Ignition switch issue - confusion

toddu · 02:09 PM

I have read, and re-read many posts on the ignition switch and what happens when it starts to go south. But, I'm still confused as to when it's electrical (easier fix) and when it's mechanical (harder fix).

Mine has been flaky from time to time over the past year, but today it took me about 10 minutes of turning the key on, off, taking it out, repeat before I got it cranked. I *think* it's mechanical.

When I turn the key and it's not working, the key turns pretty freely to the start position (so no resistance what so ever), dash lights turn on, etc., doesn't turn over. I remove the key and it makes that little "bing" noise, put the key back in and try again. When it does work, there is slight resistance at the start position, like it is actually engaging something, fires up and the car returns back a "notch".

Sound mechanical? I'm worried about getting stranded one of these days and want to fix it.

Todd

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 05-22-2009, 04:57 PM

The electrical part of the switch is not expensive--I can't remember the price, but I replaced mine recently and I think it's a VW part--though the contortions needed to change it out aren't fun but are do-able. I'd certainly just go ahead and replace that on a trial basis rather than ripping the whole tumbler/interlock unit out. And if your electrical cassette is already nearly 30 years old, it won't hurt to replace it anyway.

madmmac · madmmac's Garage

I did this about 3 years ago and have not had a problem since.....Cut and paste from 06.

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 hitting 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 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.

SteveinTO · 05-22-2009, 06:31 PM

The contortions are brutal to get it out if you're older than about 14. You'll be working upside down in the dark with short wires that need to go back from whence they came. I chose to only do it once and replaced both the electrical and mechanical.

Then again, the mechanical piece is a bit pricey.

Pazuzu · 05-22-2009, 09:10 PM

That's a mechanical issue. If the electronic part breaks, it tends to grenade, and nothing works right.

I do not know of a fix other than buying another used switch, which may be almost to the point of breaking itself. I'm on switch #3 in a year for this car.

Formerly Steve Wilkinson · 05-22-2009, 10:35 PM

I'm 73, not 14, and did the contortions. And I don't understand about "working with the short wires," since it's a fixed plug that goes into the cassette, not individual wires. And finally, just to be totally contrary, I disagree that the switch going bad is an all-or-nothing affair. It's electrical, not "electronic," and failure can take a huge variety of forms, some of them only minor and annoying, others leading to no-start situations.

Pazuzu · 05-23-2009, 07:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Formerly Steve Wilkinson

I'm 73, not 14, and did the contortions. And I don't understand about "working with the short wires," since it's a fixed plug that goes into the cassette, not individual wires. And finally, just to be totally contrary, I disagree that the switch going bad is an all-or-nothing affair. It's electrical, not "electronic," and failure can take a huge variety of forms, some of them only minor and annoying, others leading to no-start situations.

We're in a mood, huh?

The electricAL switch tends to break when forced, and the plastic assemblies inside crack. It will no longer work properly then. What happens is different each time, depending on how things shear inside the housing, but in general, it won't work right.

Repeatable problems involving the key not being able to reach the full "start" position each time are mechanical, because there's some little tab or something in the mechanical part that wears and gives that EXACT symptom.

To the OP, who I assume is NOT in a mood

today, you will want to remove the whole assembly anyways, to verify that everything else looks good. 2 shear bolts that must be drilled or dremeled out, a 12mm locknut under the steering wheel, the allen head set screw that it locks down (maybe 6mm?), and the remove the whole thing.