HELP!! CTS 2003 key stuck in ignition

[CaddyCutie2002]

Sooooo I get in my car this morning drive my son to school when I get back to the house, I put my car in park, turn the key back and it won't go allll the way back..therefore my key will not come out of the ignition. After sitting there going back and forth, turning my car on and off for about 20 mins it finally comes out. Sooo now I drive to work and when I get here the same thing happens...this time no matter what I do...IT WON'T COME OUT. Please advise someone!!!! What is the problem? Is there a easy permanent fix that I can do myself, or is this definitely something that I have to take to the shop to get fixed. If this has happened to you how much did it cost to fix labor + parts. As stated before...everything else is working...I can drive the car....and everything else...I just can not get the key in the position for it to come out....PLEAAAAASEEEE HELP ME

[scoundrel111]

i had this happen to me, but only because the battery was diconnected. I disconnected the battery and forgot to connect. Then when i went to start it the key got locked in and wouldnt come out. I connected the battery and it came out.

[ewill3rd]

It is quite possible that the ECM is going bad.
I have explained a possible related issue that you can look around for.
It can be complicated but when this happens, turn the key back on and look at the gear shift indicator on the center console.
Does it light up the park indicator to let you know the car is in park? If not the ECM may not be transmitting data that the other modules need in order to let you turn the key to the lock position.

If you have a small object like a pen or something there is an access hole under the steering column near the lock cylinder.
Until you get it fixed just push something in there and push the little plunger up, that will let you turn the key back and remove it from the lock.

[ghettomike]

Originally Posted by ewill3rd

It is quite possible that the ECM is going bad.
I have explained a possible related issue that you can look around for.
It can be complicated but when this happens, turn the key back on and look at the gear shift indicator on the center console.
Does it light up the park indicator to let you know the car is in park? If not the ECM may not be transmitting data that the other modules need in order to let you turn the key to the lock position.

If you have a small object like a pen or something there is an access hole under the steering column near the lock cylinder.
Until you get it fixed just push something in there and push the little plunger up, that will let you turn the key back and remove it from the lock.

i thought that release switch removes the lock cylinder and not just lets you turn the key back?
i tried it on my 03 once and it was tough...i dont know if a pen will do it...i managed to find out what was causing my key to get stuck (loose wire to ecu) so i didnt end up releasing the key with that method.

hope you can find out the problem...go under the hood and check all wires going to the fuse box..make sure all secure...then check to make sure all connections in the fuse box are good...push all the fuses, resistors and whatever else are in there into their socket...one may have shaken loose.

also go to a quick lube shop and check your battery, the test is usually free there because they want to sell a battery...just say u think you need a new one...then they test it and try to sell you one...if the price is good go for it ..if not just tell them the dealer has it for much less and go get one somewhere else...if you need one that is.

[ewill3rd]

It has been a while but I know there is a plunger under there that lets you rotate the lock back and one that lets you take out the cylinder.
Maybe I am confused... but I am pretty sure.....

[ILLMATIK]

Your problem may be as simple as just pushing up the shifter a little harder. I have this problem with my car. I have to really smash the shifter all the way into park otherwise the key will not come out of the ignition.

Try that next time it happens.

[CaddyCutie2002]

Thanks guys for all your advice....I tried to do that thing with that small hole underneath the steering column....I had a hard time figuring it out, and I was also scared of pushing the wrong thing, or messing up something so I just let it be...but I really wish I could figure that out.

Neways I went to a mechanic thats some friends referred to me...He says I need a new tumbler…which is a dealership part. and because of the freakin chip in the key I would have to get my key reprogrammed. The tumbler was only like $85 but to get the key reprogrammed they told me something RIDICULOUS like $250..as if!!!! So I called the salesman where I brought the car from he told me the best thing to do was to buy the tumbler and then take it to a locksmith and let him do the reprogramming because it would be a loooooot cheaper. Sooooooo

This morning I get up call the locksmith…he tells me that it sounds more like(and I know I’m not going to say this correctly…cause I NO NOTHING about cars) He says that it sounds like I tried to turn my car off without fully placing it in park and one of the safety features were triggered/messed up…and that there are some wires in the stearing column that he could come out and disable…but since he has to go through sooo much to get to the wires that he would have to charge me AT LEAST $140. He says hes seen it all the time…he comes out to change an ignition and it turns out being this issue.

