key won't work

Two weeks ago driving down the road, the car just cut off. I pulled into a nearby parking lot and called a friend. As my wife and I waited for our friend, I sat in the car and started planning how I could get the car to my house(only about three miles).

Just before our friend arrived, I was trying the key and the car that had prevoiusly been dead started right up. My wife rode home with the friend and I drove the car home. It cut out again about half way home. I found, that if I jiggled (tech term) the ignition wires the car would start/cut off.

The next day at home, I removed the ignition key cove and got up under the dash. I thought I had found the culprit. It appeared to be a loose plug from the ignition to the dash. I made sure everthing was plugged in properly and drove the car for two weeks with no problems.

Last night(another date with my wife) and the key will not turn. It's as if, it's the wrong key!! Now I'm wondering, does the one thing have to do with the other? Now the beast is just dead. The key will not work.

I should note, I have noticed the key was difficult to turn some times over the last two weeks. Do I need a new ignition switch? Also, should I replace the steering wheel locking mechanism. My seems fine but if I have it out should I replace the whole thing? (No Warren, I am not proposing the "shotgun" method of repair, just advice on kinda "while I'm there" . Thanks Mark

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Mark,

I just had a very frustrating experience with my ignition switch. The key had been hard to turn a couple of times in the past but would always start the car. Then it happened, IT BROKE! Mine would turn but would not start the car. It would unlock the steering wheel though. After much kvetching about my broken car, I then unpluged the harness at the back of the switch and under the advice of my truly awesome mechanic I hot wired the car to drive it home from work. One home, I dove head first into checking the ignition switch.

What I found out is that the electrical portion of the switch, the part that you "jiggled" is a separate piece from the mechanical key and steering wheel lock(which is one piece). After taking this apart I found that a little 1/2" piece of pot metal that looks like an "X" fits into the electrical switch and turns it when you turn the key. In mine, that little piece broke.

In your car I think that the electrical portion of your switch has gone bad. You can order this item from Pelican, Vertex,...
But, you cannot order just the mechanical portion seperatly. I got the whole thing for about $230.00 from Vertex(and got the cool flashlight key head with the Porsche crest from the dealer).

It's fairly straight-forward to get the whole ignition switch out. Take off the outer ring, drill out the rivits and shear head bolts, loosen the stud at the steering column, and unplug the wires and voila' it's out. There are then two screws that hold the electrical and mechanical side together.

You will need to get 2 shear-head bolts and a couple of small rivits for the re-installation of the switches. The Haynes manual is very vague on this subject so just pay attention to how you got the thing apart.

Good Fixin'
Dave Perlas
1981 911SC