Steering won't unlock, car won't start!

[RenaissanceMan]

Car is a '95 525i Touring... Steering will not come out of lock when turning the key to the start position. To add insult to injury, turning the key to the full clockwise start/ignition position does not even result in the car starting. To be more specific, in the ignition switch, there is no 'spring-resistance portion' anymore where the starter would normally engage... not sure if I'm explaining well-enough, but the key just turns all the way to the ignition position now with no resistance, whatsoever, so that it never even engages the starter switch. I also am not able to get the car out of park, as it seems to be locked synonymously with the ignition switch.

FWIW, over the last few weeks I have noticed that when turning the car off the ignition switch would occasionally 'stick' in position and think that the key was still in the switch even after I had removed it. Simply putting the key back in the switch and turning it on and then off again would fix this, but I suspect that this problem is somehow related.

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks-

[whiskychaser]

AFIK there is no spring in the lock barrel - its in the ignition switch. Sounds like you 'just' need a new switch as it doesnt sound like its making the proper contacts

[RenaissanceMan]

Thanks for the replies. The problem was that the shaft in the interlock steering lock had broken, and that was causing my problem. I replaced the interlock steering lock assembly and all was well in the world again.