Key will not start, release steering wheel

re0zzy · January 4, 2015

Hello
My name is rich, I am an absolute newbie at troubleshooting like this. I have a 2007 GMC Sierra2000HD, it worked fine until yesterday night, someone pulled down hard enough on the shifting lever that the indicator will show as if it was in the R position.
The vehicle, will not start now, the key will not release the steering wheel or shifting lever.
The key was Not in the ignition when the damage occured.
It is my work truck and i have to have it fixed by tomorrow morning or the world stops spinning,
Please help me at least get started.
Thank You
Rich

servantsalesmen · January 4, 2015

how the hell did this happen?! Was someone that doesn't drive the truck often just screwing around?

From what it sounds like, damage was done to your shift linkage. It's a 2 piece cable and it would be hard to guess which end is damaged without seeing it. I broke the lower half of mine this year because of a rusty bolt on the trans. I'd go look at the side of the trans first. Find where the cable connects to the trans. It should have a ribbed rubber cover over it. Inside that cover there is a metal cable surrounded by a hard plastic shell and in my case, I broke the plastic shell and the cable was then useless. To tell if the lower cable is damaged, secure the truck and put the shifter into the lowest position. Look at the ribbed rubber casing and if it is bent and not just scrunched up, then the cable is toast. The lower cable is far easier to replace than the upper. If you inspect the lower cable under the truck and find no damage then it's somewhere between the column and the floor on the upper cable. I have no experience with that side of the cable. I can tell you though that the cable can be purchased at any gmc or chevy dealer for about $160. They sell both the upper and lower in one package and you can't get them separately.

Good luck man! I'll post up pictures of my cable working properly.

re0zzy · January 4, 2015

How did it happen, had to have been one of the neighborhood crackheads, i looked outside at about 400 am and saw this goofball in the cab of my work truck just reavin' on the steering column. took off as soon as i got out the door. tried the key right then and the lock cylinder wouldnt release, gear shift would only move to the R position and she wouldnt start.

I really appreciate the info, i dont know where i would have started without it

Rich

servantsalesmen · January 4, 2015

Now that is a story for the ages! Wow!

re0zzy · January 4, 2015

Tell me about it. If this crap happened to anyone but me i would probably have thought it was kinda funny.

gmtech4 · January 4, 2015

Tell me about it. If this crap happened to anyone but me i would probably have thought it was kinda funny.

You got problems and a tow to a garage in the AM , truck will be fixed , the world will turn again ,

Don't mess with this as you have no experience ,

Finding the retainer broken at transmission is easy , replacing the lower half is easy , connecting the 2 cables and adjusting is something I can't remember how to do

Take it in first thing

ltj9296 · January 4, 2015

It does sound like your shift cable, it should mount in a bracket under your transmission pan, it may have pulled loose from the bracket. It is held on by a couple of plastic "ears" and a metal piece that looks like a large staple. I guess it could also have come loose on the shift lever itself, but I have never seen it happen. If the plastic parts are broken I do not know of any repair except to replace the cable. As someone has already said it is a 2-pc cable that goes from your steering column, under the carpet, thru the cab by the drivers seat. I have only replaced 4x4's so they then route over the transfer case, back up to the bracket and shift lever. It really is not too hard to do if you have some basic tools and a little mechanical ability. I bought a ac-delco on amazon for around $90 not too long ago.