Car: 1987 Coupe, Automatic, VATs equiped

Alright, I got my car started, but its still acting up.

I've tracked it down to the something in the ignition switch, because the car wouldn't start, I left it in [run] and popped the hood to check the battery and something must have moved or excited the ignition and it tried to start. So I got back in, started it, and then it tried to start the car again in the run setting without me even touching the key.

I've been in the steering column to the turn signal assy and still looked like I had a ways to go to the igntion switch. How hard is it to get the rest of the way?

What should I replace while I'm in there? Corvette Central lists an Ignition assy for $15.99 (picture below) and an ignition cylinder with key for $17.30 ($46.00 with VATs! Eek, I can bypass it!). I'm assuming I need both of them...don't I?


Sorry, no pic of the cylinder on their site

Any info is appreciated. Thanks. :)

 

from one helicopter pilot to another, let me know how that goes, I have had problems with vats with my 92...

 

I posted this on another thread today...This should help you. Also you can borrow the tools you need at AutoZone. If the bolts are loose that would screw up everything in the column.
http://www.aros.net/~rbuck/column/tiltcol.html

 

Cool, thanks for the replies, I'll be going at this Friday or Saturday depending on parts delivery.

 

Hmmm....the ignition switch is located on down the column bolted to the top outside of the column. This is where a rather large nest of wires attach. I understand that corroded contacts in the switch can make the voltage on your gauge read incorrectly. I plan on replacing mine, haven;t done it yet. I have replaced the lock cylinder, cause it was trash and also reseated the tilt pivot pin that was trying to back out. Toughest part of the whole thing was getting that blasted piece with the dimmer back in correctly... :rolleyes:

 

Could be wrong, but that picture looks like the turn signal and cruise assembly including the harness. The ignition switch is on the base of the column which is held on by two 7mm nuts. There is a mechanical linkage to the key assembly. You drop the column and the switch is on top, held on by two bolts. You can check it for wear by removing it and then reading resistance through the contacts in the run, start and accessory positions. I've had a couple develop excessive resistance in the run position - why I don't know -but cleaning it up with electrical cleaner returned .1 to .2 volts to the dash readout. From the starting problem you describe, I'd suspect something in the mechanical linkage or that the switch is out of adjustment (nuts came loose) - there are distinctive detents for each position. I'd go ahead and drop the column and operate the key with the switch in place and see how that's working first.

 

"Could be wrong, but that picture looks like the turn signal and cruise assembly including the harness"

Yes, that's what it is. In my '86, I had to unscrew and pull this thing out to get to the ignition switch, but didn't have to take it out entirely. On the bottom of the steering column is a plastic channel that the wiring goes through. REmove this. This will allow you to pull the turn signal assembly out enough to get it out of the way to attack the ignition switch. Only one screw holds in the ignition switch. Easy to replace. I taped the new wire to the old wire, and slowly pulled it through the steering column (removing that channel helped this too). Now the problem I had was getting the old key-in-ignition switch back in. A half-butted design where the now-brittle plastic broke as I was trying to get it back in. I had to get a new switch, and discovered it was a new design - one that is easy to insert and won't break. That new switch was $6.50 from a local dealer, Jeff Kopp can get it for around $3.50. Your 87's switch might be the new design. If the spring is integrated into the switch, it's the new design. If there's a separate spring alongside the switch, it's the old switch - get yourself a replacement which will be the new design.

Everything else wasn't that bad, except that I was also replacing the turn signal stalk. I had to remove the assembly underneath the turn signal assembly. You don't need to take this out to replace the ignition switch. But those 3 screws you see once you get down to the ignition switch - don't remove them - your steering column will fly apart (the dim/bright switch assembly on the left side - it's a puzzle getting it all back together just right).

I bought a steering wheel remover and steering column pressure plate remover from Sears - $20 each. Neither the Haynes nor the Shop manual had the perfect description of how to replace the ignition switch, but both of them together worked ok. Place every part that comes off in a row in the same orientation that it came off. And don't wait a few weeks to put it back together. It's not a bad job under these circumstances.

Update:
http://temp.corvetteforum.net/c4/gh86e/index4.shtml
The 4th pic on this page shows that turn signal assembly pulled out and hanging. At this point, you can get the old ignition switch out quite easily - just remove one screw. That white blob in the upper right of the open steering column is that pesky key-in-ignition switch. Just above it is the screw that loosens the ignition switch.



[Modified by gh86E, 12:49 PM 11/19/2001]