[ddmd]

Hi All,
I've had a '97 Polo w/ 50K miles and fixable front end damage for a while. My daughter's '97 Honda Accord was recently rear ended so, it I'm fixing up the '97 to get her into a safer car. I charged the battery and it started right up, but I can't remove the key from the ignition. That is, it won't move from the ACC to the LOCK position for removal, despite jiggling the key and manipulating the steering wheel and shifter. I can remove it with the manual pin under the steering column. I've read posts about the role of the key interlock system, the
interlock solenoid, and the shift Lock Unit involvement, but I'm stuck at removing the last steering column cover, the bottom one that wraps around the ignition barrel. Any tips on how to remove it without breaking it?