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Old 02-09-2019, 04:17 AM
cmac2012's Avatar
Renaissances Dude
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Redwood City, CA
Posts: 33,915
Post ignition swith install gremlins

Finally got the new ignition switch in. I was thinking early on that I would just get by with jumping the solenoid to twelve volts with my underdash pushbutton switch as that was the the only thing not working at the time. But then a few days later accessories stayed on when I turned the key off and withdrew it.

I discovered that it was more than the ignition switch, which may not have been bad when I took the switch off backward. The mirror revealed that the culprit was almost certainly the cylindrical metal tube in the steering wheel lock assembly that turns the ignition switch.



I got it all together yesterday and it started up after some coughing. I hooked up the instrument panel today and took it driving some. Feels great but the climate control fan cut out, then came back on 2 minutes later. It's now not working again.

Also, real shocker, an hour ago I get back and turned off the key but the radio stayed on my wiper's continued working the phase mode. Holy crap. I turned of the radio and wipers, I'll check my battery charge in the morning.

I've got a queasy feeling about this.

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Old 02-09-2019, 02:09 PM
sixto's Avatar
smoke gets in your eyes
 
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: Eastern TN
Posts: 20,841
Did you replace only the electrical switch section at the far end from the tumbler?

I forget how this goes but I think the switch is actuated by a shaft that goes through the sterrring lock. Does the steering wheel lock with the key out? Maybe the steering lock unit is worn.

Sixto
98 E320s sedan and wagon
02 C320 wagon
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  #3  
Old 02-11-2019, 02:14 AM
cmac2012's Avatar
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Redwood City, CA
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That was my original plan. Last October it seemed as if the ignition switch was going south.

The spring loaded part of turning the key so that grinding would commence began to feel weak. Did not have the range of travel as previous. This conincided with difficulty in starting, or rather difficulty in telling the starter to do its work.

I removed the harness at the back of the switch, which was nicely intact by the way - I read of those sometimes exploding and needing to be reassembled in place - and then unscrewed the switch backwards. A bit of a chore; I got it out and saw that the real problem was the sleeve in the steering wheel lock assembly piece, which also serves as the part that relays the twisting of the key to the ignition switch. That's the broken bit above.

The best price by far I could find for the steering lock ignition piece was right here at our own Pelican parts: $115 for what they call: Steering Lock - With Ignition Switch & Vacuum Valve. I now have two excess ignition switches, MBZ. I bought one earlier from some supplier, then after more study got the special tool and PDF from some guy, the package including another switch.

Since the above mentioned incident where the blower motor was not working, climate control has functioned normally. The odd thing is the was the radio and wipers will sometimes stay one when I turn off the ignition and remove the key and sometimes not. I looked for info on relays for these things, nothing yet.

My fear is that I did some damage somewhere by driving it for a while after the switch started failing. I ran a line from the solenoid into the cabin and had a line to a hot lead connected by a pushbutton switch. Then the switch started acted off in other regards - the radio and other accessories staying powered with the key off. I unhooked the battery each night as the drain was too great. Often when I'd reconnect the battery I'd hear something sort of lurch to life. Didn't sound good somehow. Too much of sudden surging perhaps. I quit driving it after about a month of that.
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Last edited by cmac2012; 02-11-2019 at 02:28 AM.
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Old 02-11-2019, 09:05 PM
Diesel911's Avatar
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Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Long Beach,CA
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cmac2012 View Post
Finally got the new ignition switch in. I was thinking early on that I would just get by with jumping the solenoid to twelve volts with my underdash pushbutton switch as that was the the only thing not working at the time. But then a few days later accessories stayed on when I turned the key off and withdrew it.

I discovered that it was more than the ignition switch, which may not have been bad when I took the switch off backward. The mirror revealed that the culprit was almost certainly the cylindrical metal tube in the steering wheel lock assembly that turns the ignition switch.



I got it all together yesterday and it started up after some coughing. I hooked up the instrument panel today and took it driving some. Feels great but the climate control fan cut out, then came back on 2 minutes later. It's now not working again.

Also, real shocker, an hour ago I get back and turned off the key but the radio stayed on my wiper's continued working the phase mode. Holy crap. I turned of the radio and wipers, I'll check my battery charge in the morning.

I've got a queasy feeling about this.
The same happened to me several years ago. With some other issues.

On the Ignition Switch if you look close you will see that the contact point on the arm is gone.
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Post ignition swith install gremlins-steering-colum-lock-igniton-part-broken-2019-x.jpg   Post ignition swith install gremlins-steering-colum-lock-c-broken-parts-2019.jpg   Post ignition swith install gremlins-ignition-switch-300d-2019.jpg  

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