This 2002 Pontiac Grand Prix had already been diagnosed with a faulty ignition switch. The faulty switch was not allowing the blower motor to operate properly.
Now on to changing the ignition switch. Disconnect the battery.
The first step is to remove the lower trim panel under the steering column. There may be some screws at the bottom of this panel that have to be removed. This car did not have any. With the bottom edge loose the panel can be slid towards the driver’s seat to disengage the retaining clips.
Now that the trim panel is out of the way. There are several 7 mm headed screws that have to be removed.
There are four 10 mm headed bolts that have to be removed that are further up in the dash and an extension will be needed.
The panel removed. Notice how far up in the dash the interior mounting edge is.
Pull the tilt lever from the steering column. For more detailed pictures of how this comes out please click here.
There are a couple of torx screws that have to be removed from the bottom cover and then it can be pulled down.
With the bottom cover removed the upper cover retaining screws can be removed. A torx socket will be needed.
The one on the outside is a two step process. First remove the screw.
Then remove the extension with a pair of pliers.
Next disconnect the gang connector near the bottom of the steering column. There is a 7 mm headed bolt in the center of the connector.
After separating the connector halves you will notice that the connector is made up of three pieces.
Using a small screwdriver spread the outer connectors away from the main body. Sorry about the blurred picture.
Slide the connector out of the main body. Repeat this step for the other side of this connector.
Next lift the upper shroud and insert a curved and pointed device as shown in the next picture.
Look closely with a light and locate the small hole in the aluminum housing above the lock cylinder.
Rotate the lock cylinder to the full crank position and then depress the retaining pin in the hole that you located earlier. Pull the lock cylinder from the housing.
This is a view of the above mentioned hole and tool with the cover removed so that you can get a better idea of its location.
This vehicle has a factory anti theft system that uses a transponder in the key. The black part that I am pointing to is the receiver antenna. Release the clips and slide it off of the housing.
Remove the screws that hold the ignition switch in place. The cream colored piece to the right with two wires attached is the key buzzer switch. To remove it use a small screwdriver to depress the locking tab, rotate it and lift off of the housing.
When removing the forward screw you will also be removing the lock cylinder shift interlock solenoid.
Finish removing the switch by cutting the wires ties that hold it to the other harnesses and install the new switch in reverse order. Make sure you secure the harnesses back together with new wire ties.
Update July 11, 2011: Well it was bound to happen, a bull in a china shop had difficulty reinstalling the lock cylinder and has now messed up his steering column. Wants to blame poor information from this site. I cannot stress enough that all of the work performed by me, on this site requires an extreme eye towards detail and a gentle touch. No part of this repair in particular should require any force or coercion of any kind!
Some extra things to keep in mind:
The new ignition switch needs to be indexed into the exact position, as the old switch was in, when it was removed. The ON position
The key tumbler assembly needs to be checked, to make sure the locking bar drops flat and evenly towards the center of the tumbler assembly when the key is installed. If it does not, DO NOT INSTALL IT!
There is a retaining bar/panel that holds the springs in place for the individual tumblers. If it is not fully installed and flat, no protrusions past the outside edge of the tumbler housing, DO NOT INSTALL IT!
These two tumbler pictures are for a similar design and not specifically for this vehicle.
This last tidbit of info requires some thought before performing. If the ignition tumbler was giving any signs of sticking or hanging up, I perform one extra step. In the slot that the locking bar rests in, take a small file and bevel the leading edge of the slot, so that a worn tumbler assembly will work without sticking. A very small amount of grease helps as well.
I recently replaced ignition switch to correct a blower problem. Here are some tips:
1. Tools needed:
a. male torx bit (T25)
b. female torx sockets (E4, E5)
Found these at Advance Auto
Parts. They have a long tapered
tips and fit in small places.
The set is $20.
c. metric socket sets. You’ll
need a long extension (8″)for
the 10mm underdash bolts
(more likely available with a
3/8″ drive socket set. Also need
sockets as small as 7mm, likely
available with a 1/4″ drive
socket set.
2. I had difficulty getting the key
cylinder out. The retaining pin
hole is far right. Use a small
Allen wrench held with a pair
pliers or a vise grip. Since
steering wheel cover is still in
place it is tight. I wore a
headlight to visualize while
working.
3. I had difficulty getting the
key cylinder back in. There is
piece of plasic that needs to be
oriented properly at the base of
the hole the key cylinder comes
out of. It is difficult to turn
with a screwdriver since the
slot is long and wide. I turned
it with a small wrench.
4. If you have an after-market
remote starter/security system
it will likely be spliced
into the old ignition switch.
You will need to resplice it
to save the feature or remove
the add-on entirely.
This makes the job more
complex. I decided to remove an
after-market remote starter
since it wasn’t being used much
and I didn’t want the ignition
switch to fail again.
Hope this helps
tk
If the electrical portion of the ignition switch is the only part replaced there is no programming needed. If the key has been changed, programming is needed but it only takes from ten minutes to about an hour to complete. If it is a PK system. If the lock cylinder is replaced it can be matched to the original key and again no programming will be needed. If someone is quoting $1250 US to replace these parts, go somewhere else.
The ign switches on gm cars are tricky to replace. once the switch is installed the key must be programmged to the computor if you have a pass system. the average time between replacing and reprogramming is about 8 hours which why an ign job is about $ 1250.00 in most shops. the switch is about $ 180.00-250.00 depending where you buy it
Awesome article. Very detailed and made the job a breeze. Took me about 2 hours and I’m a rookie at fixing car stuff. Commenter suggesting AutoZone for the E-4 Torx socket was spot on, it was 4 bucks,(thanks for that, it was a hard find). I used a 5/32 for the two E-5 Torx bolts. Now my A/C fan works on ALL speeds. Thanks Sparky!!!
If new keys were supplied with the new lock cylinder a relearn procedure will have to be performed. Instructions should have come with the part. Your keys should have PK3 stamped on them.