We had a 2009 Cobalt SS in the garage a few days ago and figured we'd see what was up with the ignition key issue. GM has pretty much recalled every Cobalt ever made due to the ignition keys clicking off on their own. When a large bump is hit, a heavy key ring is installed, or even your knee hits the key, they have been turning to a non-running position. This in turn disables all driver and safety aides, including the air bag system.

So picture you are driving along, hit a large bump, your key clicks off and the engine shuts down. The driver has no power steering, engine control, and also the airbags disable. In a panic situation, this could possibly be freaky and dangerous. We aren't discounting the loss of life or anybody who has been affected by these issues, just trying out the problem for ourselves.

The later model years were initially not part of the recall, but now GM has decided to fix them all, which is a good move. This recall includes the Chevrolet Cobalt and HHR. It also includes the Pontiac G5 and Solstice. Finally, Saturn has some of the same issues with the Sky and Ion. GM has instructed owners to remove all key rings, accessories, etc as this may cause the key to click off even easier.

What we found was interesting. The ignition key started the vehicle normally. When tugging, yanking and applying fairly decent pressure to the key, it wouldn't really turn off. Now keep in mind it was sitting in the garage and didn't have any jarring bumps or hits on the suspension. I could get the key to turn off only if I applied the same amount of pressure I would if I actually wanted the car to turn off. You will notice though, it does seem to click off just a little bit easier than it should maybe... Take a look at the video below, it shows our quick test and what we found. Either way though, if you have one of the models listed above, I would highly recommend you schedule your vehicle for service and get your new lock cylinder installed. GM has even started a very detailed website for more information - http://www.gmignitionupdate.com/

This is an interesting bit of automotive history that required some digging to fully iron out. I was asked to sell a totally original carburetor from a 1969 Camaro Z28. This carb has been in storage for over 30 years and was basically never used. The interesting thing about the setup I was given to sell was that the carburetor wasn't the most desirable part.

The fuel line, y-block, and fuel line bracket all came with what I needed to sell. I started to see many people expressing interest in just the fuel line pieces. I figured a date coded late 1969 carburetor would be big news, but it wasn't the hot item. The fuel line was getting the most attention. What I found was that the small bracket that holds the fuel line is super rare. A 1969 Z28 Camaro built from June of '69 to November of '69 was given this small bracket. All of the others were not.

Some of the voices on the internet are saying they've never seen one. Others are saying only reproductions are available. Either way, I have a piece of history here that hasn't been unscrewed since 1969 and for some Camaro fans, they have never laid eyes on one. This original bracket has the words "Stamp Rite" stamped right into the bracket. Apparently the reproductions have a "PR" stamped into them. When you do a little googling, you find that there aren't really many pictures around of original brackets, if any! I also found that there were only a few guys discussing this part. The fuel line bracket is definitely for a small amount of vehicles, but I'm still amazed at how much fuss a small piece of metal can bring.

The fuel line setup along with the bracket are on eBay at this moment. So far with only two days of exposure the activity is fairly heavy. To me, this is pretty nuts for just a little bracket. From what I have been told though, most people threw these out, didn't replace them, or did who knows what else with them. Even though you can go out right now and buy all of this brand new reproduction for a decent price, people out there want the original stuff from the 60s. For somebody who needs a concourse, perfect, and exact OEM restored Z28 - this could be the holy grail they have been searching for.