michaelrulaz

Hello,
I own a 1997 camaro RS 3.6L v6, and last night i went to walmart, when i came out to get into my car. The key became jammed in the ignition (i have been having some issues). the car would power on, lights and accessories, and it disabled the alarm, but wouldnt crank the car, not even like a dead battery, just it would turn over. so i eventually got the key dislodged and tried it again, this time the ignition wouldnt turn and the key became stuck, and the ignition was jammed inward, i tried dislodging the key and the ignition, i ended up ripping the plastic part out, where it reads the black chip on the gm keys, and one wire is connected and the 2nd is ripped, i couldnt find the other end comming out of the ignition. so i am assuming i need to replace it.

Can someone please explain the process, i know i need to take the steering column off and what not. but i dont know how to do it, i am good at learning to fix the things in my car and i want to try this one myself; also it would be great to know what tools are needed, and how much im looking to pay for this. or would it better to pay a mechanic to do this?

please help me, and thanks in advance for all replies.

Injuneer

Shoebox has a procedure for replacing the ignition switch:

http://shbox.com/ignsw/ign_switch_repl.html

Good luck - its complicated.

michaelrulaz

That website is actually very handy, im glad i was introduced to it. I went to auto zone and purchased a new key lock cylinder, and im going to the locksmith tomorrow to have the keys cut and made. and then a family friend, who is a mechanic is going to provide me the tools and guidance to help me do it.

shoebox

It's not really clear whether your problem is the key cylinder or the switch (two different things) or anything in between. The cylinder is connected to the switch by a sector and rod. If the switch gets jammed, the cylinder will not turn.