Ignition switch - How long have I got?
 

Tonight I decided to take my daughter to dance in the 88. When it was over we got in the car and the key would not turn at all. My worst fear - broke down and my 5 year old with me!! Called the wife and had her bring me a can of WD40 and the yellow pages. If the WD40 wouldn’t do it - I could then call a flatbed. I shot it with WD40 and couldn’t get it to work!!! Bummer - had to call a tow truck for a perfectly good running 911!!!! Well after I called the tow, I frantically kept trying and finally it turned! WHEW!! I was able to call off the tow and save $75. It seems to be OK now but I know this will come back again.

Question - how long before total failure?? What’s the best approach – re-key the new ignition to match the doors or have the doors re-keyed?

Your comments are appreciated.

Don't use WD-40! You probably effed it up worse. I don't know what you can do now, but you need to use lock graphite. Give it a big snoot full. Also, did you take the weight off of the steering wheel to get the lock to turn.

I know about WD40 but its the only thing I could convey to the wife where she would understand (did I just say that). The car hasn't had a wheel lock since I've had it so thats out. The barrel is real loose so I think its days are numbered anyway. Guess I'll take the time to fix the wheel lock as well.

Graphite!! NOOOOOOOOO, it will gum up the works and if any of it gets to the electrical side, can you say short......

The locks in my '73 (original) were vary hard to operate and I chatted with my locksmith. He suggested TriFlow Lube. I put a shot in each lock and repeat every 3-4 moths. For the past 4 years, they have worked flawlessly.

Re: Ignition switch - How long have I got?
 

Just say NO to WD-40. TriFlow Lube ishte best way to go (see above).

If you do get a new ignition lock, it is my understanding that they are hard to rekey due to a funky tab (easily broken) that holds it together. As this is an expensive assembly, I would rekey the other locks. If you can get the cylinders out yourself, they are not expensive to rekey (much less than the cost of a second ignition lock).

A little info for you...hope this will help.
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=297175&highlight=igniti on+switch

WD40 is the best thing you could have used. Not only is it a great electrical contact cleaner, its the reason your porsche works now. Its fixed because you cleaned the contacts. I would give it a bunch more squirts and let it disolve 20 years of corrosion and it will be good for many more years. I have done that to bad ignition switches a million times. And it evaporates so there is no mess. Dont use any greases or lubes that are non wd40 as they will gum it up worse. I suspect somebody put some sort of graphite on the key and stuck it in there years ago and that worked its way into the electrics.

Wow thats a large swing from the "dont use WD40" crowd.

I did this last December to mine and have had zero problems since. The key feels like it is engaging the switch, but it is not.

My key tumbler/ignition switch was not turning all the way into the engage starter position...turn the key and it was like hittting a wall prior to engaging the starter. This started out as happening every so often, but then, lucky for me it quit all together inside my garage.

I sprayed in some brake cleaner followed by using a magnetized mini flat screwdriver and massaged both the upper and lower tumblers individually inside the switch. I then went with WD-40 and repeated the process with the screwdriver and then my key.

Finally after a bunch of in and out (not the fun kind) I tried the key and bam, it worked. Tried it a few more times and everything seems to be good.

Oh man, "Absolutely DO use WD-40" vs "Absolutely do NOT use WD-40"!

My switch routinely "hits the wall" but I can always turn the switch back to off and on again - sometimes repetitively - and it always starts. I know I am running the risk of being stranded so I need to address this issue.

Sounds like whether you use WD-40 or another product the fix is temporary. If I read all this and the link provided above the intermediate fix is a used switch...which probably isn't all that cheap. The correct and permanent fix (well, you know!) is an expensive new switch along with re-keying my door locks for everything to use one key. Am I understanding this correctly?

Dave, did the key not turn at all or did it, like madmmac's, not turn to the "start" position? I had the latter problem and, after installing a separate "push button" (actually toggle switch) starter, I gave the ignition key slot a couple of squirts of lock grade graphite, despite the naysayers on this board. Haven't had a problem since and have NOT had to use my manual starter switch! (BTW, the concern of shorting out the electrical part of the ignition switch using graphite in the key slot is unfounded--the electrical part is completely separate from the mechanical part--they're even sold separately!!)

Dan in Pasadena: No cleaning off the contacts with WD40 is not a temporary fix unless you consider a couple years temporary. Every so often it will get corroded from humidity, dust, and other contaminants and will need a few more squirts.

Early - Thanks for the response. I guess I'm having difficulty understanding how the corrosion of the contacts would make the switch feel as I said like "hitting the wall".

To me, it feels like something mechanical is worn which won't allow the switch to turn fully. I have no problem understanding the contacts probably ARE corroded and gummed up from 30 years use. Its just, would that alone make it feel so...firm...in not wanting to rotate all the way to "Start"? I'm more than willing to try the WD-40. I'm at the point where "it couldn't hurt" probably applies!

My key would not turn at all - its all mechanical. Like Dan I am at a "It couldnt hurt" point and know the inevitable is a new or used switch. I guess I'll just add a can of WD40 to my emergency truck kit until I get a new switch. I feel the need to join AAA.

