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Can't remove key

G

GrandPrixlbc

New member
Hey fellas, how is everyone? :th_sick1:



Ok, so I got the fuel pump replace last month, and so far everything has been great with that.

I decided to take the wuss route, and paid my mechanic 100 bucks to do the work, but all in all I saved 350 dollars.

I didn't want to mess around, and blow something up, and since I have very little experience fixing cars, I figured it was worth it to just save myself the time and energy, and spend the money, and have peace of mind that the job would be done without any mistakes.



So anyways, check this out, now for some reason, I cannot remove the key from the ignition.

It started several months ago being a minor problem, but has gotten progressively worse.

I showed the problem to my mechanic a few weeks ago, and he suggested that I just need to press the brake when I put the car in park, and that triggers it..... but while that works somewhat, many times it doesn't.


Now it's to the point, that when I drive anywhere, it takes my about 5 minutes to get the key out.

I try shifting and pushing the brake pedal down.... heck I even try turning the lights on and off, just to trigger something in the electrical system, cause I'm figuring the problem lies there somewhere.



Anyways, do you guys have any experience with THIS problem, in a 2003 Grand Prix? :th_scratchhead:


thanks in advance,
LBC
 


First things that come to mind are shift interlock or possibly a power issue. I cannot recall if the ignition switch going bad would cause or not but I know for fact that a loss of power will.
 
Hmmmm, well the car starts, but it DOES often times take a few tries. I wonder if that means a problem with the ignition switch..............


And I don't know if having a stereo amp hooked up to the battery might cause problems, but I DO have two amps, along with a capacitor, in the trunk.
 
Until you get it fixed, it's most likely something in the ignition switch, here is a way to get your key out in less than five mins.

Look under your steering column.
P8010047.jpg


You'll see this little spot

Remove the cover

P8010048.jpg


P8010049.jpg


Insert something small and long and it releases the key, great for when you move the car without a battery and other stuff.
 


Thanks Preotic.


Assuming it IS the ignition switch, how much should it run me to replace?


And should I go to MORAD to get a used one?
 
I'm just assuming it's the ignition switch. My buddy has this problem too, he just carries something suitable for sticking in that little hole and he uses it everytime he removes his key, it's like scratching your balls after awhile. You don't even notice yourself doing it.
 
Wow, well if I can just do that and it doesn't cause any damage, then hell yeah I'll do that and save money!


But dag, seems to me that these Pontiacs have some defects due to poor design/worksmanship.

I won't re-buy one.
 
This is copied from our local boards. I did it to mine. You can get a replacement if you want peace of mind. I left mine out, but you do so at your own risk. If you leave it out, you can turn off the car and remove the key in any gear selection. This means your car may not be where you parked it if you don't make sure you're always in park. I've never even come close to even accidentally removing it in anything but park, but just so you know.

What the part looks like.

DSC09480.jpg


How to fix it:

If you take the bottom cover off of the steering column you can get to it rather easy and remove the solenoid.

1) tilt wheel all the way up and remove tilt wheel lever.... just pull, it comes out rather easy

2) take out screws in bottom steering column cover.... torx bit

3) pull off cover. you will have to tilt it a little to clear the rear clips.

4) remove screw(s) holding in solenoid.... very small nut driver or pliers will do the trick. It also clips in at the top. You can pry it loose with a slotted screwdriver once the screw is out.

5) unplug wires to solenoid and discard solenoid into nearest trash can and save money for beer after job is complete

6) reverse order to reassemble column

7) use money saved from step 5 and go have a few beers
Click to expand...
 
So basically what you're sayin, is that I can just remove this piece of ****, and solve the entire problem, and the only downside, is the potential of the key being removed while it's not in park?

Would it also be possible, for the key to be pulled out, while the car is in Drive, and driving down the street?

I mean, would a crazy passenger be able to pull the key out, while we're driving down the street, and then I'd have no control over the car (other than brake)?


I hate to sound like an idiot, but I pretty much am, or at least a beginner, when it comes to cars.


I tried the earlier suggestion of using a tool to trip the switch, to remove the key......

I used the inner tube of a pen, and it did the trick at first, but now I'm spending a good deal of time fishing around, trying to trip it, to get the key out, and this is EXTREMELY frustrating, when you arrive at a destination, and have to play the game of "let's fish for the key".


This morning, I left the tube inside of it, and it seems as tho by doing that, I can insert and remove the key at will................

I'm wondering if I can just tape the pen tube inside of it, and then basically have the same effect as removing the thing?



thanks very much for your help!!! :o
 


Ok, I see now that it's highly dangerous to take out the ignition switch, cause with the pen tube I inserted inside it, to where I can take it out anytime, the key can be turned off or pulled out, in the middle of driving down the road.....

so the car goes dead, and the steering locks.



Luckily, I tried this in a parking lot. :eek:




So either I need to find a way to easily trigger the key to come out, or I need to replace the thing.

Can anyone give me a ballpark figure as to how much it should cost me, to replace it?

I wouldn't mind to keep using a tube of some sort, to make the key come out, but it doesn't seem very easy.

When I try doing this, I've been caught up in a fishing expedition, and a couple times it took me almost 5 minutes to remove the key. :th_shakinghead1:
 
i was working on this kids 00 GP GT running a power wire to the battery, his key was stuck in the ignition and all i did was disconnect the battery and reconect it for the power wire, and the key came out, weird
 
I had this same problem and my fix was to pull the pin that plugs the hole and insert a q-tip in the end of it, then re-inserting the plug and the q-tip is always pressing on the release pin and I dont have to worry about sticking something in the hole to release my key everytime. I have had it like this for over a year.
 
Berger said:
I had this same problem and my fix was to pull the pin that plugs the hole and insert a q-tip in the end of it, then re-inserting the plug and the q-tip is always pressing on the release pin and I dont have to worry about sticking something in the hole to release my key everytime. I have had it like this for over a year.
Click to expand...


the problem I see with this is that now, when you're driving down the freeway, if somehow that key gets turned, your car will instantly shut off, and the steering will lock.

That is a disaster waiting to happen.
 


its you nuetral safety switch. disconnect it and the car will be fine. the only thing its affects is the light in the gaugu cluster that tells you the gear your in, and the doors unlocking when you put it in park. everything else stays the same
 
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