about 1/2 way to the full off/lock position, and then stop there, not letting the key loose.
The engine shuts off, but the key is trapped.
I know that it is electrical in nature, as I disconnected the battery, and the ign. sw. will then go to full off position and release the key.
Hook the batt. back up and we are once again trapped.
It makes no diff. what gear the shifter is indicating.
It makes no diff. whether the engine is running or stopped when the switch sequence is initiated.
Can someone point me in the right direction?
Art.

 

The neutral safety system works. The only positions the starter will work is P, and N, no others

 

My guess is the shift lock control switch is not working (broken), or is not getting actuated by the shifter. http://web.archive.org/web/201408160...55shiftloc.pdf Get out the ol' multimeter!

(of course, it could be a mechanical problem in the column. I'd start with the FSM diagnostics given above.)

 

damn I wish my key locked in always falls out whenever I go over a speed bump lol.

 

Scope:
Thank you!!
The V.O.M. is our friend.
Many ohms, or Zero ohms, both are clues.
Another ongoing condition with the Runner, that I overlooked, was that the shifter lock had never worked as it should.
The brake pedal never had to be depressed to move the shifter out of the park position.
It had been like that for years.
A workaround with a wiring change has been temporarily put into place.
An OEM perm. fix will be applied shortly.
Art

 

Didn't need to do a wiring change. Just pull the cig. fuse in the lower left kick panel fuse box.