Key stuck ignition switch

Can anyone this problem. The ignition switch will go from the "on" position to "off", but will not any further. Therefore, I cannot remove the key from the switch. It does not always do this, but it is becoming more frequent. I can usually leave the key in for a while and when I return, the switch will retate andthe key will come out. This is very frustrating. Any help is appreciated!

I have also had that happen. A combination of turning the locking the steering wheel and key to the accessories position and back always unsticks the key.

did you try hittin it as hard as you can?:flash:

I've tried both suggestions...

I cannot get the switch to rotate back past the "off" position. I can only go back and forth between "off", "on", and "start".

As for hitting it as hard as I can, I tried that too and bent the key a little. Probably not the best solution, but it did make me feel a little better.

Thanks for the responses.

get a new ignition lock from your dealer and have them key it to your present key before it's too late and you can't ever get it out. And if you need to remove the drivers airbag, pull the fuse first, then the yellow connector under the dash, directly under the steering wheel.

that would be my suggestion, a new tumbler.
they are a real treat to change, but it is worth it.

I don't know if this is the problem but I had a similar thing happen to me in my Stang. I realized that the key wouldn't come out because I didn't have the automatic shifter completely in park. I don't know if this is what is going on with your Grand Prixs though.

I have this problem with my 98 GTP, you can look under your ignition switch on the steering column bottom and there will be a rubber cover, take this cover off and the next time your key is stuck put something up in the opening (I use a very small screwdriver) and the key will then turn and can be removed.

I hope this helps you.

There is a solenoid mounted to the shifter base which can get stuck form spilled soda or coffee or just plain sticks. This solenoid tells the solenoid on the column that the car is in park releasing the key. You will need to replace the shifter to fix your concern.

I'm having the same prob with my 98. Is your problem intermittent? Mine is, started one day and works off and on, whenever it feels like it really, works more in warm weather than cold weather. It's weird. My two thoughts are either a loose connection (ground or otherwise) or maybe the BTSI solenoid at the shifter base as I found an abundance of sticky residue (pop) under my console, pervious owner . . .

When mine did this at a local track,I replaced the piece under the ignition pice.It was some sort of solenoid.I did this replace 3 different times.Now after looking in the center console I found that the problem was a broking wire,that connects the shifter to the solenoid down there.I hope this helps.

My neighbor had the same problem with his 98 GTP, the mechanic told him it was his transmission. He then sold the car because he belived the mechanic. He's gonna be pretty pissed off after I tell him it could have been just a wire.

I HAD THIS PROBLEM ABOUT THREE MONTHS AND $550.00 LATER. COME TO FIND OUT THE SHIFT SENSOR IN THE SHIFTER IS VERY WEAK, AND IF IT DOES NOT READ THAT YOUR SHIFTER IS IN PARK IT WILL NOT RELEASE THE KEY. NO WARRANTY WILL COVER IT AND IT TAKES THE DEALER ABOUT THREE DAYS. IF YOU DO NOT FIX THIS PROBLEM IT DOES CAUSE PROBLEMS WITH YOUR TRANNY.

I am not going to tell you excatly how to do it, but have you ever thought about calling the GM customer assistance phone number listed in your owners manuals? If we have a good service customer who comes in and we do their work we can bend the warranty rules some what and cover the job under warranty, GM customer assistance has more power than the dealers!

In response to your question about a key getting stuck in your ignition:

There is a BTSI solenoid located on the underside of the steering column. This solenoid prevents the igniton from going to the "LOCK" position while the vehicle is not in park. This prevents the steering wheel from locking while the vehicle is in motion. There is a similar solenoid that, when not energized, prevents the shifter from being moved Out of "Park". This solenoid is energized when you depress your brake, and pulls the same mechanical lock away from the ignition, thus allowing you to turn the car on only when you are pressing the brake. If your shifter is messed up, or if your linkage is screwy, or if the BTSI solenoid does not register your vehicle as being in park, then you will not be able to turn your key to the "LOCK" position and remove it from the lock cylinder. Also, there is a wire running from your shifter to the BTSI solenoid that completes a circuit when the shifter is in the "PARK" position. If this wire is broken or otherwise failed, the solenoid will not energize. Usually, the solenoid itself will need to be replaced. Unfortunately this is a dealer item and not covered under warrant (I have no idea why).

