When you return from a drive, you can turn the key to the off position, and it switchs off the engine. But then you cannot remove the key from the tumbler. It is stuck in the ILC or Ignition Lock Cylinder per the Rock Auto catalog. $45.79. Now if that isn't enough of a problem , with the key inserted , it runs down the battery like there is a sizable parasidic drag. So then I put my good old Battery Tender, Jr. on the battery to charge it and this causes the red dash board light to flash the red battery symbol very rapidly. So far, the battery doesn't seem to be taking a charge. Maybe the battery has been discharged so far and won't take a charge. Any suggestions on what to check ? Any ideas on how long it takes to remove and replace an ignition lock cylinder on a 2003 Blazer 2 door ?

I had just gotten several new keys made at Home Depot. So I thought I had gotten several bad keys made causing this sticking problem..........I then found an old key and it also got stuck in the Ign. lock cylinder. That's when I decided it was not a key problem ,but an ignition lock cylinder problem.

Can anyone direct me to a forum post on how to replace an ign.cylinder lock ? Only 114,550 miles on the odometer BTW.


Can someone say what the rapidly flashing red 'battery' symbol indicates ??? That's got to tell us something..Thanks, Jim I am supposed to go out of town tomorrow early.

 

When is the battery light flashing?:

Ignition off, key stuck
engine off, ignition on
Engine running

What is the system voltage under these three scenarios? Measure it at the cigarette lighter plug.


George

 

All of these selections are with the 'engine off/not running' because the battery is dead.
All of these are with the key stuck in the ignition lock cylinder or tumbler as I call it.
If you can imagine the steps from the left to the right : First is 'ACC', then 'on', then 'run' then START. With START all the way to the Right to engage the starter temporarily.
I see the Red battery light flashing fast in ACC and ON. No red light in RUN and Start.....It is hard to tell these individual steps because there is no written phrases on the key housing....There is only a subtle detent in the feel of the key when it movies in the arc.
Now it changed this morning as was frantically trying to get my Balzer with all my tools in it to go out of town for the day. Fidling with the key with no luck, I was looking for a new can of WD-40 to spray into the lock cylinder as a last ditch attempt to free the key, the KEY suddenly popped out into my hand. Nothing I had done. i was glad because all locksmiths say 'Never spray WD-40 or any liquid lubes into the lock cylinder.' I thought: now the battery will take a charge , now that the key is out. I didn't take a charge. I am scared to put the kay back in the ignition because I am scared it will get stuck again.

 

If the battery light is flashing and the truck is not running then you have one of a few problems:

The ignition switch is hosed
The battery voltage is marginal
You have a fuse, wiring or connector problem
Dash cluster/bulb is broken
ECM is broken

Since you have to replace the ignition switch anyhow, that may solve your problem. It is normal for the battery light to be on when the ignition switch is energized because the system voltage is not high enough to properly charge the battery. It will stay lit as long as the ignition switch is energized, the truck is not running and the battery voltage has not dropped low enough for the ECM to crap out. When the truck starts the system voltage climbs above the level deemed necessary for proper battery charging (usually around 13.5V, not sure on Blazers) and the light goes out. The only way that the battery light can flash is from one of the issues above. If you have a cigarette lighter voltmeter then leave it plugged in and see what the system voltage is doing during the flashing.

Your going to need to get the battery charged and then if possible, load tested. You then need to measure the system voltage at rest, key on, and engine running. If the voltage is out of bounds during engine running then you should inspect all wiring and connectors and if nothing, have the alternator tested.

You mentioned a large parasitic amp draw. When the battery and alternator are all checked out or fixed, what is the amp draw on the battery with everything off and ample time for the ECM to go to sleep?

George

 

The spring cap on the cylinder has become loose. Therefore not applying the proper pressure on the wafers inside. This is a sidebar lock cylinder. When you insert the key, it raises the wafers to the proper position allowing the sidebar to retract the you can turn the key. Your sidebar is still sticking out slightly. Take it to a locksmith and he can remove the cylinder and re-stake the spring cap. This is a notorious problem on General Motors products. Also one thing to keep in mind, on ALL G.M. products, keep your key ring as light as possible. Heavy key rings wear the inside of the cylinder out.....quickly. I'm a retired certified master locksmith with 25+ years experience. I have fixed more of these problems than I care to think about.

 

If you have those tools that a locksmith uses to replace the cylinder then you can also do cylinder replacement easily.