I am having trouble seemingly with the ignition system on my 2000 SSE. It does not like to start. I put the key in, and if I turn it to the RUN position then all of the gauges will come up and things work normally. If I then turn to START it will usually not start. The gauges go dead and the starter does not even try. However, I can then jiggle the key, push, pull, and pray and sometimes it will then work. The car also has a remote starter and I've never seen the remote starter be unable to turn over the starter. So far this appears to be a problem with the key cylinder?

Now for the running problem: If I do get it started it will then sometimes randomly decide to run really bad and then quit. This has caused the service engine soon light to come on. Sometimes it runs great. Other times it gets very little power and then stalls.

I'm wondering if an intermittent problem in the key cylinder could cause both? Since jiggling and trying again gets it started eventually it seems that is the problem with starting anyway... But I suppose a lot of things could be wrong to make it die... It just seems too convenient that the stalling problem happened a few days after the starting problem began happening.

So... if it is the key cylinder how would I go about changing it? I think that the remote starter has already disabled the PASS3 system so hopefully there wouldn't be a problem there...

An update... I did change the ignition module and that did fix the starting problem. It'* still quitting at random but I hope to get access to a diag machine soon.

For reference, the ignition module comes out like so: (From memory)

Put the steering wheel in the bottom most position.

Take the outer bezel off of the key area

Unsnap the dash and remove it (it helps to take out the little holder cup near the bottom left and then use that hole to pull. The dash basically snaps in.

Remove the radio. It'* held in with four metal springy latches

Put the key in the lock and turn it to on

There is a little metal tab 1/2 to 2/3 of the way to the back of the ignition module. You have to push something into the hole. This will let you take the key cylinder and Passkey 3 module out (they come out together) You get at this hole through where the radio used to be.

Pop out the three wiring harnesses which are attached to the ignition mod.

Remove the two bolts which hold the ignition module in

Push it back. It'* got a part which sort of keeps it in position. That has to come loose too.

Now, put it out of the radio hole. It isn't easy but it'* basically the only sane way to get it out.

There is a shifter cable which goes into it. I found it easiest to start trying to take the module out and then push the little tab to remove the shifter cable

It goes back in about the same. The key cylinder is pretty easy to put back in too. It reality taking out the key cylinder and ignition module are a lot easier than you'd think but if you don't know the above steps it'* really perplexing. Hope this helps someone in the future. As a bonus I don't charge money like alldata.

Sounds like you got the intermitt. no start diagnosis right. But you are replacing the "ignition switch" not the ignition module. The running badly might also be related to that. I'd install the ignition switch and see where you are at them.

Oh... I could have swore that Rock Auto had it listed as an ignition module. But calling it a switch does sound a lot more appropriate. At any rate it did fix the intermittent starting problem. As it turns out the stalling problem was due to a faulty mass air flow (MAF) sensor. It all works well now.