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99Grand Am - Anti-theft?

My daughter called last night at midnight when she got out of work.

She'd started her car with her remote starter, but when she got in the car, she thinks she hit something on the fob, the car stalled, and now she can't turn the ignition key or take it out of park.

The remote starter still works and it runs. Once started, you can turn the steering wheel freely. If you start it with the remote, then step on the brake, the car stalls as designed. But it will start right up again.

The car will lock and unlock from the remote -- but the horn doesn't chirp. This suggests to me that the alarm isn't setting- so it can't clear itself.

I'm about to go l.ook at it in the daylight-- check all the fuses, try manually locking the car.

If that doesn't work does anyone have some suggestions on where to look next?

Thanks, Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht
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Well- after checking all the fuses, I called the guy who installed the remote starter & he said it was probably the ignition cylinder. As soon as he said it, I remembered that 2 yrs ago it was flakey at times- and I had a new key cut from the VIN, and sprayed some lock-lube [dry graphite] in the cylinder. All was well until yesterday.

So now I've tapped and lubed, and 'dry-aired' and wiggled and tried several keys. . . and still no joy.

To save the price of a tow, and the cost of paying my mechanic to do this- is my best bet to drill the cylinder? I've seen it mentioned on the Grand Am forum & the poster said to remove the ignition switch from the dash before drilling. I had thought that it would be drilled directly into the slot where the key goes & wonder why leaving it right in the dash wasn't a good idea.

Any thoughts? -- Or am I about to drill in the wrong place?

Thanks, Jim

Jim Elbrecht wrote:

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

Reply to
Shep

It's not the chip-type key-- but the problem isn't that the car won't start. The problem is that the key won't turn.

Daughter remembered she had AAA- towed to repair shop.

Thanks anyway, Jim

Reply to
Jim Elbrecht

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