Replacing worn ignition lock cylinder 2007-2013 GMT 900 Chevy trucks

[Snagglefoot]

GMT 900 ignition locks are prone to wearing out. The key gets difficult to turn and you get into a routine to “ jiggle” the key in the lock to start the vehicle. Rock Auto has replacement ignition lock cylinders but in my case I didn’t need to get a new one. I’m attaching a video to show how to remove the lock cylinder, but from there I had a locksmith repair the old one. He charged me the equivalent of $35 USD cash. I then put it back in and it is smooth as silk. There is a section on how to rebuilt a new cylinder but ignore that part and get it done by a locksmith. One part that is too fast is where he uses a piece of wire to push in a pin to pull the cylinder. The correct way is to push in the pin, then pull out the wire, then pull out the cylinder. Enjoy.

 

[NibbanaBanana]

A little bit of gel lube or other clean lubricant can go a long way to prevent problems and restore proper function.

 

[Jmlo96]

Have you tried a new key first? A lot of the times the keys wear out. When I worked for Chevy, we would just have a new key cut from the VIN. You can program the security chip by starting the truck with the original key, then immediately starting it with the new key. A little lube in the cylinder would help too.

 

[Snagglefoot]

Have you tried a new key first? A lot of the times the keys wear out. When I worked for Chevy, we would just have a new key cut from the VIN. You can program the security chip by starting the truck with the original key, then immediately starting it with the new key. A little lube in the cylinder would help too.

Mine was a 17 year old vehicle with 290,000 miles on it. It had two keys. Both had trouble operating the ignition lock. Fixing the lock for $35 was much cheaper than cutting two chip keys I would suspect. Worked for me.