NO ACCESSORY POSITION On Ignition Switch

I think your relative is not understanding what you're asking them to look for Mac. I've never encountered a GM car manufactured since the 50's that did not have an accessory position for the ignition. Did you have them try to turn the switch backwards past the off position?

On my 2006 Chevy truck the accessory position is one click clockwise instead of counterclockwise like most older cars. My switch has four positions, "OFF", "ACCESSORY", "RUN", "START". All of them are clockwise with the off position being all the way back.

Brian

My 89 Caprice waggy does the same sort of thing.. the manual says push and turn counter clockwise, but nothing happens. I have found that if its turned slowly clockwise there is a deffinate spot for the ACC just before the run position.

On a friends 90 (maybe 91) his ignition is the exact same way and his manual states to turn the key clockwise to the Acc position.

Snow...

mac wrote:

the chip on the key might be bad

It's not my relative that's looking for it. It's me. There is no "ACCESS" position stamped on the steering column and I have tried to check for a position for it by turning the switch to every position I could in case it is there and just not labelled. I had no luck and thought someone out there might know why this car was manufactured like this or if I am overlooking something. I use the car sometimes and need to play the radio without the ignition being on. Mac

There is no chip on the key for this 1987 Chevrolet Caprice. It's not that the "ACCESS. position" is bad........it's just doesn't have an "access. position" that I could find on the car. Mac

Yep, that's one of the first things I tried.........No luck. I have used quite a few GM cars myself, and don't remember having this problem. I wonder why it is, that when you have a good thing going, somebody just has to meddle with it and make a change and cause more problems than the change is worth? I sure hope I get an answer to this, because so far, it really does not make sense to me, but I realize to someone it did for some reason. Mac

I have to believe you 'cause you say you tried every position, but it sure does surprise me. I've never encountered a GM that didn't have an ACC position. I'm wondering if you don't have a bad ignition switch or a fuse problem.

Maybe its not the original column, maybe someone replaced it at one time or one of the rods from the key to the switch down in the dash is bent a little, or the steering lock pin is worn. Since there are plenty of other gm vehicles which don't have this problem I would think its simply something wrong rather than a design change.

I had a 79 caprice wagon. On it you had to really muck around with the key to get it to turn counterclockwise. You would have to work the key while jostling the locked steering wheel. It was so difficult that I seldom bothered.

Possible but unlikely bad switch.....just don't see any position to turn it to for accessories. Fuse to radio is good because it works when ignition switch is on. Mac

These are good ideas to consider. but my guess is that that's the way my relative got the car at about 1 year old. Thanks, I will keep these ideas in mind but fm the looks of eveything about it seems to be original equipment with not much wear. For the age of the car it has not been used very much at all. Mac