Bill Curlee

I just reviewed the cylinder lock removal instructions. You have to have the key and turn it to the ON position.

Once its in that position, there is a release on the side that you depress and the cylinder comes out.


You can either try to pick the lock with a lock pick set OR you can take it to a lock smith and have him pick it for you.

Picking the lock really isnt that difficult.. Give that a try first.

If you have the lock smith pick yours, have him re-pin the cylinder to match your key.

Bill

radman98

Bill, Thank you for your help. I will save this and when the weather warms I will follow this and I'm sure I'll solve my problem. The way this looks, the code 705 is another problem to deal with. Onwards and upwards we go. mike

wolf10851

WOW AWESOME write up on this! you make it look so easy

Bill Curlee

It realy is that easy..

Bill

Bill Curlee

I addes some updated information to the very first part of the post. Figured I would add it here for people that dont go back and read the very first post:


Here are a FEW UPDATES that have been added as we refine this repair process:

Recommned that you obtain some 600 grit wet and dry sand paper. Cut a strip about 6" long X 3/4" wide. Fold it in half so that you have sand paper on both sides. Work the sand paper in between all the contacts on one side of the switch. Pull and push the sand paper between the stationary contacts and movable contact arms. Doing this will lap in a bigger contact area between the two contacts thus allowing the switch to carry a bigger current load without heating up. When you are done lapping the contacts on one side, lap the other side.

NOTE! Make sure that you recheck the contact pressure on the contach arms to insure that they are still making firm contact. Clean the contacts and recheck the resistance of each switch.

NOTE! The Electrical connectors with FEMALE PINS that pulg into the Ignition Switch can spread and male poor connection with the male pins inside the switch. Check the female pins inside the two power connectors:



Once you sand the burned marks off the bent female pins, rebend them back so that the tong makes better contact with the male pins inside the switch. There are TWO damaged large pins in the black plug and one on the white plug.

silver408z

Thanks for the write up. I took my switch apart and sure enough I had burned contacts. All though this did not fix the problem I did find the answer to my problem in this thread. Damn g105 ground was loose turned out to be my problem.

IRON MAIDEN

What are the common problems related to the switch?
I get the ABS/TC issue pretty often. One for sure is when I get those lights, my power steering is effected. It's as if I no longer have power steering.
Now and then I get a security light on my dash but don't notice any symtoms with it.

A couple months ago, while swapping front and rear cradles, adding coilovers, etc.... I used a can of electrical cleaner on just about every plug I could find on the car in the areas I was working. Got most of the connectors in the engine bay and most of them under the rear of the car. I'm sure I missed some of the grounding points but think I got several.

Curious if I should go ahead and check my ignition switch and maybe check the door accordians as well.

IRON MAIDEN

Looks like I need a new tool as I don't think I have a volt meter in my garage!

Bill Curlee

If you purchase one,,, Make sure that you get one that has features that you will use and scales that are easy to under stand. It should have Volts AC & DC, AMPS, Milliamps and OHMS Scale.

IRON MAIDEN

I own a C5, think it might be in my best interest to just own one!!!!

Bill Curlee

Update 24 May 13

I have to admit that; just because the ignition switch contacts look burnt, they still could be fine. The problem occurs when the contacts start building resistance from the carbon, poor contact continuity and burnt contacts.

That excessive resistance causes the 12 VDC battery voltage supplied to the switch and controlled by those contacts to be something LESS than full battery voltage. If the switch is marginally defective, it may work one ignition sequence and fail horribly the next. Please check the ignition switch resistance AND electrical output after cycling it several times.

Most of the problems with our ignition switches are, the contacts do not close perfectly parallel and after thousands of OPEN/SHUT cycles, the contact arms heat up and loose tension. That’s when the resistance starts building and the switch contacts generate excessive heat and degraded voltage outputs.

