Chevrolet - Cobalt :: 2008 - Keys Get Stuck In Ignition
Jan 5, 2014
Keys get stuck in ignition lose all power have replaced ignition and shifter?
View 1 RepliesKeys get stuck in ignition lose all power have replaced ignition and shifter?
View 1 RepliesRan my battery down on my car when I left my lights on and proceeded to work an 8-hour shift.
Came out and stuck my key in the ignition. Nothing happened, which is when I realized my plight. The dang ignition wouldn't release my key! This meant I couldn't get into the trunk by key. I pressed the (stupidly electric) remote trunk lock. That's where the jumper cables are! Did I mention it was below freezing and I wasn't dressed for sustained outdoor shenanigans?
Fortunately, I was able to flag down co-workers with jumper cables, after a time. We opened the hood--praises, they actually left a cable-actuated device on the car!--and got going. None the less, it was a close scare.
1) Why does the ignition "grab" the key without battery power?
2) How does one defeat 1)?
3) Is it necessary to store my jumper cables INSIDE the car?
4) What mental giant decided a trunk latch that's INOP with a dead battery was a good idea?
I have a decent working understanding of a lock cylinder--6 or so spring-loaded wafers that retract into the cylinder body, allowing it to turn--but I don't see how that requires current flow to work. If it's a "safety" feature, how do I disable it, permanently?
I went to get into my car this morning & my key fob didn't work. I Manually entered the car by using my key in the door (expecting the alarm to go off). I put the keys into the ignition & twist to start my car &.... NOTHING. I'm getting no display on my monitors (almost like there is no power to the car) & to make matters worse. I can't get the key out of the ignition. A couple things of note.
1. I had both batteries replaced in December (as a precaution since both were originals)
2. I've noticed that there may be a water seepage issue (noticed some water collected in the driver side floor of my car which may have gone unnoticed because I'd attributed it to water from my feet when it was raining) I've never seen any water accumulation on the floor during a dry day until this morning.
How I can get the key out of the ignition w/o power (i.e is there a manual release switch?) Is there a way to get the car into neutral w/o power etc.? The last time w/ the steering wheel issue. I had a devil of a time w/ the tow company because the wheels were locked etc.
2008 Chevy Cobalt
The fan for my A/c and heat does not turn on anymore. The A/c and heating systems themselves do work because if I put my hand right up against the vent I can feel it. When I switch on the fan, there is no noise, no humming either. This happened over the course of two days where first the fan worked fine, then it took a little while to turn on, then it would only turn on if I put it on high and waited a long time, then it didn't turn on at all.
Since then I have not tried to turn the fan on for more than a few minutes to see if I can get it to work again because I'm concerned that the trapped heat or A/c might damage something inside (am I correct?).
My daughters car won't start. My husband took out the starter and had it tested and it is fine. Then he took the battery out of my car and put it in the Cobalt, still doesn't start. The starter is turning but the engine doesn't engage. The fly wheel looks good. My daughter is using my car to get to work and to soccer practice for a team she is coaching, I miss my car!
View 11 RepliesI have an '08 Chevy Cobalt with manual transmission with 55,000 miles on it. The clutch is beginning to slip, and is probably going out. What is the life expectancy of a clutch, I thought this seemed kind of short.
View 6 RepliesOk everytime I am stopped at a light or even when my car is in park, my speedometer begins to jump up and down, usually it will jus eventually stop, yesterday the engine started to rev then the car just shut off while I'm just sitting at a light, then my headlights began darken right before it shuts off. What could the problem. 2008 Chevy Cobalt
View 7 RepliesI am having an electrical problem with my front right turn signal I have not been able to chase down.
The symptoms are when the headlights are on, either manually or automatically from the daylight sensor, the front right turn signal will not flash, and I get the double speed clicking as if there were a burned out bulb. However, when it is daylight out and the headlights are in daytime running light mode, the turn signal works fine, 95% of the time. Occasionally when the headlights are off the turn signal will not work either.
I have replaced the headlights casing and bulbs, and tried rebuilding the pig tail harness as well.
I've got an '08 Cobalt. There is a large leak in my coolant system. The plastic reservoir is empty and if I add coolant and start the engine it all gushes out of a hole in a piece of plastic on the side of the radiator. Can I drive it to the shop if I watch the engine temperature or should I have it towed? Is the engine temperature measurement affected by the lack of coolant?
