Replacing ignition switch: anything to watch out for?

[Crunch]

For a while now I've noticed that when I drive over rough roads some of my dash lights will come on and stay on, particularly the Airbag and ABS lights. If I turn off the engine and restart it goes away. More recently the blower will occasionally not come on when the truck is running. The most noticeable symptom is that when in ACC the radio won't work unless I push the key into the key cylinder. It moves about 1/8 of an inch and the radio comes on until I take my hand off, and the key cylinder pops back out.

I've already purchased the part, and in the next few days I will replace it, weather permitting. I've already printed the instructions from the Dodge Repair Manual. Is there anything that is going to surprise me when I get inside the steering column? The instructions seem pretty straightforward--disconnect the negative terminals from the battery, remove the upper and lower shrouds from the steering column, remove the key cylinder and switch then reverse to replace. Is it as simple as it seems, or will there be surprises?

Thanks.

 

[Ozymandias]

To me it was a find how to remove the lever for the Steering wheel adjustment - it has to be pulled back off towards the Steering wheel.
The Rest ist straight forward.

 

[Wayne M.]

As with any work involving airbags, wait a few minutes after disconnecting the batteries for the capacitors in the system to wind down.

 

[Crunch]

To me it was a find how to remove the lever for the Steering wheel adjustment - it has to be pulled back off towards the Steering wheel.
The Rest ist straight forward.

As with any work involving airbags, wait a few minutes after disconnecting the batteries for the capacitors in the system to wind down.

Thanks. Based on the DRM instructions it did look like removing the tilt lever to get to the cylinder would be the trickiest part. Never worked around airbags before, so I'm glad I can get away with disconnecting the batteries and waiting. I didn't want to mess with disabling them. A friend of mine did this repair a couple of years ago, but what he primarily remembered about the whole experience was reading about how we should never run the fan on high because it pulls too much power and that it is common for the ignition switch to fail.

 

[EDankievitch]

Last one I did I found the plug connector was burnt out. Ram sells a replacement kit if you have to do the kit take your time and do one wire at a time. And make the wires a bit longer it'll reduce the stress on the plug when you tilt the wheel.

 

[Crunch]

Last one I did I found the plug connector was burnt out. Ram sells a replacement kit if you have to do the kit take your time and do one wire at a time. And make the wires a bit longer it'll reduce the stress on the plug when you tilt the wheel.

Thanks for that info. Needless to say, it would really suck if I had to replace the connector. I'm guessing that when you say "Ram sells a replacement kit" you mean I can get one from a Dodge dealer. Is that correct? When the rain quits in a few days and the weather warms up a bit I'll crack open the steering column and see what has to be done.

 

[Ozymandias]

Just for information, it's all Torx Screws in deep holes.

 

[NIsaacs]

Just for information, it's all Torx Screws in deep holes.

I don't know about a 3rd gen, but on my '91 some of the screws were the torx security type, with the hole in the center.

 

[PWong]

Your new ignition switch would say THANKS to you and have a long life if you turn OFF the fan from the HVAC control module before key OFF.
The switch is not designed to break the heavy inductive fan motor current at high fan speed.

If the motor makes noise while spinning its bad. Replace it.

 

[Crunch]

The weather got better so I did the ignition switch replacement. The good news is that is was a pretty simple job. The hardest part was maneuvering the old switch out and the new switch in to position. Removing the knee bolster also made it a lot easier to manipulate the plug and get it reattached.

The bad news is that when I took the old switch apart it didn't look scorched, melted or damaged at all. And now my Accessory setting doesn't power the radio unless I wiggle the cylinder while the key is in it. The "key in" door chime doesn't work either. That makes me think that unless I didn't get the new ignition switch seated correctly there is something wrong with the cylinder, and the ignition switch was OK all along. There does seem to be a lot of springy play in the key cylinder. I've got a lot of errands to run today, so I'll check it out and see if the dash lights pop on while driving. If there is an upside to getting back in there, it is that I will probably also replace the shifter and multi-function lever boots this time, as they have degraded a lot since the truck was new.

 

[seafish]

Unfortunately, the problem could potentially be in the harness and or plug that runs to the ignition switch.

IIRC, older trucks had an issue with the tilt steering crimping the wires running to the ignition switch and/or multifunction switch...
This problem could occur whether or not the driver even used the tilt steering.

 

[Crunch]

Unfortunately, the problem could potentially be in the harness and or plug that runs to the ignition switch.

While not totally discounting that possibility, I don't think that is the problem. I was very careful with the plug and harness when handling it. Removing the knee bolster really helped a lot in that regard. Before removing it, I had a lot of trouble reaching in to disconnect and reconnect the ignition switch. After driving the truck for the last few hours and over all kinds of road, the dash lights haven't come on at all. So that problem seems to be fixed, which tends toward the switch being the culprit. Because the key in/door chime works when I jiggle the key I think the problem is going to be related to the key cylinder itself, or how it is seating against the ignition switch. It seems to be sticking or catching on something when I turn it. The rotation is smooth, but it like there is a burr or something that catches it for a split second. I don't know what a key cylinder costs at the dealer, but it would be nice if removing it, cleaning it and reinstalling it takes care of the problem. At least it's an easy job to do.

