06 Duramax will not start, theft lockout?

[bankcardrep]

Once again we are traveling and get in a pickle.

We are camping at Edisto Beach SC. great place, btw.

My 20 year old takes the truck to a boat ramp to fish. Calls back and says the truck wont start.

Seems like it may have been in Theft Lockout. A great host rode me over and by the time I got there (15-20 minutes) the truck was started.

He said the key would not turn the switch. After multiple attempts he let it rest a few minutes. Comes back and it started.

I took my wife's key ( I think I bought her key at a dealership a few months after I bought the truck so it is a few months newer than my key, maybe).

My key...the key that came with the truck starts the truck fine now...just an hour later.

My wifes key also starts it.

My wifes key feels a little tighter in the ignition. Mine feels a little loose.

This truck has 181,000 miles on it.

Any ideas? thx

[Otterlynx]

Well this is intriguing.

We HAD a 2004 Duramax that we loved. We were away from home with the 5er and the truck wouldn't start. Wait a few minutes and away it went. Down the road it did it again. Call a GM dealer and they arrive and it starts. Grr. Same thing again only this time they couldn't get it to start. Battery and cables all good. Relay switches all good. New starter, new ignition switch, remove add on remote start, and numerous other expensive fixes and it still would do the intermittent no start deal. Turn the key and nada nothing. Totally dead. Well its traded off on an 11 Dodge ram (doesn't have half the pulling power) and wife decides she is in love with an 04 Tahoe. Perfect for her and the zoo. Oops we forgot about the no start problem and now 8 months later it is doing the same thing. HELP. No clue what to do and as seniors cant afford to replace everything in the Tahoe. Did ask local dealer and they say for 140.00 an hour we will check it for you.
Any ideas out there?

[retired-tech]

lock cylinder is worn to the old key. as the key and tumblers wear together the outside of the tumblers wear also. i believe that that truck should have chip in the keys. iether way there are times that it will "forget" becouse of other circumstances. the theft system locks you out for 10-15 minutes even if it recognizes the key on later attempts.

[Turtle_n_Peeps]

vietvet66-67 wrote:

skipnchar wrote:
Probably had the wheels cranked and put pressure on the steering wheel lock out. Force the steering wheel one way or the other just a little bit it will probably would break loose and allow you to turn the key.

TIMES 2

For the last time! There is not steering wheel lock on an 06 D/A!

[vietvet66-67]

skipnchar wrote:
Probably had the wheels cranked and put pressure on the steering wheel lock out. Force the steering wheel one way or the other just a little bit it will probably would break loose and allow you to turn the key.

TIMES 2

[bucky]

The keys are not chip keys, but there is a theft lock sensor in the ignition cylinder housing that goes screwy every once in a while. It would light a orange warning in the cluster if triggered. If the key just wouldn't turn, I agree with the above posters. Your wife's key probably is nearly new compared to yours.

[Skidoosleds3]

These truck do not have a steering wheel lock. Only the Manual transmission trucks have it. I'm guess is worn out tumblers in the lock.

[NewsW]

Worn ignition cylinder is high probability after that many miles.

New ignition cylinder and matching keys.

If the two keys are different in tightness / looseness, that is your clue.

I had to replace every one of my lock cylinders.

But then, I am over 1/4 million miles when I did that.


A big heavy bunch of keys on the ring wears out the cylinder faster.

Keep as few keys as you can on the ring.

[skipnchar]

Probably had the wheels cranked and put pressure on the steering wheel lock out. Force the steering wheel one way or the other just a little bit it will probably would break loose and allow you to turn the key.

[bigjettech]

06 didn't have a chip in the key so thats not it. You sure the wheels weren't cocked a little putting pressure on the steering wheel ? That will prevent the key from turning. Theft lockout won't manually prevent the key from turning.