I went to leave work this evening to find my key would turn but not engage the spring-loaded part of the process which causes the starter to engage. It just free-wheeled right thru to a stopping point and that's it. I had my wife grab my torx safety bits and drop by the auto parts store to get a new ignition switch on the way to my rescue. Once I got it all apart, I found that the real problem wasn't the ignition switch, but the lock cylinder that goes inside the switch. I picked that up on the way home and will try putting it in tomorrow morning.
Two questions:
1: The instructions for the ignition switch tell me to disarm the air bag. The worthless Haynes manual I have tells me on the 1991 and up models to take it to a qualified service facility due to air bag concerns. (I say worthless as about the only other thing I've yet really needed it for was a light bulb that it didn't even show - pictures mostly being pre-91 models.) Anyway...how do I disarm the airbag system? Or is it really that big of a deal? I've gotten the ignition switch out without problem...but would obviously prefer not to have it blow up in my face trying to put it back together. :-) Just wondering if it's that big of a deal, or if everyone is just being paranoid for legal reasons and a very very very slim chance something would happen.
2: The new lock cylinder that goes into the ignition switch - how do you change out the lock "core" so you can use your old key with it? I found a vague reference on a web site mentioning having the key turned just right and hitting it just right with a hammer...? It has a new key, but I'd much prefer not to have to put yet another key on my already overburdened keychain...
Any other tips on this whole process would be appreciated... :-)
Many thanks in advance!
Wesley