This 1997 Pontiac Grand Am came in with the complaint that the ignition switch will not turn all of the way off. This causes two other problems. The key cannot be removed from the ignition lock cylinder and the ignition stays on enough for the systems not to shut down fully. The battery will go dead as a result. This is an increasingly common problem on many GM cars. This repair is only about how to get the ignition, switched off fully, so that the key can be removed and the battery drain condition can be avoided.
Look at the underside of the steering column plastic housing. You should see a removable section as shown in the picture below.
Place the tip of a spare key or a flat blade screwdriver into the slot as shown below. Using the slot as a pivot point, gently push the key head or screwdriver handle towards the base of the steering column. You just need to flex the forward edge of the insert panel enough to clear the main plastic cover.
Now, slide the insert on the direction of the arrow to remove the insert from the housing cover.
With the access cover removed you now have enough room to use the ned of your finger to locate the steel button and push it in. With the button/pin pushed in you can now turn the ignition key all of the way off.
I removed the cover in order to give you a better view of the pin/button that needs to be pushed in to release the ignition switch and therefore the key.
Keep in mind that this is just a mechanical override to allow the key to be switched off fully. It is not a fix. I will do a post about diagnosing and replacing the faulty part soon. In this case it was a faulty floor shifter assembly. Click here to see that post.
I have a 2001 Grand AM SE and had the same issue with the key. Thought it was the shifter too, a nice fix that i came up with and did not harm my car at all was taking the safety pin out. on the back of your ignition is a safety pin (im assuming its the same one sparky told you to press to temporarily release the key) if you take the pin out it wont lock up your ignition anymore. Hope this helps.
I just went back and added a link to that post at the end of this article.
I too am interested in the resolution. I have a 97 grand am with the same issue. I suspect it’s something to do with the shifter. I would like to know a fix or a work around.
The system that I was working on will not cause your problem of not being able to switch the key on. Not sure about the recall you spoke of. Not at the shop to be able to look it up either. Try doing this though. Rotate the steering wheel slightly from right to left and see if the key will free up. Sometimes if the key is switched off and the wheels are not straight or they are touching something. The steering wheel will lock the key mechanism.
Hey Sparky, i bought a used 97 Grand Am SE about a month ago and i was randomly getting the ‘key stuck in ignition problem’ for a while but i could get it out after 10-15 mins of wiggling the ignition but 2 days ago it decided to go on strike. The key was stuck for good so i googled this problem on my phone and landed on your site, pressed the manual key release button and got it out. But now i can’t get the darn key to turn at all and start the car. I found out that my vehicle is one of those that is eligible for the 02v070000 recall (faulty ignition switch). What we’re the symptoms on your car 97 grand am and how did you fix the bad shifter assembly problem ? I wanna check all my options before i go to the dealership. Thanks