My 93 Dakota with a tilt column decided not to function a few minutes ago. The truck was running, and I stopped to run into a place for a couple minutes and when I went to start it, turning the key felt like nothing was happening inside the switch. There was no spring resistance for the start position, and the motor would not crank. The older stuff had a rod the connected between the key and the switch and if it fell off, turning the key wouldn't do anything. It felt the same way, except there is no rod.

Turning the key will turn the ign on and off, but will not crank the motor. I was able to start the truck by turning the key to the crank position, and jumping the starter relay.
The issue is strictly key/switch related. My question is: is the spring loaded crank position in the switch itself, or is there something else that just crapped out?
Gene

It's the switch, or tumblers, separate piece in the same assembly, been through it a couple times with the wife's '93 Ramcharger. One time there was a piece of wire hanging out of the tumblers.

Robert

Thank you.

How do I remove the tamper proof torque head screws without the special tool? I suspect melting them out with a torch is a bit excessive? Gene

get the torx bit to do it. torx pn: TTXR15A2. napa, ace, amazon, etc., should have them.

Well, as usual, most places don't have them in stock, they would be happy to order them for me. The earliest I can have the tool is in the morning, and then I get to buy the whole set. At least the set I have coming isn't expensive, hope they last long enough to do the job.

Of course this is my 4x4, and we are suppose to get 1-3" of snow tonight, I think we already have 2" since it started about 10:30 this morning, and its not suppose to stop until late tonight. 1" to 3" my butt!

Hey, at least its above 0, until it gets dark.....Gene

I got the Lisle set from O'Reilley's. Too bad you're so far away.

Good luck!

Robert

O'Reilley's say they can have a set here (at my shop) this afternoon yet, we will see how that goes. Not much choice, the only other auto parts store that will deliver is NAPA and they can't have it in town until tomorrow. There are other parts stores in town, but none have a set (or a single tool I need) in stock, and none of them would deliver to me. My dead truck is the only transportation I have available today, and its -25 windchill, I'm sure not walking across town (not that I would walk across town on any other day either, but the cold makes it sound better.) Gene

OK, I got the new NAPA Ignition switch installed, and it doesn't work!

At the relay 4 electrical posts, with a test light I have battery power on one terminal. I have a ground on one terminal. One terminal goes to the starter and when powered, it will crank the motor. The 4th terminal, which should be power from the ignition switch is always dead.

I believe I have a bad new switch.

The 7 terminal connector and all the wires and terminals look great, no discoloration, no burned spots, no loose connection. Of the 7 wire connector that connects to the switch, on one end is a red wire, which I assume is battery power. On the other end is a yellow wire, which back in the old days, was the starter wire. Checking with a continuity meter, if I connect a meter lead to the red terminal, and turn the switch, I get continuity between the red terminal and other terminals with the key in Acc position, Key in on position, nothing in off position, and the terminals with continuity in the on position also have continuity in the crank position, but the terminal with the yellow wire never has continuity. Its always dead. Bad switch, correct?
I get the exact same results from the old switch, but the new one has at least some spring load, the old switch does not have any spring load.

A replacement switch will be here in the morning, I want to confirm my test procedure is correct, it will be easier to bench test then to install and find out the 2nd new switch is junk as well.

This would be the 3 set of switches in a row, on different vehicles, over a 3 year time that were bad, the first two each had 2 bad new switches, all from the NAPA Echwin switches. Switches from other sources worked in each case. They used to always be good, guess times have caught up with them as well. Gene

OK, I've got this fixed!
I owe NAPA an apology, there was nothing wrong with the first ignition switch they sent me.

The issue was the key lock assembly. A small piece of the pot metal gateway that turns the switch was broken off and would not allow the switch to turn far enough for the switch to reach the start position. Replacing the key lock assembly on the ignition switch solved the problem. If I would have seen that yesterday, it would have been much easier.
At any rate, the truck runs, and life is good. Thank you all for giving much thought to my problem. Gene