Damn Key is Stuck!

[Focusedat50]

Yes it does come in handy, work that I can't do, don't have the tools or want to take the time to do he does for me at the dealership. They let him work on personal cars when he is off the clock so he works on my car at night. I drop off my car after work, drive his car home and he drives mine home when he's done. He does charge me but only $25 and hour and he does upgrades to the computer and such for no charge.

[ZTSDel]

I can't remember where, but it seems to me if I remember correctly, there is a TSB that talks about adding a washer to the wheel lock mechanism! Does anybody remember the TSB?

[whiteboyslo]

never had it not wanna come out, but i have had it be real finicky about turning it. not sure if it's related, but it seems to happen only when i park the car with the wheels turned. usually just requires turning the steering wheel and playing with it.

Mike

[Focusedat50]

OK, got a call from the dealership. They have had the car all day and it's still not done
They say that there are two modules one in the shift console that tells the other one in the steering column that the car is in park and it's ok to release the key. When they disconnect the one in the steering column the key pops out, hmmmmmmmmmmm.

Great I have two parts that aren't talking to one another for some unknown reason...I always had a sneaky feeling my car was a woman.

[bacosta]

yes i had the same problem my key got stuck and when I tried to twist the sterring wheel to get it out, the sterring wheel lock, so i let one of my buddies mess with it, somehow he got it working, but that same day i took it to the dealer.

[frogg5872]

The wheel does have a lock on it and thats whats happening to you s2. However, when it gets stuck and the wheel wont move you just hafta put all your force into it. Happened to me at a BAD TIME! I was leaving a party and slipped the clutch in front of an alley and stalled. The key wouldnt turn and i was stuck and some dude came flying at me. I jumped out of the car and thank god he stopped.

[Pa.Dutchman]

This has been a problem for some years with cars and locking steering columns.

We had it happen twice with GM cars. It is the lock companies flaw in design. A friend who is a lock smith gets calls all the time to fix cars at malls, homes, etc. He told us and so did our salesman, have as few other keys and things on the key ring for the ignition as possible. I now have a key ring that allows me to detach my ignition key completely when I drive. The weight of the key ring and other kings wears out the tumblers quicker and soon there you are stuck.

So again try to use a ring that allow you to detach as much weight off the key ring as possible. I know I am not the Rocket Scientist many of you are but this I got right from the horses mouth.

[Focusedat50]

It's not the locking steering wheel. You can start the car, drive it and stop, turn off the ignition just fine, it just won't let you take the key out. According to the dealer the car
doesn't realize it's in park and therefore won't release the key, something with communication between the module in the shift console and the steering column module.

Oh well, I get it back today. By the way pa. Dutchman I have heard that same idea about keeping your key ring weight to a minimum. I only have the inginition key on my key ring.

[Lil PZEV]

Glad to hear you got the car back... I had heard of this ignition problem but thought it was an earlier model issue, hopefully my 03 doesn't try the same stunt! My keyring's pretty light, during the summer it has the ignition key and my store discount cards/tags on it and during the school year it has them plus 2 small dorm keys... it's pretty light all year round.

[Focusedat50]

Don't have it back yet and as a matter of fact the dealership just called. They still haven't fixed the problem so now they are replacing the entire shifter ( the service manager told me "I hope that fixes the problem".........so do I!).

Right now I have the feeling they are just guessing, man what a royal PITA.