Now, as an alternative, there is a manual release in some newer cars, but I'm not going to go into specifics on it as misapplication of the technique could cause some damage to your vehicle.

-Matt

Postscript: There have been several recent recalls on BTSI solenoids, make sure you don't pay a dealer to fix something they've already admitted is a problem.

ASEMattster floor shift models do not use a BTSI solenoid but a park lock solenoid. Only column shifters use a BTSI solenoid.

If your car is under the mileage the BUMPER to BUMPER warranty covers everything including the BTSI or PARK LOCk solenoid which ever one you may have.

The only time that the shifter lock solenoid would not be covered under the warranty would be because it was tampered with or something got spilled on it. Most of the time the spill issue would still be covered. Believe me I replaced plenty of them under warranty.

And the only recall that is current is one for the Envoy, Trailblazers where you disable the shifter and column over ride feature.

:thefinger To my grandprix..... I love my car to death, Mine has did that b4 and now, I started my car today and moved it about 3 foot closer to my home so I could wash and clean it, The steering wheel colomn started smokeing something feriouse, and I ran back into the house and yelled to my mom "My f*cking car is on fire!!!" My mom ran out side and by the time she got in it, IT quit!!! And she started it and it did not do that, so now I have to have a new steering colomn and new wireing, so YOU better be careful honey, I like I said I love my 1993 grand prix SE with my heart, the reason because I got it bought for me because I was in jail(of this year) and I have to go to court for something I did not do, My EX fiance got me into trouble, and I WAS not even with him, So That is why I love my car, So If I was you I would take it to a pontiac dealer and make them do a hot wire test on your column and if they refuse to fix the problem, you could sue them for damage loss or even injury to you or others in the car or simply pain and suffering.
Maranda
Age:17 be 18 aug.27th 2003.
Missouri

I have the same problem in my 98 Grand Prix. The key is stuck and the car needs to be put back into drive, moved and then put back in park. Sometimes it takes a couple tries, but it finally works. If this is a common problem, maybe Pontiac should recall it. I'm going to the dealership tomorrow to get the problem addressed. Mainly because I look like and idiot pulling in and out of parking spots.

Not to sound rude I am not! But don't you think recalls are for saftey items! You getting your key out is not going to hurt or kill someone. And just because you are having a problem with your key doesn't mean that everyone has that problem. For a recall to come out you need at least 10% of the same car to be a defect! Which means if GM made 100K of Grand Prix that year you need at least 10K with the defect.

Recalls are also for bad parts and this has happened to alot of GPs.

Argh, my car is having this problem too.

And there is a recall on some sort of GM truck, the reclining mechanism on the seat might pinch a finger. I think something like a stuck key should be recalled before a reclining mechanism.

So yeah... i have 95 grand prix se coupe.. key stuck in the ignition, pisses me right off. I spilled soda in the shifter do to fog and me almost missing a turn and my foot stomping the brake (my own dumbass fault). So i have a feeling that is the problem, cuz someone said somthin about soda, being sticky, on selenoid, not letting key out... But also, a few times my car wouldn't sift into second gear, could the soda thing be the culpret in my delema?

Recalls are also for bad parts and this has happened to alot of GPs.

Yes sometimes GM does do voluntary customer satisfaction recalls! They are GM's way of fixing bad engineering problems, they are far and few of them.

And there is a recall on some sort of GM truck, the reclining mechanism on the seat might pinch a finger. I think something like a stuck key should be recalled before a reclining mechanism.

I know this recall and have done many of them!!! The seat recliner is a sharp metal piece, and it can take your finger off fast and easy!!! That is a safty thing. But your key no coming out of your ignition hasn't killed or injured anyone yet! Afterall most of the stuck key problems come from people spilling soda,coffee or beer on the shifter. That is not a GM defect but it is a owner caused problem.

