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The common tumblr will not turn to the off position.... Slightly confused

C

chevy350

New member
I have a 2002 grand prix I have read around the site and got great information. I just want to be clear, For every 10 times I shut my car off maybe 4 of of 10 times the key will not turn back allowing me to remove the key. I know that when it does this it's in park. But I don't hear the clicking at the dashboard, that's how I know It's not going to release. I'll usually keep going into different gears playing around with it until it clicks at the dash and the key will come out.

This has already costed me a few minutes of running late...I now know about the hole at the bottom of the column that will release the tumblr.


My question is what causes this , the ignition switch or the gear shift wires....I have read around that they may need to be cleaned or checked for bad connections/wires?
 


look under the colum, there will be a cover pop off and the button in there will relase it. usally ignition going bad
 
Question is, is it the lock cylinder itself or is it the case with the sensor and junk in it that won't let it go back?

I ask because I have rebuild my old cylinder and it didn't help any. Being a 99 the cylinder/case is alot more. Mine only does it every once in a while, never has made me late for anything important tho. Still would like to fix it, just don't want to throw $100+ at it just to find out it still does it.
 
case??? Ill use some compressed air in and around the cylinder to see if that helps.. I figured it had something to do with the shifter, because I dont hear the click at the dashboard all the time when I put the car in park. Well there all tied in together so ..Its all possible.
 


Quick fix. crumple up something like a piece of paper and stuff it in there to keep the cylinder released all the time, or pull the column apart and remove the locking part.
 
BillBoost37 said:
Quick fix. crumple up something like a piece of paper and stuff it in there to keep the cylinder released all the time, or pull the column apart and remove the locking part.
Click to expand...

Good idea.....Will this cause any safety issues or something I have to make sure I do.. if I go with this method?

matt5112 said:
Best solution is remove park lock solenoid. The steering lock will still be functional.
Click to expand...

Thanks....
 
Last edited:
Just found this info also


The center console shifter will affect whether you can get key release so check that out too. Associated with the BTSI (brake transmission shift interlock). First it has to be in PARK. With ignition to ON, foot on brake pedal and shifter in PARK what happens when you hit the button on the top of the shifter knob. You should hear the key release solenoid at the steering column click/clunk. If it does that then you could have a bad key release solenoid or even a bad key cylinder. If it doesn't do that then the issue is back at the shifter assembly.
 


Kind of like what Bill suggested, I was having the same problem so I pulled off the cover to the steering column, and used a zip tie to hold the plunger down.

The only safety issue you're looking at here is that the key can now be removed when the car is not in park. Ignition still has to be in the off position so that's not a problem.
 
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