So I'm having a problem with my H3, it started acting up today. It first happened when I was filling up at the gas station. I turn my key and it turns the engine off, but it wouldn't let me take it out. it got stuck and wouldn't let me get pass the lock to pull it out. So I just started it back up and put it in reverse and then back in park and killed it and the key came out no problem. this seemed to work for me all day. until I pulled in the driveway and my little trick didn't work. After screwing with it for a good 20 minutes of turning the truck on and off I managed to get it out. Does anyone know what the hell is wrong with it?

 

Check to make sure your battery terminals are tight.

 

IDK why this would happen, but the only time mine had that problem is like the guy before me said, battery terminals must have a good contact, and if not then there could be a fuse out.

 

battery Terminals are fine. no fuses are blown. It hasen't acted up all day so im gonna assume that its not broken anymore

 

yep sounds like your terminals. Mine would do the same. Fine for a week then it would just stall out of nowhere. Id go and touch the terminals and power would come right back. Even overnight it would do it and would have to open the hood and wiggle them till the power kicked in.

The terminals are garbage and the sooner you get rid of them the better, I had the same mentality that it was fine but it stalled out going 70 mph and scared the **** out of me when your brakes and steering become a work out at that speed.

You can try tightening them and pushing them down the post a bit more but it is inevitable that one day again they will wiggle loose.

 

Get rid of the POS OEM terminals and you will get rid of your problem. The key in the ignition is a security feature, when your PCM detects incorrect voltage (ie a bad connection).

Never had an issue since installing Stingers.

 

Holy ****... yeah thats pretty scary. I better get some stingers.

 

Another thing to consider is the safety switch that is integrated into the gear selector. If it's not in park, it will not all you to release the ignition barrel to lock. These have been known to go bad on GM cars and give a false reading that the car is not in park. They go out intermittent like this at first too, but will eventually get worse. May or may not be it, but I have seen it happen many times.

 

yeah could be the key/ignition interlock, or the pcm might not be detecting that it's in park, hence a bad sensor/switch. also try turning the steering wheel back and forth, sometimes when there's some load on the steering wheel the thing doesn't lock up properly and screws up being able to turn the key/take it out etc.

 

OK, same exact thing happened to me the day I bought the track (08Alpha). Literally drove to restaurant and valet could not get key out. It had nothing to do with terminals for me. What you have to do is slightly push forward on the shifter. When truck is in Park, after it clicks into place, just push forward a little. Dont mash it. Just a slight nudge. Works every time. Needs to be done 90% of time I drive.