Ignition cylinder won't release key, only goes back to AUX

[mijohnst]

I'm trying to help a nice lady out with her '01 Tahoe. The other day she said she got home and the key would not come out of the ignition. She can turn the key back enough to stop the engine but no further. I thought it's either the cylinder or the ignition module so I went to the junkyard and pulled both of those out of a car of the same year. I get back and try the new key cylinder and ignition module and it still won't go back enough to release the key. The furthest it'll drop back is the Accessory position.

So what's next? The ignition house itself?

 

[wjburken]

I'm trying to help a nice lady out with her '01 Tahoe. The other day she said she got home and the key would not come out of the ignition. She can turn the key back enough to stop the engine but no further. I thought it's either the cylinder or the ignition module so I went to the junkyard and pulled both of those out of a car of the same year. I get back and try the new key cylinder and ignition module and it still won't go back enough to release the key. The furthest it'll drop back is the Accessory position.

So what's next? The ignition house itself?

Might be the shift lever. If it isn’t all the way into park, it could keep the key from going to off position.

 

[Doubeleive]

like Wade said it could be the shift interlock it's under the steering column under the bottom kick panel, video is for a newer model van but they are all basically the same.

 

[Fless]

Hate it when people film in portrait orientation. Landscape FTW! Just sayin'

 

[mijohnst]

Good suggestions guys! Your video isn't come up for me. I'll see if I can just google it.

 

[mijohnst]

So it looks like this interlock solenoid makes it were pressing the break is required before you can move the shifter. Her Tahoe shifts through all gears just fine. Would this solenoid stop the ignition from turning back?

Is there a manual key release somewhere on a Tahoe?

 

[3Dog]

Might be the shift lever. If it isn’t all the way into park, it could keep the key from going to off position.

like Wade said it could be the shift interlock it's under the steering column under the bottom kick panel, video is for a newer model van but they are all basically the same.

So it looks like this interlock solenoid makes it were pressing the break is required before you can move the shifter. Her Tahoe shifts through all gears just fine. Would this solenoid stop the ignition from turning back?

I have this problem. Nothing wrong with the solenoid, but the spring in the shift lever is weak or broken. When I move the shifter to Park, I have to manually push the stalk of the shift lever toward the dash (which is what the spring should do, normally). If I don't push the lever toward the dash once in Park, the key will not release. A VERY minor annoyance, and one that I don't even notice anymore since I am in the habit. But anyone else who drives my Tahoe can be sitting in the driver seat for 10 minutes trying to figure out how to remove the key...


.

 

[mijohnst]

I have this problem. Nothing wrong with the solenoid, but the spring in the shift lever is weak or broken. When I move the shifter to Park, I have to manually push the stalk of the shift lever toward the dash (which is what the spring should do, normally). If I don't push the lever toward the dash once in Park, the key will not release. A VERY minor annoyance, and one that I don't even notice anymore since I am in the habit. But anyone else who drives my Tahoe can be sitting in the driver seat for 10 minutes trying to figure out how to remove the key...

.

Thanks for the response. I know the spring that you're talking about. I noticed that hers is broken too and you have to manually push the shifter up to the dash to get the P selected. Great recommendation. Unforutinally it's got to be something deeper because the key still won't come out. If we can get it figured out I'll post exactly what it was we did to fix it.

 

[OR VietVet]

Or, the tumbler itself, you called it cylinder, is coming apart inside. Does she have about 500 pounds of keys and assorted other things on her key ring? That helps accelerate the wear out of the tumbler.

The used tumbler you got from the salvage yard could be bad as well, but not likely. So, then the end of that tumbler could be up against something in the column that is binding.

 

[Doubeleive]

So it looks like this interlock solenoid makes it were pressing the break is required before you can move the shifter. Her Tahoe shifts through all gears just fine. Would this solenoid stop the ignition from turning back?

Is there a manual key release somewhere on a Tahoe?

yes, once the key is turned to run there is a pinhole on top of the housing just press a paper clip in it and pull the ignition out at the same time, that wont release the key but it will release the whole cylinder, maybe then you can look inside the housing and see what is blocking it.
***I guess you probably already knew that since you have already tried another cylinder