WD-40 rules!! Turns out, that when the soda got spilled in the floor shifter, it got sugar all over the linkage and it got all sticky... further explination: On the floor shifter (on my 95 GP SE, im sure its probably the same on new ones as well) the button you push up to get in and out of park is a part of the key lock release mechanism... if something sticky gets spilled in the shifter, the linkage will sometimes get stuck so that when you push the button up, the linkage will stay in the upward position, because the spring that is used to pull it back down isn't strong enough due to the exessive stickyness... so what i did was took out the center console and lubed the linkage with some WD-40, and the stick was gone, and the linkage would go back into position everytime i pushed that button up. So now the key comes out of the ignition... so in a nutshell, the button HAS to be released for the key to come out of the ignition, it may be a selenoid problem, like what someone in an earlier thread said, or it just might be what i just explained... i hope this helps

My car has never had anything spilled on the shifter, nor has my friend's '97 GTP. Both of them have the stuck key problem. I'm sorry, but I think the key being stuck is enough of a problem to warrant a recall. Let's say you go to the store, pull up, park, and can't get your key out. What are you supposed to do, leave your key in the ignition and the door unlocked? That just screams "STEAL ME! STEAL ME!" Even if you have a spare set of keys and you lock your doors, the key being in the ignition is just an invitation to have your car stolen. I know several people with GP's, and ALL of them have the key stuck problem. Then all of the people on here that have mentioned it...I think eventually GM will recall it. I don't think they will want to replace cars that were stolen because of a defect.

Can anyone this problem. The ignition switch will go from the "on" position to "off", but will not any further. Therefore, I cannot remove the key from the switch. It does not always do this, but it is becoming more frequent. I can usually leave the key in for a while and when I return, the switch will retate andthe key will come out. This is very frustrating. Any help is appreciated!

I had the same problem with a 94 gp it turned out that the screws holding the ignition sw. came lose so all I did was readjust the sw. on the colum and everything works great now.

I just wanted to let you People know I am haveing the same problem with my 98" GTP. It sounds like this is a very common problem. Thanks for all of the suggestions posted on this site am going to look into it.

Jud

My 99 Gt hand this problem. It appears to be common. You can not just buy the solenoid, I was told. $468 shifter from dealer was the only fix. Too bad.

You can add another one to the list. I've tried all the tricks on my 1998 Grand Prix to get the key out, moving it in and out of park, turning the steering wheel, graphite, wd40.. After having the reverse problem happen last week (couldn't get the key to turn to START the car because of the "ignition lock") I decided it was time to get it looked at. Its going to cost $445 to replace. I agree there should be a warranty recall - stuck alone at night either not being able to start the car or not being able to get the key out with the only option to leave them in the car IS A SAFETY ISSUE!

I had the same problem with my 2000 GT. Guess what??? Here's what is wrong. I replaced the shifter ($250) thinking it was the solenoid attached to it, and the P R N D 3 2 1 lights on the dash still kept flickering, and the key would not release out of the ignition when I put the car in park... So despite what the so-called pros in these forums say it's not the shifter solenoid.

There's a 10 amp fuse for the BTSI (see your owner's manual if you don't believe me) which is the Automatic Transaxle Shifter Module. Believe it or not sometimes the fuse doesn't make contact with the fuse housing causing an intermitent connection that causes the BTSI that controls or signals the solenoid near the ignition that the car is in park thus releasing the lock to work "off and on."

So here's what you do.... Take that fuse out clean it off, and then actually bend the 2 pieces of metal sticking out of the fuse in opposite directions so that when you put the fuse back in, it ensures a stronger connection to the pieces of metal inside the fuse housing. I did this and the lights no longer flicker, and everytime I have the car in park I can shift to other gears, and I can release the key out of the ignition.

It's funny sometimes you can't always listen to ASE certified techs in these forums 'cause they steer you into buying extra parts you don't need just like the dealers do.

To Flatrater

The reason for these switches to keep the key in when the car is out of park is so you can not take the key out while driving. This would lock the steering wheel while driving. Sounds like a serious safety issue. Ever tried driving a car when you can't move the steering wheel. I would guess not since you are still alive and responding to posts here. My 97 GP is beginning to have this problem. This is bad engineering. So I guess this covers safety and bad engineering. So tell me again why GM should not issue a recell?

hole on bottom of steering column put index finger in it you will fill a little rod 5mm push towards steering

My key is sticking in my 99 Grand Prix GT ignition as well. The engine turns off but can't remove the key. I've done all the tricks but none seem to work any more. I've have been using a screw driver to hit the release button on the steering column. This is very annoying. I programmed my car to unlock the doors when it is put into park. The doors are unlocking when its placed I park, so does that mean that the solenoid is reading or is this on a separate circuit. I've got the center console pulled apart. Is the solenoid the part directly mounted under the shifter? I have not been able to locate any info in either one of my repair manuals. I think my Grand Prix has had just about every common problem so far.

you need to replace the ignition cylinder, as it isn't releasing the key when the signal is received to do so.

im having the same prob as all the rest of you.
found this info out.
key release selenoid part number 26046984

dealer 44$ gmpartsdirect.com 25$ wahoo

Not a car expert here...

