HI all,
I have had my '99 C5 a little more than a year now and have found some awesome, extremely helpful information on this forum that has helped fix all the little things I needed to fix. This is my first post, among all the information on ignition switches on this forum, I could not find anything that pertained to my situation. I ordered a new GM lock cylinder and ignition switch from gmpartsdirect.com however the new ignition switch does not work. The new lock cylinder, along with the old one, both work in the old ignition switch however the new ignition switch will not work with either the old or new lock cylinder. The issue I am having is the car will not crank. Everything seems fine when you go accessory but the minute I try to crank, absolutely nothing happens and in the crank position things like the radio and dash lights go out. Basically acts like I don't have the clutch pushed in or the neutral safety switch is not working however if that was the case my old ignition switch would not work either.

I have tried to contact the supplier multiple times, all this week, with no reply. Before I dispute the charge on my card, to get the supplier to respond, I just wanted to know if I am missing something or overlooking something on the install. The install is very straight forward but is there something I needed to do on the switch before installation? Any thoughts would greatly be appreciated.

 

When you turn the key to crank the engine things are turned off to supply more power to crank the engine. Does your new switch have the front part of the switch, the part that has the contacts that press against the key pellet, if those two wires are not plugged in the car will not crank over.

 

If you are talking about the two wires that come off the front of the lock cylinder, then yes those are connected.

 

Is your new switch an all black part? Or is it black, white and green? If you got the black one it is made in China and these have been known to have issues. There is a set of contacts inside the switch that are not making contact.

What is the reason you are replacing the switch and key cylinder? I have cleaned many of the switch assemblies and never had to replace the key cylinder.

Gary

 

Hi Gary,
Yeah unfortunately the new switch is all black with a big Made in China sticker on it, my original is white and green.

I replaced the lock cylinder because it was loose inside and the key would wiggle, sometimes going over a bump would trigger the security like. This issue is solved with the new lock cylinder. I figured while I had everything apart, I would install a new ignition switch because of all the things I read about the contacts getting burned over time; guess this part was a mistake. Also, I thought maybe was loose in the switch as well because when I had my arm way up under the dash replacing the hazard switch, the car starting dinging like the key was in it. The only thing my arm was against was the ignition switch so I figured something moved enough from some light pressure to complete a circuit and set off that dinging. Therefore, I figured it could not hurt to replace it.

 

I'm thinking of doing the same. The cylinder on mine is shot. I can pull the key out while she is running... So there is some wear and tear for sure. Any reprograming with a new switch and keys. I may just replace the entire unit since I'm in the mess.

 

No reprogramming is needed as long as you buy the same resistance range, take a dvm and measure the resistance of your current key pellet, and order new keys with the same resistance.

 

When you order your lock cylinder, order an uncoded one which just means it is not yet keyed. Take your key and the lock cylinder to a locksmith and have them "code" it to your key for you and that is it. When the locksmith codes the lock cylinder, they are just installing the tumblers that match your key, there is no actual programming involved and you don't need the dealer.

If you buy a new ignition switch, i would see if you can find the original part number, 10246848, versus the new part number,10308321. I have the new part number and it did not work (no crank), i still have the old switch. Another member mentioned the new switches, they are all black in color, have these no-crank issues. The original switch is white and green.

 

Excellent suggestion. Thanks.