Before any ignition switch is rebuilt/repaired, you should measure the closed contacts with an OHM Meter and see what you have resistance wise. Measuring all the contacts requires cycling the switch thru all of its available positions. Write down the resistance value before repair and then again after repair.

When you repair/rebuild the switch, re-arch the movable contact arms so that they shut with more pressure.

One of the reasons that the contacts get hot is, some circuits draw a moderate amounts of current. If the contacts don’t close perfectly parallel, there is only a very small contact point for the current to flow thru. That causes heat and excessive arching when the contacts shut.

Im going to reassemble a switch and slide some wet and dry sand paper between the closed contacts and work the paper between the contacts to LAP the contacts so that they have a larger contact point

NOTE! Anytime you clean/sand or file any electrical contact, you should finish the surface as smooth as you can and before finial reassembly, clean the contacts with isopropyl alcohol so that there is no grease or grit between the contacts.

As always, CHECK THE RESISTANCE of each contact in the switch (you have to cycle it thru all it positions) and make sure that it is not excessive. When you re-arch the movable arms, if you are TOO AGGRESSIVE, the switch contacts will never open when the arm is pushed open and that will cause an ignition circuit to remain ON when its suppose to be OFF. That will cause excessive battery current draw in the sleep mode and KILL the battery in short order.

Something else that needs to be examined is the female pins in the ignition switch connector. If they are spread and make poor contact, they also can cause lower ignition switch output voltages. I have seen female pin contacts so loose that they heat up and melt the connector causing ignition switch failure on all outputs for that 12 VDC circuit.

Look at the picture provided. Two of the contacts in the black connector (the two on the inboard contacts) are spread apart and have signs of electrical arcing and carbon. They need to be cleaned and the tong needs to be bent so that it makes better contact with the male pin inside the switch
I will add this to my Ignition Switch post.



Bill

jim993

In my case, both times the ignition switch was repaired by the dealer, it was $400 including a 10% senior discount.

I would note that the symptoms of the first ignition switch failure were different than the second one. I never had a crank, no start with the first failure. The first failure began when the engine died at a stop sign on the way to work. It restarted normally.

When I tried to start it to drive home that afternoon, it would start and briefly run on one or two cylinders and die, generating a plethora of codes from service traction system to reduced power, low voltage and on and on.

Bill, thanks again for the detailed posts.

2000BSME

more fixin' I'm prolly gonna have to do in the future.

bobamylaura

I have just fitted a second hand ignition barrel and switch to my c5. I connected new switch and barrel up before I removed old switch to test it and started up fine. When I had removed old switch and installed new switch there nothing. Do I need to sync the new switch with the cut out or have I missed something else?

Bill Curlee

Haaaaaa,,, I bet you are using the key that came with the second hand lock/switch set up!! CORRECT????


Bill

bobamylaura

Correct

Bill Curlee

LOL!! Your KEY contains a resistor pellet. The resistance of that pellet MUST match the recorded value in the BCM Memory. You need to swap back in your key lock set into the ignition switch so you can use your key. The key that came with the switch WILL NOT work if it is NOT the same resistance.

Other wise, you will be locked out of engine operation by the BCM Security.


BC

acat1234

Thanks Bill for such fantastic advice and instructions. I am a "newbie" with a 2001 c5 coupe. Will a faulty ignition switch cause the starter to "drag" after starting? Also, will the faulty switch allow the fuel pump to continue running (slightly) making the engine attempt to run after turning switch off?

Thanaks

Bill Curlee

I would say that you have an Ignition Switch issue. The fuel pump cant run without the ignition switch being ON or power coming from it. If its still running after you go to OFF,, the switch has to be the issue and staying ON

You could also have a starter solenoid or Theft Deterrent Relay issue if your starter is still running in run or off.

acat1234

It does not happen every time I start the car, but if there is a harsh (not sharp or banging) metallic noise coming from the front of the car, the car will continue to try and run when I turn the ignition switch off. If the car starts and there is no noise, then the car shuts down perfectly when the switch is turned off.