Ok, another probably stupid question--On the girlfriend's car (2000 Olds Alero 2.2) it is very difficult to get the key to turn in the ignition to turn the car on unless you wiggle it back and forth, and sometimes turn the wheel as well. It has been doing this for some time. Today, at one point the key would not turn all the way off, so it wouldn't come out of the ignition and was draining the battery (eventually I gave up and drove it home, at which point it relinquished the key and turned off.)

This means the ignition cylinder needs to be replaced, right? I remember this happened on an Escort my family has when I was younger and I think that was the fix. Or is something else more likely on a modern vehicle?

12/29/2008 10:10:32 PM

the key could be worn the hell out.

either way. its either the key or the cyl. you might be in for a lot of $$ if its got immobilizer and what not it might be more than just the ignition cyl and key, you'll need ECU and components. but thats if its got the immobilizer

12/29/2008 11:35:02 PM

On my Grand Prix I couldn't turn it back past the second position, so I had to use the manual release button recessed underneath the steering wheel. Did it that way for two years. Olds might have one.

12/30/2008 12:37:26 AM

^^The immobilizer is with the key with the microchip, isn't it? Pretty sure it's not one of those.

12/30/2008 1:52:19 AM

^^ you idiot

^^^ no


It is a bad ignition lock cylinder. Common, and easy to change. Go ahead and do it now before it jams and you have to drill it out.

[Edited on December 30, 2008 at 8:34 AM. Reason : A locksmith can key the new cylinder to the current key.]

12/30/2008 8:34:26 AM

^ Do you have an alternate zero $ solution?

12/30/2008 10:08:29 AM

No, your problem was 100% user error/stupidity.

12/30/2008 10:37:09 AM

^ I see. Every other car I've ever turned off allows the key to be turned backwards to the position that you can take the key out. One day, the Pontiac stopped doing that, and I could no longer get the key out, no matter what I tried. So I looked in my Haynes manual and read about this manual key release switch under the wheel. Press that button, and you can turn the key all the way back to the release position.

Not wanting to purchase a new cylinder, I lived with that. Was no big deal. And I didn't do anything to cause the cylinder to suddenly start acting that way. I learned later on that this was a common problem in the Grand Prix due to a certain part failing.

Thanks for trolling tho. You seem to have a bad habit of making stupid remarks.

[Edited on December 30, 2008 at 11:40 AM. Reason : ]

12/30/2008 11:39:36 AM

^ was it by any chance a manual transmission?

12/30/2008 4:48:10 PM

the pontaicts and olds have passlock 3 there are little contacts in the ignition that kinda read some resistance of the key, they wear out.

You have to either buy a new lock or bypass it by reading the resistance and then cutting a wire.

http://www.grandamgt.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1043378

nm need to read the op

[Edited on December 30, 2008 at 7:46 PM. Reason : dd]

12/30/2008 7:40:58 PM

^^ no

12/30/2008 8:16:10 PM