05 Malibu 2.2 Ecotec

after turning off the ignition and even removing the key the engine carrys on running for 15-20 seconds.... i can rev the engine etc as if the ignition was switched on , any ideas?

Welcome to the forums Dex0101, glad to have you onboard.

I was gonna say your engine was dieseling, but after careful reading I think you might have issues with the ignition key switch getting stuck. You might want to lubricate it with non conductive grease or is it graphite? (can't remember) Someone else will chime in with better info.

Have you tried wiggleing the key while in the OFF position in the ignition switch while the engine is still running to see if that produces different result?
Are you getting any warnings on the dash while the vehicle is being operated?

No all the dash lights etc go off as if the vehicle is switchd off, wiggling the key makes no difference at all. I can litterally switch it off ,remove the key,get out of the car,open the hood and watch it idling and after about 15-20 seconds it shuts off.

The problem occured shortly after the fuel pump was replaced if thats any help,but the shop said thats nothing to do with it

That's a very odd issue indeed!

Common sense keeps telling me it has to be the ignition switch since that's what controls the power to the engine, but with this new computer controlled electronics it's hard to diagnose for sure.

Have you tried unpluging the battery to reset the PCM (computer)? Just disconnect the negative battery terminal, turn on your high beams and leave disconnected for about a minute to make sure all power is drained from the PCM then put it back together and drive it to see if it cures a bad programming.

The 2.2 ecotech is a motor shared with saturn Ions and Cobalts. I do not know the new malibu well but I would assume its rather similar. The only thing I can really say is that the Ions and Cobalts both have issues with the ignition switches. They need to be replaced, not lubed. Its a starting place for you and worth looking into. I will see what else I can think of when I am not so spur of the moment.

Its just the way Gm works, they like all their cars to be persistant and tend to use alot of the same parts. I would imagine it is the same. I would call Chevy first to verify. As well as, ask if they experience problems with that. Anyways, the cobalt and Ion issues normally result in failure to start. Sometimes they want to, other times they don't. Sometimes the dash lights are on, sometimes they are not. All cases are not really the same, but all come down to the same result.

Here is my 2 cents worth. Maybe relay #32 on the engine compartment fuse block is hanging up. Locate it on the fuse block and mark it. Then change it with another on the panel that has the same part #. Be very careful here. Double check that the part numbers are the same. It's possible that the relay is sluggish and takes time to drop out after being de-energized.

The Malibu owner manual has a pictorial layout of the fuse panel and indicates where and what the relays do. It's a shot in the dark I know but it's worth a try.

Thats sounds like its worth a shot,i'll be sure to give it a go....

Just wondering if any GM techs reside here and if they've come across this before as the dealer here is absolutely useless ,i took it into them actually showed them the issue,they had it for 2 days and called me saying they don't know what is wrong with it and presented me with a $300 invoice , well i refused to pay and they won't release the car to me until id have spoken to a manager the following day.Is it me or is it wrong to expect some kind of answer for $300 ?:banghead: I' refrainded from draging the Service guy across the counter and giving his head a shake and took the 2K walk home to cool off.

I hate to say this but maybe dealer employee's like this are not really helping GM's current predicament.....but maybe thats just me :screwy:

I returned today to have the service manager take me to one side to explain that the techs are flat rate and don't work for free!? I calmly explained to him that i don't expect repairs for free , just not to be told sorry don't know whats wrong and then given a $300 bill and a see ya!
I've spent alot of money over the years with this dealer (i'm not going to name them) including the purchase of several vehicles over the years. Am i wrong or is this what i would get from other dealers?

Sorry fo the venting...... and very curious to hear from Profesionals in this field

I'm sorry to hear about your problems. I'm not a legal person so my advice might be quite wrong. I would pay the $300 to get them to release the car. Take it home and then tell the dealer you are taking them to small claims court. They would then have to appear in court which would cost the dealer time. Let the judge decide how much you should pay.

Well i tried swapping the relay mentioned above with the cooling fan relay (same part number)and its the same problem.
So i had the dealer put in a new ignition switch and its no different,i'm upto over $600 now and grasping at straws,as i really cannot afford much more.

I went to start the car Saturday morning and the battery was dead flat which is strange, it jump started fine and i went to the dealer who said it passed an AVR test fine ,then they changed the switch .

HELP!? could this be related to that new pump that cost me $1100 .

I feel that the car is unreliable now

any help greatly appreciated!

Thanks

I know this is not going to help you in any way. Why on earth would GM use such a complicated ignition system?

See here :- http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3828/is_200411/ai_n9469461

Surely a more conventional system would have worked. My point is that the system is so complicated that few people understand how it works. There are most probably more than a zillion wires going everywhere. I have no further ideas.

Well it would seem that the GM techs at my local dealership don't understand it either :banghead: