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Bad Ignition Switch?

45K views 34 replies 12 participants last post by  ilian51378 
#1 · (Edited)
***EDIT It's Fixed Now. Click the below link to go to the post I made on this thread with the final fix.***
www.3si.org/forum/showthread.php?p=4464425#post4464425

Here is the deal. I think my ignition system is bad. Never really messed with ignition on cars before though.

When I slightly move the key back or forward in the ignition, it will kill the accessories, but the engine keeps running. If I barely bump the key forward a little, it will power the accessories back on. I can duplicate it everytime.

The piece where the key goes into actually has some slack in it, causing this to be an issue. Can I just replace this peice, or will I need a new Ignition Switch? Or will I need an entire new ignition system including a new key?

Thanks for the help.
 
#3 ·
Anyone have any ideas? I'm about to take it to a shop next Monday.
 
#4 ·
You jiggle the key and the accesories turn off? The whole ignition assembly is like $70....all the contacts are all the way on the left side of the key cylinder. There is a spring with copper traces on that side and they can wear down. You can just take that column apart, take the ignition key cylinder out by pushing the small spring loaded pin on the side and with the key in accessory, pull it straight out. Then you replace the assembly with a new one that you need to use a little finesse with a drill bit to remove since it has tamper proof bolts that are broken off when its assembled. Then you put your old key cylinder back into it. You will know what to do as you take it apart. Your first step is to remove the plastic collar by taking the screws out from the bottom, and then go form there. With a new assembly in your hand, it will become much clearer what to do.

Sam
 
#10 ·
You probably want the more expensive part and not the actual switch. I dont know what the part numner is but in the diagrams its assembly 82005A
If you buy it from Mentor mail order its $80 with shipping
 
#11 ·
Cool, I went ahead and ordered the whole assembly from Mitsu here in NLR. It's supposed to be here today sometime. The whole assembly cost me about 137. It doesn't come with a new key cylinder though. Which is fine, I would like to keep my old key, it matches the door locks.

One thing that concerns me with replacing the ignition is somewhere in the manual it states that you have to line everything up a certain way, or else the airbag won't work properly. Something to that effect.

Do you know what it's talking about? Do I need to drop the steering column, or is this something that I can do with the steering column still bolted in place?
 
#14 ·
These are the tamper proof bolts right? Do I need to worry about them breaking off if I tighten them, or is it only when you try to loosen them that they break?

<img src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/jwetzler/Ignition/ignition_bolts.jpg" width=600 height=450border="0">
 
#15 ·
If you take your car aprt, you will notice, the one on your car is already broken off. I didn't tighten mine enough to break them off when I installed the new one just cause I dont want to have to drill it out again if I ever need to take it off. The answer to your question is that your supposed to tighten it until those 2 bolts break off
 
#16 · (Edited)
The problem is fixed. Thanks for all the help. I took it to a mechanic and come to find out, I didn't need the new ignition switch after all.

All he had to do was tighten the screw in the below pic. It was loose and was causing the issue. It's been over a month since he tightened the screw and I havent had the issue since. Didn't even need to replace the ignition switch. :D

<img src="http://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w279/jwetzler/Ignition/IgnitionAssemblyScrew_.jpg" height=450 width=550>
 
#20 ·
WOW !!!!! THIS IS AWESOME !!! THIS IS ONE OF THE PROBLEMS I'M HAVING IN MY CAR TOO CAUSE OF THE F'ED UP ASS STREETS OF SOUTHERN LA !! WOW. COOL. A FREE and EASY cheap fix!!! WOW ! LOL

So lettme get this straight..... you can take that ignition switch assembly out (I think its technically called steering column switch) from the BOTTOM of the steering wheel WITHOUT removing the STEERING wheel itself?

Cause if that is the case and all I have to do is freakin tighten that damn screw thats amazing ! LOL - This made my day cause I have so many gremlins in this car. Now all I need to do is figure out why the passenger side door lock automatically FIGHTS the KEY to turn it BACKWARD as I try to unlock the door with it!!! I know that door was hit at some point in an accident that the only other owner was in and the door is slightly bent at the top, but its so slight you can barely tell. Anyway.... lost track. WOW .... just tighten a SCREW!!! I can handle that. lol
 
#18 ·
Whats wrong with yours?
 
#23 · (Edited)
LOL, I posted about this a long time ago :) I replaced my ignition assembly because I bought it but my screw was loose as well which allowed it to make intermittant contact. However, when I took it apart, the copper contacts inside were all worn out anyway, so its good that I did it. Its not that hard to replace the assembly but I needed a drill to drill out the screws from underneath which works great because the drill unscrews the screws from the bottom as soon as the bit bites into the steel. By the way, thats all there is after you take the guards off the steering column and the knee protector to get the harness out. No need to remove the steering wheel. The bolts holding the assembly in place are tamper proof--once they are tightened, the nut is attached with a tapered stem so it breaks off with the required torque and you need to drill them out but cant from the top, so you eye it up from the bottom (the holes are tapped all the way thru and you can locate them from the bottom) and drill them out, and you dont care if you destroy the assembly because your replacing it with a new one
 
#24 ·
Will this bad key ignition switch even crank the engine but stop it from starting? Im in trouble car is down and was fine until I turned it off last night after work. It must be cranked hard and wiggled and been going on for month snd now the car cranks but no spark. This is a fairly new Coil pack and the ECU tested fine. Im confused need help bad!
 
#26 ·
I know this is an old post but seems to be the best for information. I have a burnt up ignition switch and its causing no power to get to my ignition/coil now. So what part do I need? Does anyone have the actual part number for the entire assembly? And do I have to remove the steering wheel to replace the entire assembly. It sounds easy but I look at it on my car and it looks like a nightmare. Help!! Mine is a 92 vr4
 
#27 ·
Just did the ignition switch in my 98... pulled the knee protector, column covers, and lowered the headlight stalk, then I was able to sneak a small philips in there and unscrew it. Tricky, but simple.
 
#28 ·
I had the dealer do mine, they ruined my ECU and it was a NO SPARK issue that turned out to be only a bad PTU. Cost $2000.00 they also had my car for over a month. I now since getting it back have the SRS light on. They did pull the steering wheel. Is there a way I can fix this SRS light in the steering wheel somehow? I do not want to take my car back to that dealer. They are F'd up bad and have 1-2 mechanics now that know are cars and will ruin something else. They gave the car back to me with hoses lose, timing way off, and it died as I pulled out of their yard that day. What a jokree. They are jerks and I just want to solve this myself. They ruined my ECU. It was fine, I had it tested prior to going into shop. You dont know how many times I slap myself for not testing my PTU. Makes me sick. Anyway the ECU all of a sudden there at the service dept would not communicate with the car. So, I bought a brand new one. SRS: I read somewhere there is a certain way to put the air bag and all back in and this proper procedure will also turn off my SRS light. I know that's where its coming from as it was off before they removed the air bag, steering wheel and all to replace my ignition switch. Now It has been months and I called them to remind them about that light being on recently again after 10 times prior and they said, "well you brought the car to us with the steering wheel off, how do we know the SRS light wasn't already on" and that they will have to diagnose my car again, this is Bull S..T? What a joke! It was the cover I removed to look a the switch and that's it. I left it off then had it towed to Mitsubishi Ken Garff in SLC, UT service. They are assholes. The only dealer in my area now. I must get the SRS light off, inspection is coming up.
 
#29 ·
I just replaced the ignition switch harness on my 94 Stealth, the next day I had no power at all when turning the key. I checked the ignition fuse in the motor compartment and it is good. I plugged in the old one and still no power. Only reason I changed it was because it was starting intermittently after replacing the fuel pump. since then things have been starting to act up, (like a ghost in the machine or something). I'm returning the ignition switch harness because the box was taped back together and now I don't trust the parts store warehouse people. Any hints are greatly appreciated.
 
#30 ·
OLd post but mine had the same problem this morning leaving work. The start issue has been intermittent for the last couple of months. Started with tightening the 1 screw that holds the ignition switch to the tumbler and it worked for a couple of weeks but became worse. Took the ignition switch apart and cleaned the copper cams and it started everytime until this morning. Car started right up but died after a minute of idling. Turn the key, no dash lights no start. Took the steering column apart again in the parking lot and tried just turning the ignition switch with a screw driver and no go. An hour later at the end of my rope I decide to mess with the starter relay and cant find anything wrong, so I put it back in the slot and proceed to shake the hell out of the relay/fuse box and power is restored and car starts. So there is a short somewhere in the main wiring, most likely the starter relay wiring is shit. Seems they under engineered the wiring gauge on a lot of things at the factory to save money.
 
#31 · (Edited)
Old post but seems to be a common issue ? Mine has/had same trouble.. multiple attempts to start it and finally the starter would engage and start it.. after that it would run fine. But if you shut it off.. then you still had the starter issue. Mine is a 3000 GT SL ATX No anti theft so starter relay isn't even part of the circuit. Even though it is mounted in the relay box. The simple test here is to pull apart connector B30. This connector is right near where the shift linkage connects to the tranny and is just one wire. This connects the ignition switch to the starter solenoid at its closes point to the starter and is easy to get to. You Need to have 12V here when the ignition is in Start position. if not.. work your way back to the switch.. Easy place to check the switch is at connector G59 this is up under the dash on the driver side near the steering column and is 6 pins. It is what connects the switch to the rest of the car. There are 6 pretty good sized wires going to it. ( blue,blue/black black/white, black/yellow, and white) You might have to take the knee cover off to get to it. On mine i was able to just get up under the dash and pull it out. Unhook it.. Check from pin 6 to pin 5 on the ignition switch side of the connector in Start position.. Should read a short, if not.. the switch is bad. NOW here was my simple fix for this, and this may not apply to all models. On C59 the half that is attached to the ignition switch has 6 pins.. the connector going out to the car only had 5. PIN 1 was not used and was just empty. But if you look on the electrical diagram, in STRT position, the ignition switch makes a connection between PIN 6 to 4 6 to 5 and 6 to 1 When i checked my ignition switch in STRT postion.. 6 to 4 read short, 6 to 5 was intermittent 6 to 1 was short. Obviously at that point i new my switch was bad. But since pin one was not used.. I just moved the wire that was in pin 5 ( BLACK AND YELLOW wire) into the open pin 1 location. You have to have a small flat screw driver or something to push into the back side of the connector to release the pin from the connector, then just move it to the PIN 1 open spot, and push it back in re hook up the connector and thats that. Easy fix with out having to go thru the BS of replacing the whole ignition switch. anyway hope this helps some one. Good luck !!!
 

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#34 ·
One final thing... you can see the Park / Neutral switch in line with the starter coil.. this can open the circuit as well. so try it in both park and neutral.. or MTX.. make sure the switch to detect if the clutch is in is working.. This trips the Starter relay.. so should be easy to check. Have the ignition in start position, and have some one help you.. Push the clutch in and out and listen to see if you hear the starter relay clicking on and off. This at least tells you the clutch switch is working and the relay is switching.
 
#35 ·
Old thread, but I will try... My car won’t start and the starter won’t even click. The only sound I hear when I turn the key is the fuel pump... Now, I have installed a remote start (my car is automatic) so wouldn’t that bypass the ignition switch? What about a push start button? Would that bypass the ignition switch?
 
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