View 6 RepliesIt's a 2001 Chevy cavalier. The key is stuck and won't turn the car off. Already have tried shaking the wheel and wd-40. The wipers won't work and the gauges won't turn on until I jiggle the key.
View 4 RepliesCar clicks when I turn the key , all lights and electrical come on but the engine will not turn over....
View 2 RepliesI accidentally put the key from my 2008 Honda Odyssey into the ignition of my 2004 Honda Odyssey, and now the key won't come out! How to get the key out? I tried jiggling the steering wheel, jiggling the key, disabling the battery, unlocking the gear shift and putting the car in and out of park, but nothing even remotely loosens the key.
View 2 RepliesI have a 2008 Prius. The black square key is stuck in the ignition and won't come out. I can hear clicking sound under the hood -- perhaps the battery. But the car won't start; the clock is off and the doors don't lock, except manually.
View 17 RepliesThe truck seems to continue to crank sometimes even after I let the key go. Kinda like it's having a difficult time starting and NEEDS to be cranked a wee bit more and takes over for me. Is this an ignition issue that I can (need) to address or is it normal. I have ZERO experience with a newer vehicle nor a Ford truck.
View 2 RepliesMy young lad just picked up a 2004 F150 4x4. While fixing it up we have encountered a weird problem. The key goes in , starts and runs the truck but cannot be removed, unless you unhook the battery.
View 5 RepliesI drive a 99 s/w 2 and this mourning when I arrived at work I got out of the vehicle and the bell that chimes when you leave the headlights on or the key in the ignition the warning chime would not turn off even though the keys were out of the ignition and the headlights were off, however it stops chiming when you shut the door.
View 2 RepliesI have a 2006 Dodge Stratus and recently lost my transponder key for my ignition. I do have a spare key cut but it doesn't have a chip in it, I can only use it to unlock the doors and open the trunk.
What I want to know... is there:
➣ A way to disable/bypass the theft prevention system so I can use the non-chipped key in my ignition?
➣ a way I can modify my key to trick the theft prevention system into thinking it is a real key?
I am the (once) proud owner of a 2008 Chevrolet Impala. I have owned the car for one year, putting only 12,000 miles on it (was 109,000 when I bought it.) The car has run quite well—I have not had any problems out of it (unlike the 1999-2005 generation Impalas). But, as many of you may have heard, GM had some massive recalls as of late. Many of the cars have had fatal ignition switch failures. Basically every single Impala in the last (my) generation has been recalled.
Take any other keys/paraphernalia off of the chain—basically, just insert the key into the ignition, unattached to anything. This is the fix for the time being, apparently—until they can get ignition switches for however many hundred thousand Impalas they have to fix.
I am about to make a 3 hour drive. Now, that wouldn't be the longest drive that I have made in this car (and I cringe at the idea that, driving 17 hours with a bunch of crap hanging off of my chain, that my car easily could have been one of the unfortunate ones.)
Now that I know that I cannot be sure of the safety of my vehicle, I need to know what to do in the case of an emergency. I want to know what exactly the situation of an ignition switch failure entails...basically, what happens to my car and my ability to control the car. Lastly, I need to know what to do if this happens.
The battery on my 4.2 liter inline 6 2008 chevy trailblazer is draining without the key in the ignition. I have checked the alternator, fuses, and starter with no luck. What might be causing this problem?
View 7 RepliesI was driving home and i turned off my car as soon as i put it in park. Came back down two minutes later and it wont turn over or try to start. It makes a weird low clicking sound once the keys are taken out of the ignition.
View 1 RepliesSo I bought a 2005 Honda Pilot which came with 2 keys. The main key has a remote battery (which is dead) and a spare key. Because the battery is dead, we must manually unlock the car door each time we get in. A month ago or so I noticed that the main key was having trouble going in the driver's side door. It would go about half way in and jam. I would try 5-10 times and then eventually it'd go in and turn fine. Sometimes I'd go to the passenger door where it would open with no problem.
We started having the same problem with the key in the ignition, where it would take several times to get the key in the ignition, once in, it would turn fine. At this point, we switched to the passenger key, as we are really tight in the money dept (aren't we all?), and didn't want to pay much money for a slight inconvenience.
Unfortunately we're not having the same trouble with the spare key in the ignition. 5-10 times before it will go in, once in, it starts fine. The main key is still tough on the driver door. The only thing I can think of is it's the keys and the ignition, as it doesn't make sense that it's limited to one or the other since we have problems with both keys..