Hey guys Ive been havn this problem for quite sometime now, Im driving around and my cd player shuts off(turns back on), my speedometer bounces down to 0 or sometimes jus bounces......when im driving at night i notice my headlights flicker or twitch then if i go to hit my brights when it flickers my cd player shuts off and my speedo bounces to 0 or jus bounces like i mensioned.....i pulled my center console and checked for loose or exposed wires...came up with nothing...Does anyone know what i can do, ive checked grounds and my alternator, battery, and all my voltage is good. Wheres my next adventure off to now? .
Thanks,
You all would be a huge help if anyone has had this problem or can tell me whats up, I keep gettin told the ignition switch but my car doesnt shut off completely so.....idk if thats still what sounds bout right or......??????? im going crazy and insane! i jus replaced the distributor and the main relay not to long ago so idk if that could be the problem or what.....PLZ ANY HELP WOULD BE GREAT!!! Text me at 620-253-2896 or email me at zachpack_1000@yahoo.com to contact me the quickest. Im a new member on here so i gotta get use to checking this haha.
lol the car hasnt acted up in 3 days now haha, and when the car goes to do what it does the car doesnt shut off, i can keep driving so it doesnt shut down the car when it does it.
It very well could be the ignition switch then, because it sounds like the problem is affecting much of the car.
The contacts in ignition switches do wear out, so it could be the source of your troubles. The would explain your gauges bouncing up and down, and would also explain the stereo. The engine won't be affected as much because it is rotating and so will not be affected as much by electrical drops.
The ignition switch is a little bit tricky to change, but it's not impossible. The procedure just involves a lot of fiddling with the wire to get route it through the dash. Before you go out and replace it though, we should probably devise a way to check if this is in fact your problem.
To get to the ignition switch, you'll have to remove the plastic molding around your steering console. You'll see your ignition key lock and on the other side of it, the ignition switch. It's a circular switch, and should have exposed contacts on the outside. There will be thick wires coming out of it. One wire is the positive wire, with the other wires representing the various key locations that can be selected, ACC, On, Start.
The easiest way I can think to test your particular problem would be to figure out which wiring combination represents the ON position. Then, once you've got the car started, use a short section of thick wire and just short out the switch in the ON positive by taping your wire from the positive lead to the ON lead. You'll have to do this once the car is already running, and be careful not to slip and accidentally run the starter while the car is on. With the switch shorted out safely, you should be able to go for a drive and see if you get the same behavior. When you need to turn the car off, just tear your short lead off the switch and turn off the car as you normally would.
Since your car likely has an air bag, be VERY careful with your testing. The last thing you would want is to accidentally short the airbag circuit and have the airbag inflate. It's pretty unlikely that this would happen, but please be careful. If you decide to proceed with the testing I mentioned, you should probably review the material in the manual (1992 shop manual in the manuals section) starting on page 23-87.
There might be additional info in the '93 manual. It has instructions on how to test the ignition switch and how to avoid causing airbag problems.
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