RockinGTA89

unfortunatly i've been having a bad few weeks, first my trucks battery took a crap a few weeks ago (had to get it towed), and then the transmission blew up last weekend, and now since i'm forced to drive my GTA in this stupid cold and frosted up salt weather...my car is now developing problems with the ignition system. At this moment i can tell you that the igntion tumbler is becoming a pain. I know it ain't my VATS system because it does kick the fuel pump and accessories on. I could get the tumbler to go into the accesory, lock, and run postion...but unfortunatly it won't move into the start position...it feels like something in the tumbler is stuck and it's hard to move foward into the starting position...I'm afraid to use vice grips and force the thing to turn into the starting postion, and i bet i can only expect everything interally would break if i did that.
yesterday i was trying to wiggle the ignition lock and at one point it felt like the key moved in smoothly and then i was able to start my car....however after shutting it off it was a mistake because i wasn't able to get the thing to turn again and plus the key was gettting stuck in the tumbler!
And another stupid situation is i was gonna try to find some info frpm my service book but it a 88 model year and the vats wasn't introduced till 89....just my luck huh..?

All i ask is what i can do at this point, while it's parked outside in a stupid lot,
I wish not to damage the tumbler or column, but at this point i'm not planning on paying for another tow.....I'll continue to wiggle but man..this is becoming a headache..and i only wish stupid problems like this will stop!

xpndbl3

iTrader: (5)

call a locksmith and have them fix it.

Randy82WS7

so replace the lock cylinder ?

they dont cost very much

vats keys:


http://images.google.com/images?q=VA...hl=en&safe=off

does your key look like those?

if not then you have no vats

nape

iTrader: (1)

Replace the lock cylinder.

It's not too hard.

-Pull steering wheel
-Push down the lock plate so you can dig the cir-clip type part out
-remove the plate and spring
-use a torx to remove the bolt holding the tumbler in, IIRC

It's been a few years since I've had it open, but it shouldn't take more then a couple hours for a first time.

You can rent steering wheel pullers at Autozone. Look at them before you go home though, it's common for dumbasses (like myself) to bend the bolts. Luckily, I bent them on my own balancer puller instead.

91CamaroRS305

iTrader: (2)

Hey rockin.....if you could get the car to the southwest side of chicago and it isnt the vats style key I will replace the tumbler for $25......let me know, I could travel but then it will double...

otherwise I have the tools for you to use and I can show you for a 12 pack of coors lite instead!!!!

RockinGTA89

Thanks for the insights peeps....anywho, the verdict came to a good conclusion.
My buddy bill and i end up getting the vehicle started and took it to my shop. When i was done with work today, i started digging on my car. I was able to do the job but it was a pain in the *** with that stupid snap ring...(on and off), then normal. I've done columns before and this was practically no different then the other vehicles i've done. Funny thing is i found out there was more to the job then the lock cylinder being the fault.... someone has previously played with the vats system before i bought the car..altered the wiring harness for it and bypassed it. However i took care of that and disconnect the "simulated" bypass wire, ordered a new lock cylinder with keys and reconnect the new harness to the connection area. Simple as that and it worked...so now i got a working anti theft system all over again like it did from the factory and a new tumbler....done.....remember i'm more than a mechanic....I'm a "ASE ceritifed Tech!" LOL...

IROCU2

Now that's what I am talking about. A nice ending to nice story.