4 SYMPTOMS OF A BAD IGNITION SWITCH
The purpose of the ignition switch is to send or cut battery voltage to a specific group of components depending on the position that your keys are in. Now, there are 4 possible positions. The first one is the lock or off position, which basically means that your battery is going to cut power to most electrical circuits. The second position is going to turn on the accessories in your car such as the radio and dashboard lights. The third position will send power to the control modules like the ECM, BCM, TCM, and more. The last position will provide power to the starter motor and will also alert the ECM to command fuel and spark to start the combustion process, or in other words, it will start your car.
location
The ignition switch will be located behind the ignition lock cylinder
symptoms
No crank no start
The first and most common symptom of a bad ignition switch is a no crank no start. This could happen if there’s no contact inside the switch to be able to send electrical current from the battery to the starter to get it cranking. In some situations, your vehicle can start for a bit, and then die seconds after.
Car turning off while driving
The second symptom of a faulty ignition switch is your car turns off while driving. A defective switch can prevent power from going into the control modules leaving your vehicle brainless. Control modules are critical for your car since they monitor sensors and command when to add a spark and inject fuel at the perfect time to keep your car running. A quick way to test the ignition switch is to try wiggling the keys back and forth while the engine is on in the park position. If it dies, then it could be the switch. I’ll link a perfect video that resembles this in the description below.
accessory problems
The third symptom is having accessory problems. With the car on in the park position, you could be experiencing your dash lights turning on and off rapidly. On the flip side, with the car off, on the accessory position, you could be experiencing nothing turning on at all.
car won’t turn off
The fourth symptom of a bad ignition switch is your car won’t turn off. You could be pulling up in your parking lot, turning your key to the off position, and taking it out only to notice your car is still on. This isn’t very common but it’s definitely possible if the switch is defective. If you’re in this situation and want to turn your vehicle off, just unplug the fuel pump fuse. This will prevent your fuel pump from turning on and delivering fuel to your engine.
Check out my YouTube video!
Disclaimer: Some links in this article may be affiliate links.
