When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Tech / General EngineIs your car making a strange sound or won't start? Thinking of adding power with a new combination? Need other technical information or engine specific advice? Don't see another board for your problem? Post it here!
I bought this 84 a couple of weeks ago and cant get the keys out of the ignition. it looks like someone has fitted a new barrel at some point as its chrome, and i know the last owner i got the car off replaced the shifter assembly as he said it was really notchy when going through the gears.
so its in park but still wont turn all the way back to release the key ?
the key will not come out unless the battery is connected. if it is, there may be a loose wire or bad sensor that confirms its in park in that linkage area.
the key will not come out unless the battery is connected.
There's nothing like that in any thirdgen I've ever seen.
The problem is in the shifter. The broken cable, ie the one that doesn't go through the grommet and out to the transmission, is the column park/lock cable. It tells the column when the car is in park so you can turn the key to the lock position, and keeps people from being able to shift out of park without the key. It needs to be adjusted. Probably repaired or replaced and adjusted. The problem is the column doesn't believe you're in park.
Any info on what needs adjusted etc is greatfully accepted. The car is locked in my garage and doesnt run so isnt really going anywhere but the keys cant stay there forever lol
How about moving the steering wheel side to side to make sure your ignition switch is.completely turned off. You can see your switch isnt all the way to the lock position thats why it wont come out
Yes. That black piece, it's not supposed to be broken off the rest of the tube. It may not be terribly important, but it's definitely been damaged.
The park lock cable is adjustable, kind of like a TV cable. I'd scan the page of the service manual that explains how it's adjusted, but a 4" thick book and an all-in-one scanner/printer just don't cooperate. The round piece in front of the shifter bracket is the locking tab. It needs to be moved up to unlock the cable position. Then the tube sticking out around the cable can be moved forward or back. When it's in the proper position, push the tab back down. The damage may or may not be causing the problem. It might prevent properly adjusting the cable, IDk.
Red dash box outlines the locking tab. Small yellow arrow points to the part that needs to be adjusted, and the double arrow yellow indicates the direction of adjustment - forward and back.
Steering wheel position shouldn't matter. The lock plate pin in the column is spring loaded, if it's not aligned with a slot when the key is turned off, it doesn't inhibit the rest of the system. It just pushes against the lock plate, and if someone tries to turn the wheel it'll fall into a slot in the lock plate and prevent the wheel from turning.
I had this happen about a month after i got mine, i thought it was far more serious than it actually was (one of those cables). My ignition barrel was just worn, wouldnt release. when i pulled the barrel i had to get a tiny little piece of fencing wire to trigger it to release. grabbed a new GM one and problem solved.
Is the barrel hard to remove I've never changed one. I'm inclined to say its not the barrel itself as it looks quite new and the key is very shiny too. Unless it wasn't fitted properly
It's not hard to change the ignition lock cylinder, if you've ever been in a GM column. The steering wheel has to come off, then the lock plate, then the turn signal switch, and the key buzzer switch. Once everything is out of the way, there's a single screw that comes out and the lock cylinder just pulls out. But IIRC, the key has to be in the lock position for the cylinder to come out.
At the very least, if you decide to change the lock, you're going to want a lock plate compressor tool. Otherwise, it's no fun at all trying to compress the lock plate and pick the snap ring out of it's groove. It's not really fun even with the special tool.
Last night i took the black cable out of its mounting to move it around which made no difference, Im not sure how this cable has any adjustment on it though as it just clips into place then thats it ?
i popped the steering wheel off to see if i could see anything obvious, nope. the silver piece with the arrow pointing to it moves in and out depending on the position of the key.
the key is so hard to turn back to the lock position, and springs back to where it currently sits if you let go. I noticed if i used both hand to turn the key back to the lock position the wheel actually does lock in place.
I am going to take one last leap at this rolling donut to try to explain this, then you're on your own.
Photos 1 and 2 are the GM Service Manual pages dealing with replacing and adjusting the park lock cable.
Photos 3-7 are of an actual park lock cable, removed from the vehicle for clarity.
Here we see the park lock cable in it's typical installed state. Not the fixed plastic tube over the cable is not broken. The adjustment lock is in the locked position. Note the teeth on the side that would normally be facing the firewall, and the tension spring.
Note here that the plastic tube is retained in an adjustable assembly that clips into the shifter assembly. Again the adjustment lock is in the locked position.
Here we see the same view as before, but with the adjustment lock moved to the unlocked position.
Now we see the adjustment lock moved up to the unlocked position, and the cable adjusted all the way toward the firewall. Note the spring is visibly extended.
Here we see the cable adjusted all the way towards the shifter assembly, the spring compressed, and the adjustment lock pushed back down to the locked position.
Follow the instructions from the manual to adjust the cable. Considering that your park lock cable is broken, you may have to replace it to complete the adjustment process.
Well Drew thats exactly what i needed, i had no idea the lock cable had that adjuster part that lifts upwards like that.
The cable itself isnt broken its just part of the black sleeve that snapped off but doesnt actually affect anything.
Anyway i lifted the adjusted and it extended all the way out, and the keys came straight out then i put it back where it was a bit tighter but the keys still release freely. Result !
Well I don't know about you, but I feel better. I'm glad it worked out.
What I'd be worried about with the section of broken tube is that it could get jammed and gum up the works. Also not sure why the engineers made the tube that long, may be to protect or guide the cable. I'd just be a bit cautious about it.
Already taken care of mate, ive got some crazy strong epoxy type glue i use for other stuff and ive bonded it back in place, but looking at it while i was shifting up and down it doesnt interfear with anything at all, but its stuck back in place now anyway
01-02-2017, 03:14 PM
then i put it back where it was a bit tighter but the keys still release freely. Result !
