The ignition switch on my car was going bad. The symptoms were that in the on position, the dash lights weren't on, but in the crank position, they were. Also, I could turn the key back from the on position slightly and they would come on, so it seemed like it was the ignition switch.
The switch is only about $80, but I thought what the heck, I'll see if I can fix it.
What an easy fix!
The switch comes out after 4 screws - 2 to take the lower dash piece off, and 2 on the back of the switch itself. Then, unplug it and it's out.
If ever there were an electrical component that was meant to be cleaned and not thrown away, this is it.
It separates easily, and after you pop it in half, all the contacts are there waiting to be cleaned.
At first I thought a quick shot of contact cleaner would fix it, but upon further examination, my switch had some pitting where the contact sat in the on position, so I got the sandpaper out and carefully sanded the pits out.
Then, after I popped it together, it worked great. $80 saved.
Just be careful not to drop the plastic half while you're working on it or you'll be crawling around looking for springs and detent balls - ask me how I know...
I attached a pic of the switch after I opened it up, you can see the contacts are right there. Sorry, it's pretty blurry.
- Craig
The switch is only about $80, but I thought what the heck, I'll see if I can fix it.
What an easy fix!
The switch comes out after 4 screws - 2 to take the lower dash piece off, and 2 on the back of the switch itself. Then, unplug it and it's out.
If ever there were an electrical component that was meant to be cleaned and not thrown away, this is it.
It separates easily, and after you pop it in half, all the contacts are there waiting to be cleaned.
At first I thought a quick shot of contact cleaner would fix it, but upon further examination, my switch had some pitting where the contact sat in the on position, so I got the sandpaper out and carefully sanded the pits out.
Then, after I popped it together, it worked great. $80 saved.
Just be careful not to drop the plastic half while you're working on it or you'll be crawling around looking for springs and detent balls - ask me how I know...
I attached a pic of the switch after I opened it up, you can see the contacts are right there. Sorry, it's pretty blurry.
- Craig