Okay..so we just bought this 2000 protege ES yesterday. It has ignition issues that I can't seem to make sense of. I was about 99% sure it was the key cylinder, but now I'm not even sure about that. Anyway.

So..essentially, you turn the key to start it, and nothing happens. My GF and the PO were able to get it started randomly jiggling and twisting and hopping in the seat. Neat. So..I unhoused the ignition switch, turn that manually with a screw driver, it starts up every time, no problem. So..I can eliminate pretty much everything else, because it starts no problem with the ignition key being turned. Now..I've narrowed it down to the key cylinder not turning far enough to fully engage the ignition switch. So if you're familiar with the key cylinder, it rotates until it hits the last stage, where you have to push inward, to access the last tiny bit of turn, which should start the car. Well..as far as I can tell, when the key cylinder is in place, there is a gap in the ignition housing, that dips from like 1 o clock to 2 oclock, which allows a tab on the key cylinder to push in..but, it slopes back up, preventing that, as you turn the key forward..effectively making it impossible for the key to fully start, because you can't push the key cylinder inward at the start position, to continue the furthest rotation, that is constricted by the tab.

So here's a video I made before I fully made that determination.
So if you look at 4:20, you can maybe see the gap in the housing I'm talking about..from 1-2o clock, it dips..so you can push the key in, against the ignition linkage, up against the spring in there. However, after 2 oclock, it slopes back up, before you reach the part of the rotation necessary to start the the car. If you pause/unpause at video 4:40, you can see about a centimeter tab..that's what fits into 1-2oclock, but it doesn't allow for rotation. I don't know how this car ever started with this design, unless there's something I'm missing.

I took the linkage out, and put the cylinder in..and confirmed with no linkage, that you can't push the key inward to get to the further lockout point of the ignition..which is what it takes to start the car. I'm so confused..I really can't find any information about these cars anywhere, and hoping someone might be able to shed some light on this. We just bought this car, and I'm not looking forward to only being able to start it by cranking the ignition switch with a screw driver..

 

Buy a new ignition barrel.

 

So i bought my Mazda Protege about a year ago from a girlfriend of mine and she showed me how to start it will click twice and the nrxt click is.done fast....aftse the second click the next click was the click that was going to start the vehicle... it was a quick fast turn rather than the traditional turn your key type of way ....you have to literally let it click twice first...you'll feel the first quick by going slow then feel the next click.m...now thats the second... And then the last click is going to be the one that starts the car if it's done fast enough. I use my thumb on the bottom of the key and my first finger on the top similiar to a snap likr motion u would do...exceot to snao u use ur middle finger....make sense? She says its a security feature but i say its broke lol