 

[GCuzzy]

Reading this tread has been great. My problem has my 2003 while shut off the cab vent fan comes on any time it feels like it. (rotor switch is on but ignition switch off) Back story, in 2011 we had a burglary and they stole my truck keys along with other stuff. So off to the dealer for a re-key of the truck which included the ignition. I believe based on what I have read the switch is the culprit.

 

[Crunch]

Reading this tread has been great. My problem has my 2003 while shut off the cab vent fan comes on any time it feels like it. (rotor switch is on but ignition switch off) Back story, in 2011 we had a burglary and they stole my truck keys along with other stuff. So off to the dealer for a re-key of the truck which included the ignition. I believe based on what I have read the switch is the culprit.

The fan running with the ignition off was the problem my friend had with his truck. He would shut off the truck, remove the key and the blower fan would keep running. Replacing the ignition switch solved all his problems. My problem, not so much. I've lost the door open/key in ignition chime, but if I jiggle the key the chime comes back. I've also tested this with my second OEM key to verify that the active key hasn't worn down. That leads me to believe that there is some kind of grounding function the key performs in the key cylinder. I looked into replacing the key cylinder, but the dealer wants $200+ for it, and even online the price is generally around $100. So at some point I'll switch it out, but I've had a lot of little annoying things going on with the truck that are higher on the priority list.

 

[Ozymandias]

62$

https://www.autozone.com/interior/i...dorman-ignition-lock-cylinder/291283_105234_0

 

[Crunch]

62$

https://www.autozone.com/interior/i...dorman-ignition-lock-cylinder/291283_105234_0

Definitely a decent price next to the others I have seen. Do you know how the Dorman cylinder compares to the OEM cylinder in terms of quality? BTW, here's a bit of interesting information... When I was on the road a couple of weeks ago the guy in the parts department of the Dodge dealer I called said he believed the $200 cylinder they sold had to be re-keyed for my key. Didn't make sense to me that a cylinder would come without a key--unless they also charged to re-key it! If the Dorman cylinder rates up there with the OEM that sounds like the way to go.

 

[Cmpns8n]

Just replaced both the ignition lock cylinder and ignition switch in a hunt for a parasitic draw. Replacing the lock cylinder and keying it to work with your old key takes less than an hour and it got rid of the whole 'key in the ignition ding' after I had pulled the key out. Really easy, just take your time. Very good video on YouTube that will walk you thru the whole thing. Ordered it from Amazon and it was quick and easy. Good luck.

 

[Ozymandias]

Definitely a decent price next to the others I have seen. Do you know how the Dorman cylinder compares to the OEM cylinder in terms of quality? BTW, here's a bit of interesting information... When I was on the road a couple of weeks ago the guy in the parts department of the Dodge dealer I called said he believed the $200 cylinder they sold had to be re-keyed for my key. Didn't make sense to me that a cylinder would come without a key--unless they also charged to re-key it! If the Dorman cylinder rates up there with the OEM that sounds like the way to go.

Well, the OEM has brass tumblers, the Dorman has aluminum tumblers, so there is a difference.
Re-key is pretty easy, there are 8 tumblers in the lock, numbered from 1-4 in a specific order, pull them out of the old cylinder, lay it on a piece of cardboard in the order you pull it and then do the same at the new cylinder backwards.
Done.

 

[seafish]

Well, the OEM has brass tumblers, the Dorman has aluminum tumblers, so there is a difference.
Re-key is pretty easy, there are 8 tumblers in the lock, numbered from 1-4 in a specific order, pull them out of the old cylinder, lay it on a piece of cardboard in the order you pull it and then do the same at the new cylinder backwards.
Done.

hmmmmm.....then how hard it would be to remove the brass tumblers from the oem switch and then insert them into the dorman switch?? Whaddya think??

 

[Crunch]

Well, the OEM has brass tumblers, the Dorman has aluminum tumblers, so there is a difference.
Re-key is pretty easy, there are 8 tumblers in the lock, numbered from 1-4 in a specific order, pull them out of the old cylinder, lay it on a piece of cardboard in the order you pull it and then do the same at the new cylinder backwards.

Looks pretty straightforward and easy. I guess it comes down to giving up a little bit of quality to save a significant amount of money. So that's probably the route I'll go. I can replace the lock cylinder 3 times for less than what one OEM lock cylinder will run. And for a 15 year old truck that seems like the logical way to go. I'm in the middle of tracking down a small fuel leak at the tank now, so the key is going to have to wait. It's somewhere on top of the tank, but isn't the supply, return or auxiliary connections, and doesn't appear to be the lock nut on the fuel module. Not may other places it could be, so I'm thinking hose connection for the vent, since the leak seems to be coming from the front of the tank.

hmmmmm.....then how hard it would be to remove the brass tumblers from the oem switch and then insert them into the dorman switch?? Whaddya think??

I was thinking the same thing--till I watched the video. They specifically said not to use the old tumblers because worn tumblers are the primary cause of lock cylinder failure.