Ignition Switch Replacement.. DONT do this!!
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5th Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2007
Posts: 2,035
From: Delaware(US) & Nova Scotia(Canada)
Ignition Switch Replacement.. DONT do this!!
LOL.. WOW all the super small springs, and cylinders falling out and bouncing everywhere! 
Seems there was a small bur at the top of the hole in which the locking pin is located. When I used a paperclip to push the pin down to insert the cylinder the pin didn't pop back up. Not good as the locking cylinder could simply to hand turned counterclockwise and removed without a paperclip.
So.. (this is what you don't want to do folks..) I turned it another 1/4 turn counterclockwise and the center dropped out of the cylinder along with all the tiny springs and key pins! Ohh so much fun! Everything dropped in a tray I had below and I was able to correctly reassemble it in about 5 minutes for my key. Unfortunately my camera is at the shop so I didn't get a picture. Perhaps I'll disassemble the old one later and take a pic to toss up. While it was apart I did remove the bur so the pin locks again.
For those of you who don't know the inside of a lock cylinder there are 5 tiny springs, 5 tiny cylinder pins and another 5 randomly sized tiny to teeny cylinder pins that have an even smaller stud on top. These placed back in incorrectly and your key no longer works.
Edit.. To give you an idea of how small the parts are.. This isn't a howto but just some pics showing thier size and where they go. Tiny little things they are.
Here is 1 of the springs, 2 of the lock pins showing the different sizes and 1 of the other key groove pins.
Shows 2 spring holes and a lock pin deeper inside not removed. The 2nd hole has a spring in it which you can see the flash glint off somewhat. Top corner shows 2 of the holes the key groove pins are dropped in, point in first. Keep this part up as the fall out easily.
Shows a lock pin in the 2nd hole resting on the spring. The small nib (viewed in 1st pic) points down and into the spring.
Need to carefully press down the lock pin compressing the spring in order to move the key cylinder in and over the lock pin. Needlenose pliers are used to insert the spring then pin.
Shows the key cylinder after it was pushed through & over the lock pin. Once the next spring & pin are inserted the whole key cylinder gets rotated so the spring and pin sets are all on each other.
Seems there was a small bur at the top of the hole in which the locking pin is located. When I used a paperclip to push the pin down to insert the cylinder the pin didn't pop back up. Not good as the locking cylinder could simply to hand turned counterclockwise and removed without a paperclip.
So.. (this is what you don't want to do folks..) I turned it another 1/4 turn counterclockwise and the center dropped out of the cylinder along with all the tiny springs and key pins! Ohh so much fun! Everything dropped in a tray I had below and I was able to correctly reassemble it in about 5 minutes for my key. Unfortunately my camera is at the shop so I didn't get a picture. Perhaps I'll disassemble the old one later and take a pic to toss up. While it was apart I did remove the bur so the pin locks again.
For those of you who don't know the inside of a lock cylinder there are 5 tiny springs, 5 tiny cylinder pins and another 5 randomly sized tiny to teeny cylinder pins that have an even smaller stud on top. These placed back in incorrectly and your key no longer works.
Edit.. To give you an idea of how small the parts are.. This isn't a howto but just some pics showing thier size and where they go. Tiny little things they are.
Here is 1 of the springs, 2 of the lock pins showing the different sizes and 1 of the other key groove pins.
Shows 2 spring holes and a lock pin deeper inside not removed. The 2nd hole has a spring in it which you can see the flash glint off somewhat. Top corner shows 2 of the holes the key groove pins are dropped in, point in first. Keep this part up as the fall out easily.
Shows a lock pin in the 2nd hole resting on the spring. The small nib (viewed in 1st pic) points down and into the spring.
Need to carefully press down the lock pin compressing the spring in order to move the key cylinder in and over the lock pin. Needlenose pliers are used to insert the spring then pin.
Shows the key cylinder after it was pushed through & over the lock pin. Once the next spring & pin are inserted the whole key cylinder gets rotated so the spring and pin sets are all on each other.
Last edited by Adrenolin; Jun 24, 2009 at 12:11 AM. Reason: Added some pics of the small parts
4th Gear Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,110
From: NJ
Well I removed mine a month ago and it does the same thing, being able to turn it that extra turn... now I know what "NOT" to do while I try to get it to lock in place. I thank you. I think I will leave it.
4th Gear Member
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 1,233
From: Seattle, WA
Lol I especially hate that moment when you know you dropped some tiny parts and have no freakin idea where the went.
5th Gear Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,990
From: San Diego, CA
6th Gear Member
Joined: Oct 2006
Posts: 6,417
From: Cork, Ireland
the good thing is when you put the key in you at least know if you have the different sized tumblers in the right place. that speeds things up a bit.
That is as well how lockpicking works. move them up so far as the key would, go to the next one, etc etc etc. needs a LOT of practise ;-)
That is as well how lockpicking works. move them up so far as the key would, go to the next one, etc etc etc. needs a LOT of practise ;-)