98 Grand Prix

My symptoms are identical: starts fine, but when I park and try to take key out, I can't get it to the LOCK position without backing up, going forward, etc, looking like a moron in a busy parking lot.

Pressing the button underneath the steering wheel allows it to turn back to LOCK position and releases key with no problem.

I've seen conflicting assessments on this thread. Is this indeed a transmission problem or a problem with ignition switch/cylinder?

My transmission feels perfectly fine, doesn't grind, changes are quite smooth.

Not a car expert here...

98 Grand Prix

My symptoms are identical: starts fine, but when I park and try to take key out, I can't get it to the LOCK position without backing up, going forward, etc, looking like a moron in a busy parking lot.

Pressing the button underneath the steering wheel allows it to turn back to LOCK position and releases key with no problem.

I've seen conflicting assessments on this thread. Is this indeed a transmission problem or a problem with ignition switch/cylinder?

My transmission feels perfectly fine, doesn't grind, changes are quite smooth.

Welcome to the forum.

The system is called BTSI (brake transmission shift interlock). It prevents key from being removed until car is in park. The key release solenoid in the steering column is not getting the command from the shift interlock solenoid located in the console and shifter. Your symptoms is more indicative of a shift interlock solenoid or a linkage cable that is out of adjustment or stretched. The cable referred to is the one between the shifter and transmission range switch.

I do not believe that it is a transmission problem or the ignition key barrel/cylinder since you are able to manually release the key.

From a Non-ASE GM tech I would agree, you have to be careful taking advise from someone who doesn't have your vehicle in front of them to test. They tend to throw 'opinions' around and don't really consider that people may be spending $$$ on their whimsical advise. I have personally diagnosed several 97-99 GP's with this problem, and all of them have been faulty ignition switches ( something of a problem for GM ) and since the BTSI fuse is connected to a dedicated set of contacts in the ignition switch, there are usually no other symptoms. I can see the BTSI fuse contacts also causing exactly the same problem. Additionally, I would argue that not being able to remove your key, in the hands of a novice driver could be a safety concern ( you never know what people will do when faced with abnormal circumstances, sometimes they do unbelievable things!!!!). Oh, and one more thing, I fail to see how a console shift car with a shift interlock DOESN'T have BTSI????!!!!!????? What else do you call it???

From a Non-ASE GM tech I would agree, you have to be careful taking advise from someone who doesn't have your vehicle in front of them to test. They tend to throw 'opinions' around and don't really consider that people may be spending $$$ on their whimsical advise. I have personally diagnosed several 97-99 GP's with this problem, and all of them have been faulty ignition switches ( something of a problem for GM ) and since the BTSI fuse is connected to a dedicated set of contacts in the ignition switch, there are usually no other symptoms. I can see the BTSI fuse contacts also causing exactly the same problem. Additionally, I would argue that not being able to remove your key, in the hands of a novice driver could be a safety concern ( you never know what people will do when faced with abnormal circumstances, sometimes they do unbelievable things!!!!). Oh, and one more thing, I fail to see how a console shift car with a shift interlock DOESN'T have BTSI????!!!!!????? What else do you call it???

Have you come here to criticize or provide constructive assistance?

BTW - Genius, how many links to posts would you like for me to provide you with that may prove you are wrong and blowing smoke.

If you are implying that all key stuck and BTSI problems are the ignition switch or BTSI fuse then you are in for a rude awakening.

We highly recommend that Newbies read the forum rules before posting.

As a matter of fact, I just completed helping a guy in the Regal forum with a key stuck problem and it was spilled soda on the center console shift interlock causing his problem. I believe our ASE Master Mechanic Flatrater suggested that remedy on a prior post in this thread that you raised.

