NEED HELP Key pulls out while still in gear...

[zephyr429]

Greeting everyone. So I'm looking for a little input from anyone that might have experience with this. My mother has a 2003 TB LS, 2x4, with a 2004 4.2, and when I drove it today it wouldn't start when I got back in. After a moment I realized that I had inadvertently left it in drivenwhen I shut the truck off and pulled the key out. No matter what gear you leave the shifter in you can remove the key in the off position.

I have a 2003 and have never encountered this with mine. I know how to remove stuck keys and what not, but have never seen anything the key being removed in this fashion. Everything I have found online talks about removing a stuck key with will not release.

My main concern is that her carport is on a hill and I'm afraid that if she does this the TB might roll down the hill in the middle of the night, which happend to a car we had growning up, when my brother was learning to drive a 5 spd. LoL.

My intuition is telling me that it's probably the ignition switch failing but there are no other signs.

Whatcha think?

Thanks!

 

[Sparky]

I don't think it is the switch as that's just the electrical part, but rather the actual tumbler. That's a little bit of an issue. What if you put a different GM key in there, does it still turn? My parents' old Ford would do that, you could put any Ford key in it and drive it. Fun thing was, you would then lock yourself out of it!

 

[Hobbyist4Life]

Greeting everyone. So I'm looking for a little input from anyone that might have experience with this. My mother has a 2003 TB LS, 2x4, with a 2004 4.2, and when I drove it today it wouldn't start when I got back in. After a moment I realized that I had inadvertently left it in drivenwhen I shut the truck off and pulled the key out. No matter what gear you leave the shifter in you can remove the key in the off position.

I have a 2003 and have never encountered this with mine. I know how to remove stuck keys and what not, but have never seen anything the key being removed in this fashion. Everything I have found online talks about removing a stuck key with will not release.

My main concern is that her carport is on a hill and I'm afraid that if she does this the TB might roll down the hill in the middle of the night, which happend to a car we had growning up, when my brother was learning to drive a 5 spd. LoL.

My intuition is telling me that it's probably the ignition switch failing but there are no other signs.

Whatcha think?

Thanks!

I think it's the PNP switch, but I can't say for sure.

It's the most logical thing I can think of at the moment.

 

[Texan]

Might be stuck tumblers in lock cylinder.
Try a little lock lube.

 

[Hobbyist4Life]

I think it's the PNP switch, but I can't say for sure.

It's the most logical thing I can think of at the moment.

Correction: PNP Switch is for starting the car while only in P or N, so nvm that.