Steering column - Ignition switch
Discussion
I had a thread going on my starter swap, but have a wiring issue that I thought is best spinning up a new thread.
I do not have a signal sufficient to activate a solenoid, so I decided it may be worth wiring a new wire back to the starter switch position on the main key switch. Problem is that there are four wires that I see coming out of the black plastic part that the ignition key switch activates. One of these wires is always on with about 12volts, another appears always on with about 11 volts. The other two are on when you turn the key to the second click (although I believe one of the two turns off when you turn the key to start the car.
I expected that there would be one wire on the switch that only provides 12 volts when you turn the key to the starter position, but would drop back to zero when you released the key. Is there another clump of wires from the key switch that aren't obvious? I am a little stumped.
Note, it did work before, however, if I turned the key several times trying (without success) to start the car I noticed a slight smell, and one time a little smoke near the ignition switch! However after this happened it still worked a few times.
Help?
I don't want to add a start button, or make a complicated fix to work around the issue - I hope to just find the root cause and resolve it.
I do not have a signal sufficient to activate a solenoid, so I decided it may be worth wiring a new wire back to the starter switch position on the main key switch. Problem is that there are four wires that I see coming out of the black plastic part that the ignition key switch activates. One of these wires is always on with about 12volts, another appears always on with about 11 volts. The other two are on when you turn the key to the second click (although I believe one of the two turns off when you turn the key to start the car.
I expected that there would be one wire on the switch that only provides 12 volts when you turn the key to the starter position, but would drop back to zero when you released the key. Is there another clump of wires from the key switch that aren't obvious? I am a little stumped.
Note, it did work before, however, if I turned the key several times trying (without success) to start the car I noticed a slight smell, and one time a little smoke near the ignition switch! However after this happened it still worked a few times.
Help?
I don't want to add a start button, or make a complicated fix to work around the issue - I hope to just find the root cause and resolve it.
Yes, there may well be a short somewhere, I will need to find some time to dig in to that possibiltiy. Cheers.
This was my post on the other thread...
I would much rather have no immobilizer - I read a lot about them being a pain. Still puzzled by the fact I can't find a wire on the column switch that triggers the solenoid (even if indirectly). I do find that one of the two that goes live in the second position of the key cuts back off to zero volts when you turn the key to the starter position.
I will see if there is a multi plug further down that I can disconnect so I can determine if the switch itself is working, but something has shorted out.
I am almost at the point of adding a couple of relays. I would have one relay's coil feed off of the line that goes live and stays live when the key is on the second position, and have its normally open contact feed the second line that goes live on that key position - but cuts out when turning to start - in to the coil of a secondary relay that has a normaly closed contact. In turn that normally closed contact would feed power to the solenoid, picking that power up from the first of the mentioned wires, namely the one that comes on at the second key position, but doesn't turn off when you turn the key to the start position. Also, when I say it would feed the solenoid, it would actually do so via a third relay to isolate the solenoid load from the low gauge wires of the key switch, and instead pick the load up from a more hardy power source.
Hope I don't have to go that route - I would like to simplify, not complicate things.
Cheers.
This was my post on the other thread...
I would much rather have no immobilizer - I read a lot about them being a pain. Still puzzled by the fact I can't find a wire on the column switch that triggers the solenoid (even if indirectly). I do find that one of the two that goes live in the second position of the key cuts back off to zero volts when you turn the key to the starter position.
I will see if there is a multi plug further down that I can disconnect so I can determine if the switch itself is working, but something has shorted out.
I am almost at the point of adding a couple of relays. I would have one relay's coil feed off of the line that goes live and stays live when the key is on the second position, and have its normally open contact feed the second line that goes live on that key position - but cuts out when turning to start - in to the coil of a secondary relay that has a normaly closed contact. In turn that normally closed contact would feed power to the solenoid, picking that power up from the first of the mentioned wires, namely the one that comes on at the second key position, but doesn't turn off when you turn the key to the start position. Also, when I say it would feed the solenoid, it would actually do so via a third relay to isolate the solenoid load from the low gauge wires of the key switch, and instead pick the load up from a more hardy power source.
Hope I don't have to go that route - I would like to simplify, not complicate things.
Cheers.
In the end I took the switch off of the column to investigate. Once off I found two tabs that allowed me to ease the black plug off the back of the switch. In this state I was able to meter the switch and found it is fine, when the key turns to the starter position it connects the permanent 12volts to the connection that had the red/white wire that I assumed was to the solenoid.
Interestingly that wire, now not on a switch, could be metered and was reading about a volt below battery. It shoudl accept 12 volts, and if the immobiliser is working it either is allowed to trigger the starter, or it is isolated. To me I assume that circuit of the immobiliser is damaged.
I carefully removed the wire and it's connector from the plug and taped it off. I ran a new wire and connector to a relay that I added to activate the starter solenoid, and reassembled.
The car now starts better than it ever has during my ownership - and good news is it starts off the key ;-)
Maybe some day I will revisit the immobiliser to see what went wrong; but for now I am back on the road.
Think I will go for a drive in the Griffith now, it's a lovely day, and there are some great country roads near by!
Interestingly that wire, now not on a switch, could be metered and was reading about a volt below battery. It shoudl accept 12 volts, and if the immobiliser is working it either is allowed to trigger the starter, or it is isolated. To me I assume that circuit of the immobiliser is damaged.
I carefully removed the wire and it's connector from the plug and taped it off. I ran a new wire and connector to a relay that I added to activate the starter solenoid, and reassembled.
The car now starts better than it ever has during my ownership - and good news is it starts off the key ;-)
Maybe some day I will revisit the immobiliser to see what went wrong; but for now I am back on the road.
Think I will go for a drive in the Griffith now, it's a lovely day, and there are some great country roads near by!
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