Change your ignition switch

ftp2leta · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:07 pm Post subject: Change your ignition switch

Is that clear enough???

You want proof? You want to know why?

I will only tell you that this stupid part cost me a lot this year, not counting all the customers that where stranded somewhere because of a 20$ parts.

Image may have been reduced in size. Click image to view fullscreen.

So get 20$, read that:
http://www.benplace.com/dash.htm

And change that stupid part! Stop saying mine is fine and listen to guys like me who work on those van 50 hours a week.

So what does it take to convince you? An electric fire????

I'm not kidding here.

Ben
_________________
Working with rust, grease, dirt and dust is a sad truth.
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FI part for sale: http://www.benplace.com/parts_sale1.htm
My site: http://www.benplace.com/vw2.htm
Subi conversion: http://www.benplace.com/vanaru_eng.htm
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dobryan · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:20 pm Post subject:

I've been thinking that would be good preventative maintenance and now you've pushed me over the edge. It will get done.

Thanks. Very Happy

_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

dubstar · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 7:23 pm Post subject:

what happens to the switch as it ages? corrosion or wear and tear causes short circuits that can lead to fire?
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1977 Type I Fuel Injection

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ProvoCyclist · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 8:17 pm Post subject:

I did mine about a year ago, lock cyl and switch (overkill, i know) to try and remedy a random no-start thing happening...didnt fix it Embarassed

, turns out the starter had gone to hell.

Oh well, the switch was pretty far gone anyway. An ounce of prevention as they say.
_________________
Clark
Current: 1986 Tintop GL 2wd, stock 2.1L, manual trans, Flash Silver LP7Y.

Past: 1985 Sunroof GL, 2wd, Subaru 3.3L, manual trans, resprayed to Diamond Silver L97A

agreendaya · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 9:35 pm Post subject:

Don't know how it causes fire, but I had mine try to strand me several times. Good news is if you've got two short pieces of wire, it's a piece of cake to do an emergency repair (what I had to do). If you just pull the wiring bit out of the back of the switch, connect the fat red wires (I think one is striped), then jump that to the other hole that does the starter (just guess & check). You of course need to have the key to unlock the steering wheel...
Having put that info up here, it is super easy to replace the switch.
_________________
'74 Bug - Gone
'69 Westy - Gone
'74 Westy - Gone
'78 Transporter - Gone
'69 Baja - Gone
'91 Vanagon Carat - Gone
‘71 Bus - Gone

Current: ‘74 Westy 2.0L, hydraulic valves, dual EMPI 34s

?Waldo? · Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2009 11:18 pm Post subject:

Mine's fine. Very Happy

Mundopacheco · Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 12:35 am Post subject:

BTW that mounting screw that Benny points to with his red arrow, should be good and tight. I always put blue lock tite on the threads. This can work itself loose and be quite an irritant. I've gone in there thinking the switch had to be replaced, and it turned out to be loosely mounted....just an FYI

?Waldo? · Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 7:28 am Post subject:

I really wish that VW had put the mounting screw accessible without removing the whole ignition lock assembly. If they had put the screw on the outside of the assembly, it would be 1/20th of the work to swap out.

Andrew

ajdenette · Posted: Wed Sep 02, 2009 1:30 pm Post subject:

And 1/20th the effort to steal the van after you get in!! I dont mindthe work that makesit harder for some one else.

dobryan · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:41 am Post subject:

dobryan · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:43 am Post subject:

errolprowse · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 4:52 pm Post subject:

thats why i roll with a big old steering wheel lock that goes over the whole thing. i think it offers better protection than a alarm in some ways.
_________________
'89 Vanagon GL
The ultimate kiteboarding/surfing/skimboarding van!

dobryan · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 9:23 pm Post subject:

Vsyevolod · Posted: Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:23 pm Post subject:

Details please!

Stephen

.

scobax · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 1:30 pm Post subject:

The wierd thing is, I read this yesterday during my morning coffee, then about an hour later the wife and I jump in the van to go for a hike. We made it about a block and lo-and-behold, the wipers won't work- nor will the lowbeams- nor the heater fan.

We turned around, I pulled the ignition plug, hotwired it, and everything came back. Crazy timing! If I hadn't read this post that morning, I probably would have spent hours trying to figure out what happened. Then again, maybe if I hadn't read this post, the switch wouldn't have failed!!

All of these have worked fine for years. It's as if reading this post was all that it took to kill the ignition switch! Spooky!

Thanks Ben, but I'd appreciate it if you wouldn't do that long-distance Canadian voodoo again! Wink

_________________
87 Syncro Westy w/ Suby 2.5
RIP: 2.1 WBX. You were a good dog 'ol feller

“The word adventure has gotten overused. For me, when everything goes wrong, that's when adventure starts” -Yvon Chouinard

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dobryan · Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 5:00 pm Post subject:

DWC · Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2009 7:12 pm Post subject:

I'm starting the "I hate Ben" post.
Damn it Ben, your always right!
Changing the switch was a pain in the ass, but it would have been a bigger pain in the ass without the link to your page showing all the steps to take to get to the switch since the Bently didn't really show anyone what was involved.
Perhaps I will add 10c and Dogpilot, and Kevin and a few more of you that always help me when I've got a problem (and everyone else here) to the post.
Seriously, thank you all - you've been a great help and it's appreciated.
DC
_________________
83.5 Westy Waterboxer
71 Squareback
81 Westy
59 Panel van

ftp2leta · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:14 am Post subject:

dobryan · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 6:30 am Post subject:

Ben,

Sharing is not a problem, it is a gift. The problem is when a small amount of people want to argue about what is being shared. But you already know this.....

Always live your life by sharing.

All the best.....
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2002 Subaru EJ25 and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=620646

Building a bus for travel in Europe (euroBus)
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=695371

The Western Syncro build
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=746794

gears · Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 9:05 am Post subject:

Thanks a million for the help, Ben. Due to your clear photo tutorial, it took me about 30 minutes to change my ignition switch instead of probably a couple hours of head scratching. Great stuff.


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Change your ignition switch
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