Hello;

Perhaps I mis-spoke or was misinterpreted. My goal here is to provide real-world input. Being a shop owner and operator with 20 years GM dealership experience, I have some insight into these subjects. My concern stems from the fact that I see a lot of "try this....no, that didn't work?....now try this" on these threads, and while it may be well-intentioned some folks go out and spend a lot of money on items that don't ultimately fix the problem. While I understand that soda spilled on the console can cause this (key stuck), I was merely stating that in my experience the cause was a lack of voltage on the BTSI fuse, caused by a faulty ignition switch (and I was agreeing with the the post regarding BTSI fuse contacts as a possible cause) or more precisely, a lack of current carrying capacity on the dedicated switch contacts for the BTSI fuse in the ignition switch (it may actually show 12volts with a high-impedance multimeter, but not pass enough current to operate the solenoid). I did not mean to stir the ire of fellow forum users, however I would say that those offering advice should consider that others may, in desperation run out and purchase whatever they are suggesting. I will promise all AF posters this: I will never issue advice without investigating circuit descriptions, wiring diagrams or bulletins for the car/truck in question. Please accept my apology for any pith you felt I levelled.

from wat i know about rigging cars u can just take off da ignition switch and start it wit a set of plyers

Hello;

Perhaps I mis-spoke or was misinterpreted. My goal here is to provide real-world input. Being a shop owner and operator with 20 years GM dealership experience, I have some insight into these subjects. My concern stems from the fact that I see a lot of "try this....no, that didn't work?....now try this" on these threads, and while it may be well-intentioned some folks go out and spend a lot of money on items that don't ultimately fix the problem. While I understand that soda spilled on the console can cause this (key stuck), I was merely stating that in my experience the cause was a lack of voltage on the BTSI fuse, caused by a faulty ignition switch (and I was agreeing with the the post regarding BTSI fuse contacts as a possible cause) or more precisely, a lack of current carrying capacity on the dedicated switch contacts for the BTSI fuse in the ignition switch (it may actually show 12volts with a high-impedance multimeter, but not pass enough current to operate the solenoid). I did not mean to stir the ire of fellow forum users, however I would say that those offering advice should consider that others may, in desperation run out and purchase whatever they are suggesting. I will promise all AF posters this: I will never issue advice without investigating circuit descriptions, wiring diagrams or bulletins for the car/truck in question. Please accept my apology for any pith you felt I levelled.

That is an understatement. You have to realize that although there may be some Pros on the forum alot of us are automotive enthusiasts and own the cars in the respective forum. How real world can you get?

Most people come to this forum because they either got ripped off by a dealer or the dealer's mechanics could not find or fix the problem so you are preaching to the choir if you think being an ASE mechanic will get you anywheres. A lot just want to save money. Many of us have the right tools, diagnostics equipment, service manuals and REAL WORLD experience needed to give good advice or weigh-in. I would not be giving advice on BTSI if I did not know what I was talking about.

IMO nobody in good faith, intentionally misleads anyone. Plus people are allowed to weigh in and give their two cents worth whether the advice is good, bad, or indifferent. You make one post without knowing all the facts or anything about people who contribute regularly to this Grand Prix forum. Unless you plan on being here 24 hours a day/7 days a week to set us all straight with your words of infinite wisdom.

If you want to throw in your 2 cents worth that is fine but if you are here to tell us we don't know what the "F" we are talking about then you are in for a rough road. It is nice to hear of your experiences but others have their experiences to share too. Personal attacks and sneid comments are unwarranted.

On the matter of automotive electrical, again you are preaching to the choir. I am a degreed engineer with over 30 years experience and licensed by the State of Texas to teach automotive electrical systems so what would you like to know about automotive electrical systems and the use of test equipment as simple as a mulitmeter or high-tech diagnostics equipment?

That is an understatement. You have to realize that although there may be some Pros on the forum alot of us are automotive enthusiasts and own the cars in the respective forum. How real world can you get?

Most people come to this forum because they either got ripped off by a dealer or the dealer's mechanics could not find or fix the problem so you are preaching to the choir if you think being an ASE mechanic will get you anywheres. A lot just want to save money. Many of us have the right tools, diagnostics equipment, service manuals and REAL WORLD experience needed to give good advice or weigh-in. I would not be giving advice on BTSI if I did not know what I was talking about.

