The ignition switch on my '06 Ranger started giving me troubles today. When I first noticed it, if I wiggled the key in the "ACC" position, the power would come on and off, but now it doesn't even do that. It starts and runs fine and all the accessories work in the "RUN". My gut feeling (backed up by the shop manual) is that I'm looking at an entire ignition switch replacement.
My question is: do you think that the problem will remain isolated to the "ACC" position, or is my truck getting ready to leave me stranded? I can live with no "ACC" switch until I get around to fixing it, but I want to be able to trust it until then.
well if it is a two part switch - you probably only need the electromechanical portion, not the lock cylinder itself and not the bit that reads the xponder key, unless it is integrated. that's just off the top of my head though, I don't havea ny vehicle-specific knowledge in this instance
Good point. Another read through the manual shows me that the removal of the lock cylinder is pretty straight forward. I'll try that and open up the steering column and see how things look inside... maybe I'll get lucky. Also, it looks like I can leave the air bag and steering wheel alone for this (phew!).
So I finally got around to opening things up and having a look - a relatively simple operation as things turned out.
The ignition lock cylinder and associated linkages were all fine, everything pointed to the actual switch under the steering column (more under the dash, really). I popped it off and had a look - it was a simple multi-position switch with not too much that could apparently go wrong with it. Of course it was riveted together as most such "non-serviceable" parts are. I drilled out the factory rivets, cleaned the interior connections with contact cleaner and Q-Tips, applied a liberal dose of dialectic grease, reassembled the switch (replacing the missing rivets with 1/8" bolts and nuts) and re-installed it in the vehicle. Yes, everything works flawlessly now. There must have been some gunge on one of the contacts or something because a 5 minute cleaning was all it took. I just love these zero cost maintenance success stories... especially when they're mine!
On a side note, I wonder if the poster with starting issues may be suffering a similar problem. After all, the "Run" and "Start" functions are just different sections of this very same switch with exactly the same type of contacts and therefore (I assume) would be subject to exactly the same kind of failure. You never know, cleaning a switch is a low risk/high return type of thing to try.
Anyway, thanks for all the advice... this is a good day.
That is an excellent point about Start and Run. Not entirely correct but a good point nonetheless. Start has an extra contact, but if Run is not capable of working, Start will probably be gone too. And, if the contatcs were dirty, it would explain why it works sometimes but not other times. Cleaning never hurt anything.
The Start Contact is not the Run Contact, which is why they call one START and one RUN.
I agree that the switch might be the problem, but for a little bit of a different reason. My Jeep CJ5 uses the GM version of this mechanism -- which save the shape of the parts is pretty much identical -- and I had a problem that was the start switch. I had intermittent no-start problems. I think I replaced the swtich instead of cleaned it, but I don't see that as a germain part of the discussion.
Honestly, I'm not sitting here thinking up ways to demonstrate that I'm an ass. Sorry if you took it that way.
Not wishing to pour gas on the fire, but really we're all saying the same thing. I originally mentioned the "Run" and "Start" functions... not the "Run and Start" function (notice the subtle difference). The switch has four positions:(from back to front):
1) Accessory
2) Off
3) Run
4) Start (technically Run/Start, since the "Run" contacts are also engaged in this position)
Anyway, hopefully no feelings are hurt, nobody is an ass and the dude with the intermittent start issues on his '07 has something else to try when/if the Honda mechanics give up.
Still bustin' after a successful repair, W. (Blank Flange)
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