IGNITION SWITCH remedy?
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,401
Likes: 141
From: Summerville South Carolina
IGNITION SWITCH remedy?
So I read a post elsewhere by a Corvette mechanic to the effect that if one were to disconnect the battery negative and then cycle the ignition switch about 200 times, it would resolve malfunctions. Could not see how this would alter the contacts at all based upon the structure of the switch.
Having nothing at all to lose, I decided to try it before spending a few hours removing, fixing and/or replacing the switch.
Well, at least for now, all problems are gone!!
I suspect they may return, and that I will need to remove it, as I cannot see how the contacts would be well cleaned by the recycle procedure, but I am amazed at the immediate fix and absence of any previous problems and codes. WTH eck?
Having nothing at all to lose, I decided to try it before spending a few hours removing, fixing and/or replacing the switch.
Well, at least for now, all problems are gone!!
I suspect they may return, and that I will need to remove it, as I cannot see how the contacts would be well cleaned by the recycle procedure, but I am amazed at the immediate fix and absence of any previous problems and codes. WTH eck?
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 24,160
Likes: 78
No, that won't do diddly. If they were knife style contacts or something similar where one contact slides over the other then yes they can have a self-cleaning effect. But the contacts in your ignition switch are simply getting pressed straight together with spring tension. Cycling them does nothing. When they get carboned up, they'll start acting up sporadically. My guess is they're just in a good mood for the time.
Replace the damn thing. Seriously it's one of the easiest repairs you'll do on these cars.
You can clean them too, but my experience with cleaning them was that you have to do it on about a 1 year schedule once you clean them the first time. They'll just keep carboning up again and again.
Replace the damn thing. Seriously it's one of the easiest repairs you'll do on these cars.
You can clean them too, but my experience with cleaning them was that you have to do it on about a 1 year schedule once you clean them the first time. They'll just keep carboning up again and again.
Race Director
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 15,748
Likes: 3,266
From: Phoenix area, AZ
I'd like to see BC's opinion on this one. My cleaned switch is still working as if it were new and it's been well over a year.
Race Director
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 15,748
Likes: 3,266
From: Phoenix area, AZ
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 24,160
Likes: 78
I'd bet money that if you pulled yours out right now, you'd find significant carbonization on the contacts.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
I guess It’s possible to beat the carbon into submission by thrashing it 200 times but, it makes more sense just to repair/ clean the switch and or replace it if you don’t feel good about doing the cleaning job. Murphy’s law says that the switch will stop working when you need the car the most!
The good part about working on your bad switch is you can re-bend the contact arms and put more contact pressure to prevent poor contact.
I have also figured out that you can drag some 400 grit wet and dry paper through the closed contacts and LAP in the contact patch between the two contacts.
This makes the contact point bigger and that will allow it to function a LOT better
This will provide better contact between the fixed and movable contacts, cause less heat at the contact points and should provide less arching which causes the problems in the first place.
NOTE! Always polish out the contacts with progressively finer paper until the points are mirror smooth. I use 400, 600, 800, & 1000. When I’m done I clean the contacts with alcohol and finally MEASURE the resistance of all the contacts with an OHM METER. You should see little or NO resistance between any of the contacts.
The good part about working on your bad switch is you can re-bend the contact arms and put more contact pressure to prevent poor contact.
I have also figured out that you can drag some 400 grit wet and dry paper through the closed contacts and LAP in the contact patch between the two contacts.
This makes the contact point bigger and that will allow it to function a LOT better
This will provide better contact between the fixed and movable contacts, cause less heat at the contact points and should provide less arching which causes the problems in the first place.
NOTE! Always polish out the contacts with progressively finer paper until the points are mirror smooth. I use 400, 600, 800, & 1000. When I’m done I clean the contacts with alcohol and finally MEASURE the resistance of all the contacts with an OHM METER. You should see little or NO resistance between any of the contacts.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 1,401
Likes: 141
From: Summerville South Carolina
I agree with everything
I guess It’s possible to beat the carbon into submission by thrashing it 200 times but, it makes more sense just to repair/ clean the switch and or replace it if you don’t feel good about doing the cleaning job. Murphy’s law says that the switch will stop working when you need the car the most!
The good part about working on your bad switch is you can re-bend the contact arms and put more contact pressure to prevent poor contact.
I have also figured out that you can drag some 400 grit wet and dry paper through the closed contacts and LAP in the contact patch between the two contacts.
This makes the contact point bigger and that will allow it to function a LOT better
This will provide better contact between the fixed and movable contacts, cause less heat at the contact points and should provide less arching which causes the problems in the first place.
NOTE! Always polish out the contacts with progressively finer paper until the points are mirror smooth. I use 400, 600, 800, & 1000. When I’m done I clean the contacts with alcohol and finally MEASURE the resistance of all the contacts with an OHM METER. You should see little or NO resistance between any of the contacts.
The good part about working on your bad switch is you can re-bend the contact arms and put more contact pressure to prevent poor contact.
I have also figured out that you can drag some 400 grit wet and dry paper through the closed contacts and LAP in the contact patch between the two contacts.
This makes the contact point bigger and that will allow it to function a LOT better
This will provide better contact between the fixed and movable contacts, cause less heat at the contact points and should provide less arching which causes the problems in the first place.
NOTE! Always polish out the contacts with progressively finer paper until the points are mirror smooth. I use 400, 600, 800, & 1000. When I’m done I clean the contacts with alcohol and finally MEASURE the resistance of all the contacts with an OHM METER. You should see little or NO resistance between any of the contacts.
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