ignition switch

Bentley is the best source.

Briefly/basically you................. Probably disconnect battery remove air bag remove steering wheel (mark position with steering shaft for correct alignment) remove both upper and lower shield pieces covering the turn signal switch remove switches remove steering wheel collar with puller remove entire ign switch assembly (might need key turned to unlock position) remove tiny screw to remove ign switch Reverse above procedure to reassemble.

good luck! later, dave (One out of many daves)

BE CAREFULL! If your car is equipped with an airbag it might explode in your face when you are working on the steering column and fracture your neck in several places creating cardiac arrest on the spot once all your nerve endings are severed. i.e. no more connection from your brain to your heart and lungs.

HTH East-

did that happen to you?

Geez you're no fun!!! lol But yes be very careful working with explosives and remember that your car is potentionally a bomb! 8^o And there was this Jag tech. trying to change the clutch in a Porsche 911 that lost some fingers. Watch any neckties or loose clothing near rotating fanbelts too.

Bottom line is please be careful using common sense and safety measures!!!

Ok, so i got the part where i need a puller to remove the column. Here's my problem, the reason why i am removing my ignition switch is because i rewired another switch that i installed in the dash, but i cant unlock my steering column. So using the puller is very difficult. Any idea's on how to unlock my steering column. That's all i need is to unlock the steering column.

So you don't have the key? You might need a repair manual, Bentley, that might show you how to remove the ign switch tumbler/lock. BTW You should not need the key to remove the steering wheel collar, just remove the switches to have access to the ign switch/lock assembly.

Ah, you're not removing the switch, you want to remove the actual lock cylinder. You'll have to drill it out. The Bentley series service manual discusses how to do this. The manual is VERY useful, a must have for anyone working on their VW.

There's a MUCH easier way.

Center the wheel Pull the fascia panels (top/bottom of column and lower panel). Pull the wiring to everything on the column. It's about 8 connectors. Center the wheel (you don't want to be realigning this repeatedly, do you?) Remove the screw holding the lock cylinder. It's a secure screw, the head will have sheared off. You'll want to get another one from the dealer, or use another regular screw of the same size. To properly remove this screw you drill it out. Mine was lucky enough to be loose enough to get a visegrip on it. Loosen and remove the bolt on the bottom of the steering column. It's the one that clamps the steering column shaft into the universal joint. It's a

13mm bolt and nut. Mark the position on the shaft if you can, it'll ease alignment when reassembling.

Now pull the ENTIRE assembly right out.

You'll see that little philips head screw on the back of the lock cylinder. It's a TIGHT fit but you can get to it without removing the whole lock assembly. Use a very narrow shaft screwdriver.

I know, I did it this way just yesterday afternoon. Took about 2 hours (including interruptions)

Yes, you want to be VERY careful about the airbag. If that sucker goes off while you've got the column removed like this it could be VERY bad. The explosive force of the bag would propel that sucker like a javelin. This is why they say to set the bag down FACE UP (sorta like a claymore). The bag itself could cause some injury, but the metal on the back of it (or the column) could end up causing a fatality. So don't screw around with it more than necessary. I propped mine up such that the bag was facing away from me and the bottom of the column was wedged tightly against something. I just turned the column until I could see the screw, removed it, pulled the switch and replaced it.

When you reassemble it connect the single wire to the airbag LAST and do NOT be anywhere in front of it.

-Bill Kearney

Geez and I though being able to do it all in less than 1 hour was easy. ;-) How long does it take your way drilling out the secure screw and all?

thanks later, dave (One out of many daves)

I didn't take out the lock CYLINDER. I took out and replaced the lock SWITCH. The cylinder is the thing that controls the peg that locks the steering column. That cylinder also has a tab on the back of it that fits into the ignition electrical switch. Your first post didn't discuss that you've replaced the SWITCH with something else (although why is an interesting question).

I've no idea how long it takes to extract the cylinder and the column lock peg. That and the manual does not specifically mention handling the locking peg. From the looks of things you'd still have to pull the steering wheel in order to get at the drilling location. I'm assuming that the removal of the cylinder, combined with the extraction of the steering column would give enough access to allow removal of the locking peg.

So in your particular case it seems you will still have to deal with removing the wheel. There's a collar that can be had to get a grip into the space for pulling the lock bracket. Or apparently the collar is cheap enough that it's easier/faster to simply cut the collar and replace it instead.

All this for a changed switch location? Why?

-Bill Kearney

Yeah I did not fully understand WHY and/or WHAT was actually needed. I ASSuMEd that the OP could not unlock the steering wheel like the ign lock tumbler was damaged. Maybe a damaged ign lock assembly due to theft. :-\

Kinda would like the FULL story of this ignition switch '96 Jetta!! ;-)

later, dave (One out of many daves)