In this article we’re going to concentrate on a problem that may seem superficial to many of you, but has happened to a lot of new drivers! In fact, we are going to focus on the subject of a steering wheel locked on my Kia Optima, and what you can do if you find yourself in this scenario? It may seem obvious, but when you don’t know the cars in detail, finding yourself struggling with the steering wheel of your blocked Kia Optima can be disturbing. In this article, we will first try to show you why the steering wheel of your car is blocked, and additionally, how to unlock the steering wheel of your Kia Optima.

steering-wheel-locked kia-optima

Why is the steering wheel of my Kia Optima locked?

So let’s start our content page with the source of the issue you are being confronted with. Being confronted with a steering wheel stuck on your Kia Optima doesn’t mean that your car’s neiman is stuck or busted, nor does it automatically suggest that you’ll have to fix your car key or cylinder. Luckily for you, it’s just a safety element. Even so, if no one has explained to you how this car anti-theft system works, you can’t invent it. The role of this device is to lock the steering and as a result the steering wheel of your Kia Optima, so a possible thief, regardless if he manages to turn on your car, will not be able to change its direction and as a result to drive it freely with your Kia Optima. This system works basically, once you have taken off the key from the cylinder of your car, if you move the steering wheel, it will lock thanks to a tongue that will be placed between the sprockets of your steering column. This simple car anti-theft system stops a good number of car thefts, remember to activate it all the time you get out of your car.

How do I unlock the steering wheel of my Kia Optima?

Now that we’ve found out why your steering wheel is locked, we’re going to check out the question that you’re almost certainly most serious about, how to unlock the steering wheel of your Kia Optima? You’re almost certainly at home and want to go to work, so it’s time to discover the solution to your issue. There are 3 techniques to unlock the steering wheel of your car:

  • Disable the anti-theft system of your Kia Optima?:
    This is the least difficult process and will certainly be the answer to your issue. To achieve this, you just have to place the key into the ignition cylinder of your car, then try to turn it, it should then normally be blocked (do not think twice to consult our article content which solves the problem of a key blocked on aKia Optima), to unlock the steering wheel of your Kia Optima you will have to make it turn in the mean time as you try to turn the key in the Neiman. The steering wheel should be locked but at least in one way you should have a little bit of play which should enable you to do this micro rotation and as a result fix your steering wheel locked issue on your Kia Optima.
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  • Unscrew the barrel on your Kia Optima:
    The second probability is that if you have not been able to handle the locked steering wheel of your Kia Optima using the usual process, you can be being confronted with another issue and it is not your steering wheel lock system that is responsible. It can be that your cylinder has gripped up as time goes by. To unlock it you will have to apply a spray, like the WD40 for example and spray the interior of the barrel, let it perform for a short while before attempting to unlock your steering wheel again. Be aware that if it works you will have to think about buying and swapping the barrel of your car because eventually it will happen again.
  • Change the lock cylinder of your Kia Optima:
    Finally, last probability, if in spite of having tried to unblock your cylinder, there is nothing to do, your steering wheel is still locked because your key does not want to turn, you just have to swap the ignition switch of your Kia Optima. This operation is not very complex if you have some fundamentals in mechanics. You will simply have to watch out to buy a model appropriate with your Kia Optima. In any other case go to your auto technician who will be able to do this operation for you.

If you wish more tutorials on the Kia Optima, go to our Kia Optima category.