We can't start the Tahoe because the key will not turn in the ignition. The wheels are straight, the emergency brake is off, the battery seems to have plenty of juice (when we swith the lights on they are bright). This truck does not have a smart key and has been working fine for years with this key. Can anyone give us some clue?
Put gentle pressure on the ignition switch and then rock the steering wheel back and forth.
Al
Greetings,
Actually, rock the steering wheel side-to-side. The steering wheel lock may be bound up by slight pressure on the steering wheel, so turning it side-to-side while trying to turn the key may relieve the pressure on the mechanism.
Cheers - Jonathan
The steering wheel isn't locked. We can actually move it.
Greetings,
The only other thing I can think of is to make sure that your gear selector lever is in Park. If it is, then you may have to jiggle it around a little - you could have some binding there as well. However, if your steering wheel is completely free to turn even with the key not in the ignition then it sounds like you may have other problems (the wheel is supposed to lock without the key in).
Other than the basic common sense item of making sure you are using an original key and not a copy, then it may be time to call the dealer or roadside assistance.
Good luck - Jonathan
Could very well be a defective ignition switch.
This happened to me once when my key was worn. The spare key worked fine. Just a thought.
Glenn
The ignition cylinder is bad.
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