IMO nobody in good faith, intentionally misleads anyone. Plus people are allowed to weigh in and give their two cents worth whether the advice is good, bad, or indifferent. You make one post without knowing all the facts or anything about people who contribute regularly to this Grand Prix forum. Unless you plan on being here 24 hours a day/7 days a week to set us all straight with your words of infinite wisdom.

If you want to throw in your 2 cents worth that is fine but if you are here to tell us we don't know what the "F" we are talking about then you are in for a rough road. It is nice to hear of your experiences but others have their experiences to share too. Personal attacks and sneid comments are unwarranted.

On the matter of automotive electrical, again you are preaching to the choir. I am a degreed engineer with over 30 years experience and licensed by the State of Texas to teach automotive electrical systems so what would you like to know about automotive electrical systems and the use of test equipment as simple as a mulitmeter or high-tech diagnostics equipment?


Well, I do believe I apologized. Take this for what it is worth, but I think some here are eliteist; it appears that it is only 'ok' for the 'regulars' to be sneid; I have seen many posts even by mods that were very sneid and argumentative. I did not personally attack anyone.

To be clear, I never said I know better than all on this forum, or that I have the only answers or that I have nothing to learn. I simply said that some of the advice we give can cause others to spend large amounts of money which may not solve their problem. I would like to see everyone, myself included, take a moment before we give advice and think of what the person seeking it might do with it! How sure are we? Does the system use a cable or is it completely electrical? Do we understand the exact model in question, and not just the concept of the system in general? Perhaps being clear that we are guessing when we are really guessing would suffice. Keeping in mind that even the manufacturers service manual diagnostic charts, circuit descriptions, and wiring diagrams are riddled with mistakes and errors of omission, everyone taking advice on any forum should also understand that the same possibility exists; they may be misled however well intentioned. I certainly did not mean to imply that anyone intentionally misleads others. Just remember; those of you with 20 or 30 years experience have a duty to those inexperienced people on this forum....they are depending on you and will run off to the nearest parts store on the slightest suggestion of a fix for what ails them. Again, for what it is worth, I apologize

OK guys it is time to play nice! We don't need a measuring stick here to see who has more experience or knowledge. Let's stick to the subject at hand. Raffican apologized to everyone for his comments and I can accept that. So let's put our differences aside and get back to work helping people with their car problems. The point of this forum, as we all know is to offer suggestions on potential ways to repair vehicles. Right or wrong they are just suggestions, sometimes things work sometimes they don't but we all understand that auto repair is like everything else, it is open to interpretation.

Apology accepted Lynn, however, a simple apology would suffice. No one needs a lecture or an insight into his thoughts or idealology. No one has any duty except to play nice and follow the forum rules.

FWIW, my key was sticking when i bought the car in January, dealer fixed it under their "30 day warranty", they told me they had to replace the shifter assembly because of a faulty solenoid on it...

FWIW, my key was sticking when i bought the car in January, dealer fixed it under their "30 day warranty", they told me they had to replace the shifter assembly because of a faulty solenoid on it...


Hey there, I am glad you weighed in. There are a lot of faulty shift solenoids out there also (particularly on Grand AM models, but others as well). It is interesting that GM started putting 'emergency release' buttons on their columns and consoles only after adding electric BTSI/Park Locks, they never had to on the cable operated systems (albeit sans the BTSI)...they worked too well!

I think your problem stems from a short of some nature. My 98 GTP was having a battery terminal connection problem where the battery had a short in it and every once in a while, when I went to start it the battery would not turn it over. Every time when this happened the key would be stuck in the ignition. When I retightened the battery cable the key would automatically unstick. Good Luck buddy.

OK guys it is time to play nice! We don't need a measuring stick here to see who has more experience or knowledge. Let's stick to the subject at hand. Raffican apologized to everyone for his comments and I can accept that. So let's put our differences aside and get back to work helping people with their car problems. The point of this forum, as we all know is to offer suggestions on potential ways to repair vehicles. Right or wrong they are just suggestions, sometimes things work sometimes they don't but we all understand that auto repair is like everything else, it is open to interpretation.

