So I go out to the truck to go to work like almost every day since I bought the thing, except the car gods were not in a good mood this morning, or some trolls cursed it. I turn the key and nothing...
Nothing is never good when you are trying to get a vehicle started. First thing I do is call the boss, who seemed ok with my missing a day of work, but we shall see, and next inform my girlfriend that the duck has decided to take the day off.
First, I decide to verify the electrical system integrity, which involves checking the fuses (ok), wiring to the starter (also ok) and power to the alternator (also ok), so at this point, I am thinking it is the switch itself. I get back in the truck and try it again...nothing. I noticed that the switch is not springing back to the "on" position after being turned to "start", "off" works well and "acc" is hit or miss. I deduce that it is indeed the switch.
Now I have to get the switch out of the steering column, and all goes well until I break the plastics that surround the key switch (longer screws and glue will fix this). I then try to remove the ignition assembly...and this is when I realize that ma mopar decided to use security screws here.
A trip to the auto parts store around the corner and I have the right tools to remove the switch, and so it comes out, just in time for me to discover that I cannot take the lock cylinder out of the switch itself. I do, however, discover that while the key is moving to the "start" position, the rest of the assembly is not.
If you go to www.autozone.com and enter your vehicle information, and then search a part, that site is kind enough to tell you what other vehicles use that same part. This helps because the switch new at the dodge stealership is around $110, plus key cutting and coding if applicable. Not today. I am on a budget like most of the people I know and $110 just is not in the budget. That being said, I made a list of vehicles that take this same key switch assembly, and in my case, lots of Chrysler products take the same assembly. This gives me a list of donors, that includes a 1996 Dodge Viper. Of course the plan is to go to the local salvage yards and find one, hopefully with a key.
My friend Kenny was not doing anything today and was kind enough to act as chauffeur to get me to a couple local salvage yards. First off was crescent U pull it, who had nothing in the way of viable key switches (but did have a decent set of bucket seats that will bolt right in). second up was junkyard Barbie, who had a few candidates, but no keys. I decided to call up Reedman Toll Dodge and ask if they could cut a key based on VIN number. I also had to explain that I could not provide a registration for the donor vehicle since it is sitting in the middle of a salvage yard. The nice people at the stealership told me to bring in the VIN from the donor, my registration, identification, and they could cut me a key.
$30 later I have a key...that will not work.
Being pissed at this point and not willing to admit defeat, Kenny brings me home, where I decide that sometimes you have to use finesse and charm to get things accomplished. sometimes you have to use a hammer. Today being a hammer kind of day I tapped the key a few (dozen) times, until it worked in the lock. About half an hour after the hammering (and the bulk of my day shot) I can finally drive the duck again.
So, in hindsight...
*Don't break your ignition switch.
*Don't expect a salvage yard ignition switch to work "out of the box".
*$30 for a key is bullshit.
*Seems to me I owe Kenny some beer.
*It would be really cool to be able to say I have Viper parts in my truck (and not in the bed).
