2001 Oldsmobile Aurora
3.5 L V6
Repairs = GM dealer has trouble shot, cannot duplicate.
tech = JK
question = Dear JK, my 2001 Olds Aurora ignition key sometimes cannot
be removed. This only happens on hot summer days here in Houston, 85-100
deg, after the car has sat in the sun all day long. At the end of the
day I start the car normally and drive about a 1.5 miles. Stop, put the
car in park and turn off the engine. The engine stops and then the key
will not rotate to the off position. It stops just a smidge past the
accessory position. Transmission is not locked at this point. If I drive
longer (i.e. further) the problem is not present. This problem started
last summer but all this past winter the problem did not occur once,
it came back this summer. It fails like this one out of three trips.
I have tried many tricks to figure out what is going on and overcome
the problem. I Play with the key, shifter, brake, and the only thing that
works fairly consistently is to restart the engine, place shifter into
drive, hold brake and load engine to 1500 rpm for 5-7 sec. Them
immediately put shifter into park and turn off engine. 6 out of ten times
this works. Otherwise I sit for four to ten minutes with engine idling or
driving around parking lot until key will come out.
So the problem seems to have two core links, high ambient temp combined
with a very short trip.
GMM dealer cannot duplicate so they say they don’t know what to
repair? Do you have any experience with this problem or know of a course of
action to diagnose the problem?
JK:
Hello and welcome. Have had this problem with several other cars with floor shifter, just not
specifically an Aurora. With what you describe, it sounds like the shift lock solenoid or mechanism in
the floor shifter console is not working properly. That may be caused by a faulty solenoid, or
possibly the adjustment of the shifter cable. With the shifter/cable not fully in park, the solenoid will
not activate. Usually play with key and shifter will allow it to go fully into park and release the key. I
spoke with our trans. tech. SF, and he agrees. He also added that he has had a FEW worn shifter
cables also do this, which may be why brake torque of the engine you described works. The
movement of the engine may be enough to get the shifter/cable all the way to park. Sometimes
spilling liquid(coffee, pop, etc) can also cause a linkage or shift lock solenoid in the floor shifter to
stick after it has been in there a while. This could be the reason for happening in hot weather- liguid
gets sticky. If you would like to try and repair yourself, let me know and i will try to help.
P.S. Getting the upper plate off the center console to gain access is quite a difficult task. very easy
to crack
Let me know if you need more help. JK
3.5 L V6
Repairs = GM dealer has trouble shot, cannot duplicate.
tech = JK
question = Dear JK, my 2001 Olds Aurora ignition key sometimes cannot
be removed. This only happens on hot summer days here in Houston, 85-100
deg, after the car has sat in the sun all day long. At the end of the
day I start the car normally and drive about a 1.5 miles. Stop, put the
car in park and turn off the engine. The engine stops and then the key
will not rotate to the off position. It stops just a smidge past the
accessory position. Transmission is not locked at this point. If I drive
longer (i.e. further) the problem is not present. This problem started
last summer but all this past winter the problem did not occur once,
it came back this summer. It fails like this one out of three trips.
I have tried many tricks to figure out what is going on and overcome
the problem. I Play with the key, shifter, brake, and the only thing that
works fairly consistently is to restart the engine, place shifter into
drive, hold brake and load engine to 1500 rpm for 5-7 sec. Them
immediately put shifter into park and turn off engine. 6 out of ten times
this works. Otherwise I sit for four to ten minutes with engine idling or
driving around parking lot until key will come out.
So the problem seems to have two core links, high ambient temp combined
with a very short trip.
GMM dealer cannot duplicate so they say they don’t know what to
repair? Do you have any experience with this problem or know of a course of
action to diagnose the problem?
JK:
Hello and welcome. Have had this problem with several other cars with floor shifter, just not
specifically an Aurora. With what you describe, it sounds like the shift lock solenoid or mechanism in
the floor shifter console is not working properly. That may be caused by a faulty solenoid, or
possibly the adjustment of the shifter cable. With the shifter/cable not fully in park, the solenoid will
not activate. Usually play with key and shifter will allow it to go fully into park and release the key. I
spoke with our trans. tech. SF, and he agrees. He also added that he has had a FEW worn shifter
cables also do this, which may be why brake torque of the engine you described works. The
movement of the engine may be enough to get the shifter/cable all the way to park. Sometimes
spilling liquid(coffee, pop, etc) can also cause a linkage or shift lock solenoid in the floor shifter to
stick after it has been in there a while. This could be the reason for happening in hot weather- liguid
gets sticky. If you would like to try and repair yourself, let me know and i will try to help.
P.S. Getting the upper plate off the center console to gain access is quite a difficult task. very easy
to crack
Let me know if you need more help. JK
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