foolmoon_design

Woke up this morning, was gonna drive to the store pick-up a paper and some coffee, but no.......

I stuck the key in the ignition, and it will not turn one tiny bit. My neighbor and I tried rocking the car back and forth, turning the steering wheel(not locked), and we tried getting the car out of park. NOTHING WORKED! No matter what we try the ignition will not budge with either of my two keys?

Any way to get the car started, I would hate to have to tow it for this.

a76marine

There are several threads about this and I can't remember if it's a towable issue or something that has a trick to it.

I apologize I don't have the answers but wanted to make sure you looked around as there are many others who have had this issue as well.

AJochum

FROM AN EARLIER POST:

I'm a little pissed here guys! I have a 2006 HHR. Never had any real issues until now. My key has been stuck, couldn't turn the key to the off / release key position. After much research, this is an apparently common problem. I figured out how to release it manually, and what the real problem is with the shifter micro switch actuating pin. IMO, I think this is a manufacturing defect since this is such a common problem, at least here on the Internet.

I drove my HHR up to the dealer this morning and they somewhat admitted to this at first. The service advisor said this is the third car this week with the same problem. I exclaimed... This is MONDAY! WTF! So, I said I did not want to spend a dime to repair this, even though I'm out of warranty. He looked for any recall issues, there were none. I don't get this, I assume they will deny responsibility to poor workmanship as long as they can. I called GM and started a case. They said they will send some kind of claim form after I get an official diagnosis to my particular problem. Thats a $75 dealer bill I really can't afford right now. Now I'm not pursuing this in this way because I happen to be practically broke right now, I think the manufacturer should accept accountability.

Any advice to properly convince the dealer to comp this part? ($158 for the same poorly made part.)

Here are some decent pictures of this problem:

http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/416947

Also, does anyone have a good picture of where that pin goes? (Look at those pictures in that link please.) I'm going to take it apart tomorrow and examine it. (It may become clear after I look at it myself, but any pre-help would be appreciated as to the location of that dreaded pin.) I have it part way disassembled at the moment. I had to do a bit more research to go further in my disassembly.

Here are two diagrams of the pin:

http://www.justanswer.com/view_image...44/1744928.gif

http://www.justanswer.com/view_image...44/1744933.gif

But does anyone have a picture?

I do want to reiterate my point in this post though: Any advice to properly convince the dealer to comp this part?! Have / force GM to accept responsibility for a poorly made plastic fiddly bit?

Try checking out this post and others - search "key stuck".

pitbull76

Could be a bad lock cylinder; unless you can get it to turn, you will need to get it towed in. I wouldn't force it either cause then you might have a bent/broken key in addition to whatever else is broken. The thread posted above about the key stuck issue is in reference to not being able to remove the key. It is not related.

foolmoon_design

UPDATE, MY CAR IS POSSESSED! Somebody must have lost a hand while building this car--Christine lives!

OK, woke up this morning and tried once again to start the car.. same issue, key would not turn. I then called my Dealer--btw Dan at Champion is Fantastic!-- dealer thought the problem was the ignition cylinder, and I should have it towed in. Dan then asked how many miles, I said 38K but it strikes me as odd that a 2 year old car just out of warranty should have an ignition cylinder go bad that soon(out of all the cars I've owned, I never had a bad cylinder even on a 32 year old Ford Granada!(Starsky and Hutch should have drove one of these). Dan asked if I bought the car there and because I did they would take care of it. Like I said, great service every time when I have to go to the dealer, they always seem to make a trying ordeal stress free. I should fee lucky that I have a good dealer.
So, after I hung up with the dealer, I called the rcommended tow company, they said they would get me someone within the hour. I then spent the time waiting for the tow truck by vacumning my car and giving it a quick soak. When the tow truck arrived, the guy asked me to leave the key in the ignition, and low and behold, the car started! Not thinking, I turned it off real quick like I was doing something wrong(dumb ass). So I started it again, WTF, it cranked up no problem again.
Well, I had to pay the minimum tow fee $35.00 because he pulled into my driveway, but no biggie. I drove the car to the dealer myself.... it is there now beeing checked out and getting an oil change, rotate tires, 27 point check.

Whats bugging me, is the only thing I did diffrent from yesterday and today is open the hood to vacumn out the pollen and leaves around the windsheild wipers. WTF?

Once again, this is how it happened.... Remote Start, opened door, sat down, key in ignition....... Wont' turn. Rocked car, pressed brake, wrenched on steering wheel, disconnected battery, took apart center console(no pin problem)...... Still key won't turn.

This morning repeat steps 2 thru 12.... key still won't turn.
Make tow truck calls.....
Vacumn car...I opened all doors and hood
Rinsed car
Tow truck arrives...... Stick key in, CAR STARTS! WTF!

Could the remote start F' with the computer, and by opening the hood does it reset after the 2 on 2 off cycle?

I, honestly, don't think the dealer will be able to find a problem, but then again I wouldn't take it to the dealer if I knew what was wrong in the first place. I will update.

solman98

Maybe it's a personality thing... Wanted to be clean before it went out....

foolmoon_design

UPDATE

Well, the dealer couldn't replicate the problem. Dan the shop manager thought it might have been a glitch when I used the remote start, but, just to be safe they replaced the ignition cylinder anyway and even though I was 2.5K out of B to B warranty they didn't charge a dime! Its kind of nice when you only go to the dealer maybe 2 or 3 times a year and they remember you and your car. Also, 27 point check came back good(I guess I am one of the lucky ones who has no major problems as of yet), rotated the tires(still pretty good with 38.5K), and changed the oil.

Eventhough I was without my car for 2 days, I am still a very happy SS owner, I think the dealer experience played a part in that.

Greybeard999

Glad you got it sorted..... would be nice to know the cause though. I hate things that "fix" themselves.

donbrew

You said you opened the hood, how about that switch on the hood latch that controls the remote start? Also, did you by any chance lock the car with the remote then unlock by hand, thus activaitng anti-theft. The symptoms sound a lot like the way anti-theft is supposed to work.

foolmoon_design

Yeah! all of the above! When you remote start, and then open the hood it kills the motor. My thought was that it had something to do with the anti-theft and by opening the hood it reset the system. Also, it had been roughly 24 hours between screwing with it, maybe ir reset itself. I guess the only way to know is if this can be re-produced at will.

I love new technology, but I miss -- throttle cables, steering columns, brake cables, distributors, etc. You just about have to be an engineer to play with these cars.