:grinno: You got to love this forum!!! One day I'm fixing my car and saving money from all the "suggestions" posted on this great place, and the next day I'm here eating popcorn and "reading" a boxing fight cheaper than Pay Per View :evillol: .

By the way, my wife thinks I'm a super mechanic by fixing my car with your help!!! I think Raffican has no idea how many people have benefit from the "suggestions" posted in the forum.

I think Raffican has no idea how many people have benefit from the "suggestions" posted in the forum.

I definitely think people benefit, or I wouldn't post here! I just like to diagnose things rather than throw random guesses at a problem. It was fun 'sparring' with Bob, but we 'made up' and agreed our experience would better serve others on this forum if we got along. Ciao Y'all!!!:smokin:

wow its amazing how many people have had problems with this,haha i thought my car was just a piece of crap...I still have to figure out how to fix the problem,because as i've read from someone's else's post it works only when it wants too.I had it in a shop for almost two days and it didnt get stuck once on them so they told me there wasnt anything wrong with my car,i've found now that always putting my e brake on after i park and messing with the shifter it usually almost always come's out...

I had that happen to my car as well! I took it to a dealership here in town that works on Pontiac's. They replaced the ignition switch, but it's now stuck, AGAIN, and has to be replaced, AGAIN! The only reason you need to take it in is that you will have to have the new key programmed with the security chip, otherwise you won't be able to keep your car on! Trust me, it cost me about $300, but, lifetime warranty!

I have a 2002 Grand Prix GT with this same problem... I took it too a friend of mine who figured that the selenoid behind the ignition lock in the steering column was causing the problem. Without actually fixing the problem he found a way to "lock" the selenoid "plunger" in the up position with a zip lock tie. This is only a temp. fix and will allow you to rotate the lock to the off position and remove the key from the lock while the trans is in any gear.
I noticed in a previous post that someone mentioned that if this problem is not fixed "properly" it will cause problems with the transmission. Has anyone else experienced this OR does anyone have any more info on this ?
Thanks in advance !

problem solved! the key sticking in the ignition is caused by a faulty cylinder in the steering column, if you remove the bottom plastic part of the steering column, just behind the steering wheel, you can see a silver cylinder that is held by a white plastic piece, inside the cylinder is a small gold rod, when the car is in park the rod is retracted in the cylinder, when the car is in gear, it is pushed out so to fix the problem, you can either devise a plan to keep the rod inside the cylinder, personally i used a small hose clamp around the white piece and put the screw portion of the hose clamp in the way of the rod, so i couldn't come out of the cylinder, or you can opt to remove the part entirely, so i've been told. hope this solves your problem, good luck.

I had the same problem with my 2000 GT. Guess what??? Here's what is wrong. I replaced the shifter ($250) thinking it was the solenoid attached to it, and the P R N D 3 2 1 lights on the dash still kept flickering, and the key would not release out of the ignition when I put the car in park... So despite what the so-called pros in these forums say it's not the shifter solenoid.

There's a 10 amp fuse for the BTSI (see your owner's manual) which is the Automatic Transaxle Shifter Module. Believe it or not sometimes the fuse doesn't make contact with the fuse housing causing an intermitent connection that causes the BTSI that controls or signals the solenoid near ignition that the car is in park thus releasing the lock to work "off and on."

So here's what you do.... Take that fuse out clean it off, and then actually bend the 2 pieces of metal sticking out of the fuse in opposite directions so that when you put the fuse back in, it ensures a stronger connection to the pieces of metal inside the fuse housing. I did this and the lights no longer flicker, and everytime I have the car in park I can shift to other gears, and I can release the key out of the ignition.

It's funny sometimes you can't always listen to ASE certified techs in these forums 'cause they steer you into buying extra parts you don't need just like the dealers do.

I've been happy with their advice and found it invaluable. Not every problem is the same cure every time.

^^^^I agree. Although your fix helped you it may not be the fix for other members and the solution varies among model years. BTSI problems are not just related to the BTSI fuse.

Also, personal attacks on or criticizing other members is unwarranted. We have alot of skilled techs both ASE and non ASE that are very helpful to members in not just Grand Prix but all forums. Therefore, you are putting yourself out on a limb based on your single experience.

I gave you a WARNING in one of the old threads you resurrected. This is your only and final warning. Read and heed!