After 10 years and 120,000 miles an ignition key or lock can get a bit worn. The first time you insert the key but it refuses to turn gets the heart racing a little faster, especially when you're miles from home. Here we show how to tackle a real pain of a job.

It should be easy, remove the plastic shroud, disconnect the wires, undo two bolts remove module and replace. BUT - and its a very big but - that's before you realise that the bolts holding the ignition module to the steering column are shear bolts. That means you tighten them up and the heads break off. It's supposedly for security as it prevents the scallies removing your ignition  to make off with your motor. But you're  not a scally, you NEED to get the bolts undone.

After making a couple of phone calls and hearing the far-too-familiar sucking of air through teeth (do mechanics take classes in how to do this??!!) We decided to tackle it ourselves.

One mechanic said he usually chiseled them off, another said he patiently tapped them undone with a hammer and screwdriver (presumably as he had a free 5 hours to spare!) another said 'just drill them off' easy to say, not so easy to do.

A trip to the local DIY store was on the cards to see if anything they had could be used to remove the bolts. We couldn't drill or saw them as the access was limited and we didn't fancy removing the rest of the dashboard, then I noticed something that immediately lit up that imaginary lightbulb above your head.

It was perfect! It was a tool I already had, although it had sat in the shed for the past 12 years, unused and unloved. The relic of a well meant christmas gift that you struggle to raise a smile for.

The DREMEL multi-tool !

Not much bigger than a screwdriver, a variety of cutting and grinding discs, perfect for what we needed.

So we set to work confident that an expensive job was not a quick and simple task. And it was . . . until we hit the final snag that provoked a reaction that can only be described as a cross between fury and pathetic crying . . .

Tools Required:
Apart from the Dremel you just need a couple of screwdrivers and a 10mm spanner for this job

Parts Required:
The ignition module comes as a single part with all the necessary wiring , connections and mounting bracket. We cannot give the part numbers here as, in true Land Rover fashion, there are more than one so it would be safer to contact your parts supplier.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Automatic vehicles (like our Discovery) use a different ignition module to Manual versions, so don't be tempted to get that cheap unit off Ebay unless you KNOW it's the correct part number, we had quite a difficult search locating the correct AUTO version.

	First undo the two plastic clips or screws that hold the lower shroud in place
	Then using a cross-head screwdriver undo and remove the three screws holding the steering column shroud in place
	This will reveal the wiring and ignition module
	Pull off the plastic surround from the ignition. RETAIN these as you will fit them to your new ignition
	The whole ignition module is now clearly visible. The loom is held in place with a couple of zip-ties, these need to be removed.
	Then there are three connectors to separate or undo
	You may need to follow the wiring loom to find the connectors, they can be well hidden amongst all the other wiring under the dashboard.
	One large connector at the back and one plug connects to the fuse board.
	This one separates easily
	This plug was determined to hold on to the fuse board no matter what we tried! eventually we pursuaded the little tabs to release the plug.
	These are the shear bolt heads mentioned earlier. When the bolts are tightened the heads break off leaving a smooth surface that cannot be gripped.
	Using our handy Dremel we first tried to cut a slot into the heads to give something for a flat-head screwdriver something to attack but the angle was too restrictive and we decided to cut the whole head off instead. (it took approx 20 minutes and many cutting wheels!) Note the yellow paddingjust above the dremel, this was a wet sponge as cutting the bolts produced a lot of sparks which we thought was not very good with all that wiring in the vicinity.
	Undo the clamp on the new ignition module
	Offer up to the underside of the steering column (there are handy locating pins to ensure you get the correct position) then insert the new bolts.
	Tighten up using a 10mm spanner
	When they are fully tight the head breaks away
	Leaving a neat installation that is secure as the original module. Now you just need to reconnect the wires and replace the trim under the dash.
	This is where we started to cry! We had spent so long trying to figure out how we were going to remove the shear bolts we failed to check we had the correct ignition module. The black plug is the original, the white one is the new part. There ain't no way they're going to get along!! Eventually we decided to leave the new module on and replace the plugs which took a bit of detective work finding out which wires went where. The colours were broadly similar but not identical between the new and old. Extra hassle we could have done without!
	When everything is fitted and all the wires reconnected you may see the following warning light on the dash (a red car with a key symbol) This indicates that the vehicle has been immobilised as the ignition has been tampered with. You will need to take the key out, get out of the vehicle and activate the alarm. When you then deactivate it the immobiliser will also be deactivated.

If everything goes swimmingly, and you have all the correct tools and parts this is a relatively quick and easy job. When you don't have the correct tools nd the wrong parts (!!) it can quickly turn into a weekend's work.