Question:
I am a young mechanic and my key will not shut off all the way and release from the ignition in my 2004 Pontiac Aztek I have already tested relays and replaced the shift interlock can you tell me what is going on please?
Answer:
If you look under the ignition on the column you will see a little hole with a rubber plug in it. Remove the plug and if you stick a small screwdriver up in that hole you should be able to get the keys to release. That hole is there for a manual key release.
A hint of what to check, there could be damaged wires going to the gear selector in the center console. Or the ignition switch itself could be the problem. This is a very common problem, and the fixes vary from wiring to ignition switches to dealers wanting to replace entire columns. Good luck but the manual release should get you going for now.