PLEASE HELP PLEASE ADVISE>>>>I HAVE NOOOOO IDEA WHATS GOING ON AND WHAT I SHOULD DO

Does annnnny of this sound familiar??????? Sorry if none of this makes sense!

[ILLMATIK]

Did you try what i told you?

Sometimes when you shut off the car and put it in park, the car doesn't recognize that it's in park and won't allow you to take the key out. Give the shifter a nice hard whack into P then try taking out the keys.

I've had to do this with my car for like the last two years. The dealer couldnt fix it.

[CaddyCutie2002]

Well...I didn't give it a "GOOD WHACK" I'm always afraid of really screwing something up...but when I come back from lunch I'll give it a try.

[ewill3rd]

As I said, turn the key back on and tell me what the shift indicator is showing.
There may be nothing you can do without getting the ECM replaced.

As for your other comments....
It might be in the center area of the column there is a little twist out plug, if you remove that and press the tab underneath you can rotate the cylinder back.
I had one earlier but I didn't take a look at it.

It isn't the lock cylinder (not "tumbler").
He may have meant a tumbler is sticking but if that were the case you couldn't start the car, the issue here is that you cannot turn it back.

If you replace the lock cylinder there is no need to replace the key, you can re-use the old one so there is no programming involved whatsoever.
When the cylinder is removed you have to code the new one anyway so you just use the current keycode and code the new cylinder.
That means the theft system already knows the key so nothing will change.
Either way you don't need that.

If the shift indicator does not light the data is missing and no matter of parts you throw at it will fix it.
Even with a scan tool and some knowledge this can be tricky to diagnose.
I have seen it several times.

[CaddyCutie2002]

I just went out to the car and I know sometimes I can be a TOTAL blonde....lol...but I don't think there is a gear shift indicator in the center consol of my car...only next to the actual shift and that light is on...I have a 2003 CTS...i don't know if this makes a difference. Also my car doors unlock when the car is in park and lock when it is not in park and it has been doing both of these functions so the car is recogizing if it is in park or not....so what now..PLEASE DON'T GIVE UP ON ME!!!

[ewill3rd]

Hold on I have an '03 right here in my bay.
Don't worry... I won't give up

First, here is an image that shows the "button" I am talking about. There is a small slotted plug in this hole, just turn it counter clockwise and it should come out.
Then find something that will fit up in there and push firmly and then the key will rotate back to the lock position. (this is the underside of the steering column with the forward edge towards the bottom and the steering wheel towards the top)
That will get you by until you can get this figured out....



Next here is what the shift indicator should look like in Park. Notice the orange LED lit up by the shift handle. If yours is not lit up I'd almost bet money that the ECM is bad. This information comes from the TCM (transmission module) and then goes to the ECM on what we call a "keyword 2000 bus". For some reason the ECMs go stupid and won't see this data BUT they won't report an error. IF this data is not present the ECM doesn't know what gear the IMS (internal mode switch) is in and it won't send the data to the IPC which in turn won't send the data to the shift indicator and the other modules in the car.

[CaddyCutie2002]

Well....1rst....the question I am sooo happy to answer is that YES my park light is on..which means hopefully I won't have to be spending $500 plus dollars...whew.

Now as far as that hole is it the one closet to me or the one farthest away...and it won't deploy the airbag and knock my head off will it.

THANKS SOOOO MUCH YOU GUYS FOR ALL YOUR HELP. I loooove my car..i call her Miss FoxXxy...cause she's a BAD BLACK B*#CH...lol...she's a head turner. This is my first time owning a Cadillac and I don't think I will ever buy anything else.

Help me heal my honey!

[ewill3rd]

It would be closer to you, in the middle with a little slotted plug in it.
If the P light is on then the car knows it is in park.
It could be a failure in the electrical system that lets you turn the key back.
I have never seen that fail.

[CaddyCutie2002]

Sooo do you think I should go with what the locksmith said....about the wires...and is this something I could do myself or should I just pay him to come out and disconnect it. I can't valet my beauty if I can't get this fixed...lol