OK, now I am stumped completely. Any help is much appreciated!
I recently bought a one owner extremely clean 2008 base automatic, less than 25K miles, and love it.
I had it to a dealer last week to have it gone over and to have it serviced fresh, and it checked out great. I drove it on Sunday, all was well.
I went out this morning, and it is completely dead, the ignition key will not come out of the ignition. When I first tried to turn it over, the lights on the dash came on, then complete darkness. The CARFAX on the car lists a new battery about four months ago.
I was recommended to a local mechanic, stopped in to make arrangements to have it looked at, he said to ensure it was all the way in park, and the key should come out. Still no luck. AND, I cannot move the shift at all either.
So, it is in my garage, ignition key in and locked, and I cannot get it out of Park, and I dare not try and make tow arrangements for it like this.
Any ideas anyone??
Check the battery state of charge. Check the cables for corrosion.
Put known good power to the positive terminal on the under hood fuse box and to the negative post on the battery. See if this allows you to move the shifter or the key.
It is possible that the ignition lock recall has not been applied to the car. The ignition lock can fail by jamming the key. It can be jammed while in the ignition which prevents turning the key or removing it, or it can be jammed while the key is out of the ignition in which case you cant get the key into the ignition.
The shift mechanism includes a safety lockout that prevents starting the car unless it is in park. It is electro mechanical. If the power is not available, it will stay locked into its current position.
A good flatbed wrecker can get your car out of the garage. They jack it up, put rolling tire platforms under the rear tires and drag it out of the garage.
Check the power. Check with GM to see if both the ignition recalls have been done. One is for the lock and one is for the ignition switch. If not, then that may be your issue. Give them your VIN and they can tell you if they have been done.
To clarify what Rob meant by "check with GM" about the recalls - call a GM dealer with your VIN number and they can get a recall history on your vehicle.
This just happened to me... I pulled up somewhere and parked. Came back and inserted the key and got nothing... it wouldn't turn or come out. PANIC set in! After a couple of quick steps - and crazy thoughts - I discovered my steering wheel was "locked." I turned the wheel until it got some slack - and the key turned. Make sure your steering wheel isn't locked. This is a lesson learned long ago and forgotten.
Here is a diagram from the Owner's Manual on key removal when you have no power.
Thanks so much Rob, let me see what I can do. I checked the recalls, they are showing completed. But I will double check directly with GM. And the key does turn toward start, but seems jammed before going into the full off position.
Plus 10 on Bama and L venom--and it goes for any car.
My wife has called me more than once in a panic that she could neither remove nor turn the key.
And both my daughter and my son have done the same--though each only once. (Young brain cells I guess.) Even I have occasionally done a double take when it happens...before I remember. (Very old brain cells!)
Sorry to shout it, but: IF YOUR KEY IS STUCK, PUT TURNING PRESSURE ON THE STEERING WHEEL--LEFT AND/OR RIGHT--AND TRY AGAIN!
I have an automatic and one time a bottle top was left in front of the shifter on the boot and putting it in park hid the cap and I couldn't get the key out. Took a few minutes before I figured it out. Sometimes it's something easy.
I've had the exact same thing happen twice. I replaced the battery each time. After replacing the battery the first time I had no problem for 8-10 months...then again completely dead after setting a few days. I could jump and get it running but let it sit for a couple of days and dead. I installed a new battery again three months ago and it's still working. I suspect there's a short somewhere but I really don't know. Unfortunately, the battery is not the easiest to replace (search YouTube) but I'm quicker now!
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