I hope someone out there has tackled this before. I've repaired/replaced just about everything possible that a shadetree mechanic can in the past, but have never had the need to work on or replace an ignition switch.
91 Toyota truck, manual steering,I've had trouble with this switch in the past, but a little graphite and a new key have always taken care of it. Last night when trying to leave work, nothing worked. It is almost as if the internal "steering-wheel-ignition-lock-lever" is stuck, but I can't be sure, the stinking key just will not turn. Pulling the steering wheel hard one way, hard the other way, etc.
I removed the lower dash, and the lever-actuator from the steering wheel column looks to be an integral part of the switch. The whole thing looks to be made of pot-metal or aluminum, and it is fastened to the steering wheel column with some sort of tamper-proof bolts.
The head of the bolts look like nothing I've seen before, but there is a seam on them that makes it look as if you could tear or pry them off to expose (I guess) a phillips head.
I'm determined to just replace the switch. Went online to Autozone, and they have what they say is a replacement.
Questions:
- Anyone worked on these tamper proof type bolts before and have advice on getting them out?
- Anyone replaced their ignition switch with an aftermarket version successfully?
Any help greatly appreciated, I don't have the money to have a shop do this at the moment.
Best Regards,
Jeff
Original owner, 91 2WD, 186,000 and still running great (when the freakin' key turns)