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Key stuck in ignition/ can't get it out of park SOLVED

6K views 3 replies 4 participants last post by  Jokerlotus6 
#1 ·
Wanted to create a profile and drop a post just to thank this community.

Problem: Son called late last night "Thanksgiving" to tell me the '05 Trailblazer was stuck in park. He also couldn't turn the key all the way off. Truck would start fine, but he couldn't drive it. He was at his girlfriend's house across town, but an good neighborhood.

What I did: googled the problem and it looked for all the easy fixes. Then drove out to check some things.

Battery was fine
Nothing physically keeping the shifter either in or out of park
tap brakes while trying key and shifter no luck
tap key gently to see if tumblers were stuck
checked all the fuses they were good

I disconnected the battery locked it up and left it in place until this morning.

Got up this morning and did some searching at trailvoy

Looked like the ignition problem was a likely culprit so I read the replacement sticky. Great write up there for removing the things I would need to get the key free.

Looked up the shifter solenoid overide button thread http://forums.trailvoy.com/showthread.php?t=51453 so I knew I could get it home if I could free the key and get it in drive.

Did just that got it in my own drive way and thought I'd replace the ignition switch first, then the shift solenoid if that didn't get it. Funny thing though, I noticed the heater fan wouldn't work on the drive home. Hazards were out too so I figured there had to be something else.

One last search around before heading to the parts store and I stumbled across this: http://forums.trailvoy.com/showthread.php?t=51453 and http://forums.trailvoy.com/showthread.php?t=79660 and http://forums.trailvoy.com/showthread.php?t=97874

Figured it was worth a shot. Removed the screw on the passenger side lower dash extension, found the 10mm bolt grounding 10 black wires, dropped my socket on and had to give it 2 1/2 full turns to get it tight. This one bolt was the answer.

Thanks to this community for the great info. If I had paid to have it towed to a shop I'm not sure they would have found the problem without changing all the parts I was thinking of changing and costing me a few hundred dollars in the process. I know how frustrating it is to see folks post a problem and never report back with how you've helped them.
 
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#4 ·
Key stuck

I just ripped apart my dash and steering colum and gm never cut the hole out for the manual release for the key but if you rip apart the covering on the steering colum there should be a gold button right next to where you put your key into the igintion and push it and turn your key to the off position and take ur key out you can cut a hole so you can release your key every time you have to until you can get the problem fixed.
 
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