Dave, I already belong to AAA and I still carry a fairly comprehensive tool kit. Note to Self: Add WD-40!

A lock mechanism, since it's open to the atmosphere via the key hole, can and will attract dirt in addition to the metal particles shed off from the key every time it's inserted. For long term lubrication, you don't want anything sticky to attract excess dirt. However, lubrication and sticky are fairly synonymous. Maybe I can retire early by inventing an ignition switch cover. It looks like an ignition key.

WD-40 is basically kerosene and will attract dirt. TriFlow is a liquid lube too, but we're talking about loosening up a worn switch mechanism so Super Dave and daughter can get home again next time, not necessarily the long-term well-being of the switch. A locksmith once used a dead blow hammer to good effect on my BMW ignition switch. Another time, a tech flooded a trunk lock on the same bimmer with ATF from a squirt can to get it to work.

I'll suggest silicone spray as a short and long term solution with low dirt attraction qualities.

Sherwood

bring the key to a P dealer and talk to someone who looks like they know what they are doing. have them cut you a new key from a blank, and test it while you are there. this had been happening to me since I bought my 77, 18 months ago. The technican eye-balled the key and spotted several places he suspected that the key was beyond wear level, and cut me a new one with more meat on the low parts. worked fine.

now I actually have a good key, and a backup to carry around for emergencies.

only problem was the $45.00 for a new (lighted) head and blank.

Bill K

Thanks guys I appreciate your comments. Imagine a 5 year old in the back seat while frustrated trying to turn the key and all the time she's saying "Daddy, all of the needles are in the red" "your out of gas" "I miss my mom" pretty funny now but was getting on my last nerve.

Sherwood - I'm going to try the silicone "it cant hurt"

Dave, It takes a can of something different to fix those kinds of squeeks:eek:

I'm kidding, I'm kidding! I took the EXACT same beating as you when my daughter was small. Your'e right, its only funny in hindsight....for me that ought to be coming up soon.....her 24th birthday is tomorrow!:D

Dave, good luck. Please post your interim or final solution, whenever you get one. My first guess would have been a steering wheel lock which was "in tension" but since you don't have one . . . I'm puzzled at the sentiment that graphite will somehow gum up the mechanical part of a lock since it's a dry lubricant. Does anyone actually have firsthand experience with graphite, by itself, not mixed with WD-40 or any other liquid, gumming up locks? Seems to have worked for me--at least for now!

Had the same issue happen to me a while back. If the vehicle is at home. Remove the ignition switch mechanism from the dash in its entirety and take it to a locksmith to have it cleaned/repaired and lubricated. If the mechanism's not damaged this should do the trick. If it is you'll need to replace it . I've got a 70 911 with the original switch that has been handled this way since new.........

Dirty Marty
Fallbrook, CA

I agree with Phil - lock graphite is specifically made for this purpose - how could it be bad to use??

if my memory is correct... pelicanhead "safe" said WD-40 is the what to use. He does locks for a living.


maybe do a search.. I would but I'm not at home on my machine.

Probably not bad when used by itself, but who knows what else lies within? If someone had previously sprayed a liquid lube inside, the graphite will mix with it and existing munge and form a ?lube/munge/graphite paste which may be good, bad or indifferent to the workings of the switch.

If all other lube attempts or lube combinations fail, Super Dave might want to remove the switch and follow Dirty Marty's suggestion.

For Plan B, I think a new ignition switch for an '88 is pretty affordable, not like earlier versions which are NLA.

Sherwood

I guess $532 would be considered affordable to some but I am struggling with that one??? Maybe a nice used one.

Yeah, I guess the $532 is not in the category of affordable (to me anyway). I might have been thinking of the electrical portion of the two-piece switch. Isn't that "less"?

Or compared to NLA, $532 is affordable. For that price, I'd see what VW has to offer.

Sherwood

The fellows handle is SAFECRACKER. He is an advocate of WD-40 since, in his experience, he has noted that while WD-40 may not last very long, it does wash out stuff and leaves very little residue. He notes that unlike most of the other lubricants, you can use it frequently with few ill results. He does note that the other lubricants, if overused, can create more prolems than they solve.

Here are a few of his comments:

if your key looks to be in good shape id take the whole switch out and spray it out with wd-40 and blow it with compressed air. the let it dry out completely for a few days and use graphite. just my .02

WD40 leaves an oily residue. If one is to clean the insides of the ign. switch, why not just do it with some spray solvent instead of WD40 which the graphite would stick to. Let it dry as suggested, then apply the graphite.

Sherwood

Ignition Switch (1970-1998 - 911) complete with steering lock is $373.95 plus 2 sheer bolts $4.95 each. Also, my 1987 Carrera locks with the wheel at 12 and 6 rather than 9 and 3. I guess that's standard for 911's

I replaced my ignition switch and did not have to rekey because I got the original emergency key AND THE NUMBERED TAG from the previous owner. I was very lucky. I used this number to order the replacement from the Porsche dealer and received the new switch keyed to my original key set. Hopefully, you have that key tag, which is red and white with a 3 or 4 digit number stamped on it. Good luck.