Ignition switch woes
08-19-2016, 11:47 PM
#1
Ignition switch woes
Ok so one day i noticed the radio and wipers were not coming on. Shortly after i figured out it was because of the ignition switch. I figured this out because after the car starts, if i turn the ignition backwards a lil bit without turning the car off the radio and wipers start working.
That being said i wasnt worried about it and i carried on for months just turning the key back a lil bit when i wanted radio or wipers to work.
Then one day after i got home from work.. i turned off the car as usual and the light to the radio "remained on"! If i turned the car on i can simply turn the radio light off by using the dimmer switch but with the car "off" the dimmer does nothing and the radio light remains on.
That said, it was time to replace the ignition switch and lucky for me i had ordered one from ebay about a month ago so i installed it in the car and all the problems went away and i was a happy camper.
Unfortunately, three days after installation the light on the radio wont go off again when i turn the car off!!
Was i sold a used ignition switch? The one that was in my car before lasted 160,000 miles! How can this one go bad in three days? It sat at my house for a month before i installed it so im not sure i can return it but..
I havent contacted the seller yet, i wanted to reach out to the org and get some opinions.
How can an ignition switch go bad so quickly? Was i hustled? Is there something else i should consider? A buddy said to spray some electrical cleaner in the key hole and see if that helps. What do you guys suggest? Was i scammed by the ebay seller? Is it remotely possible for a new ignition switch to go bad that fast?
That being said i wasnt worried about it and i carried on for months just turning the key back a lil bit when i wanted radio or wipers to work.
Then one day after i got home from work.. i turned off the car as usual and the light to the radio "remained on"! If i turned the car on i can simply turn the radio light off by using the dimmer switch but with the car "off" the dimmer does nothing and the radio light remains on.
That said, it was time to replace the ignition switch and lucky for me i had ordered one from ebay about a month ago so i installed it in the car and all the problems went away and i was a happy camper.
Unfortunately, three days after installation the light on the radio wont go off again when i turn the car off!!
Was i sold a used ignition switch? The one that was in my car before lasted 160,000 miles! How can this one go bad in three days? It sat at my house for a month before i installed it so im not sure i can return it but..
I havent contacted the seller yet, i wanted to reach out to the org and get some opinions.
How can an ignition switch go bad so quickly? Was i hustled? Is there something else i should consider? A buddy said to spray some electrical cleaner in the key hole and see if that helps. What do you guys suggest? Was i scammed by the ebay seller? Is it remotely possible for a new ignition switch to go bad that fast?
08-20-2016, 09:26 AM
#2
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2012
Location: Portland, Oregon
Posts: 2,979
I doubt your ignition switch is original at 160k miles. I bet it was at least the third one. I get about 50k on mine.
They are a known weak spot.
That said, a new ignition switch will not solve a mis wiring issue.
Someone wired the radio incorrectly.
So figure ourt what they did, and fix the problem.
They are a known weak spot.
That said, a new ignition switch will not solve a mis wiring issue.
Someone wired the radio incorrectly.
So figure ourt what they did, and fix the problem.
08-20-2016, 11:24 AM
#3
That's a strange problem you have with the radio. As JvG said, it is probably a radio problem and not the ignition switch. Is the light in the radio for the display? Does the radio play when this happens?
And tell your friend that spraying contact cleaner into the ignition key hole will never reach the ignition switch on a Nissan. You replaced the ignition switch, it is a separate part, not something built inside of the ignition key lock assembly.
And tell your friend that spraying contact cleaner into the ignition key hole will never reach the ignition switch on a Nissan. You replaced the ignition switch, it is a separate part, not something built inside of the ignition key lock assembly.
08-20-2016, 02:03 PM
#4
I doubt your ignition switch is original at 160k miles. I bet it was at least the third one. I get about 50k on mine.
They are a known weak spot.
That said, a new ignition switch will not solve a mis wiring issue.
Someone wired the radio incorrectly.
So figure ourt what they did, and fix the problem.
They are a known weak spot.
That said, a new ignition switch will not solve a mis wiring issue.
Someone wired the radio incorrectly.
So figure ourt what they did, and fix the problem.
The radio is a stock radio and has been on the car since it rolled off the lot too. The car is stock 100%.
That's a strange problem you have with the radio. As JvG said, it is probably a radio problem and not the ignition switch. Is the light in the radio for the display? Does the radio play when this happens?
And tell your friend that spraying contact cleaner into the ignition key hole will never reach the ignition switch on a Nissan. You replaced the ignition switch, it is a separate part, not something built inside of the ignition key lock assembly.
And tell your friend that spraying contact cleaner into the ignition key hole will never reach the ignition switch on a Nissan. You replaced the ignition switch, it is a separate part, not something built inside of the ignition key lock assembly.
Strange indeed Dennis. The light that comes on is the light on the radio but the radio does NOT come on when the car is off. To be specific its the backlight to the radio display where it shows you what station you are on.
When this same issue came about with the other ignition switch i was able to alleviate it by simply replacing the ignition switch. Unfortunately three days later i got the same issue again with the new switch. This time tho my radio, wipers and clock stay on with no problem and the car starts as well so im not sure if its just halfway faulty or what..
Thanks for the tip about the electrical cleaner btw, i will avoid that.
08-20-2016, 05:16 PM
#5
I cannot recall seeing a radio that had the display backlight come on just because you turned the ignition switch. It seems like it only comes on when the radio itself was turned on.
A radio has 2 wires with 12 volts going to it. One wire is hot all the time and is used to keep the radio station pre-sets in memory. The other wire gets power from the ignition switch and this wire is used as the main radio power wire.
This is the kind of problem where you need to get a voltmeter and check voltages. See if the cigarette lighter has power when the ignition switch is off. It shouldn't, only when the key is in the on or accessory positions.
A radio has 2 wires with 12 volts going to it. One wire is hot all the time and is used to keep the radio station pre-sets in memory. The other wire gets power from the ignition switch and this wire is used as the main radio power wire.
This is the kind of problem where you need to get a voltmeter and check voltages. See if the cigarette lighter has power when the ignition switch is off. It shouldn't, only when the key is in the on or accessory positions.
08-21-2016, 01:53 PM
#6
I cannot recall seeing a radio that had the display backlight come on just because you turned the ignition switch. It seems like it only comes on when the radio itself was turned on.
A radio has 2 wires with 12 volts going to it. One wire is hot all the time and is used to keep the radio station pre-sets in memory. The other wire gets power from the ignition switch and this wire is used as the main radio power wire.
This is the kind of problem where you need to get a voltmeter and check voltages. See if the cigarette lighter has power when the ignition switch is off. It shouldn't, only when the key is in the on or accessory positions.
A radio has 2 wires with 12 volts going to it. One wire is hot all the time and is used to keep the radio station pre-sets in memory. The other wire gets power from the ignition switch and this wire is used as the main radio power wire.
This is the kind of problem where you need to get a voltmeter and check voltages. See if the cigarette lighter has power when the ignition switch is off. It shouldn't, only when the key is in the on or accessory positions.
Thats the crazy part.. When the car is off the radio light is on but the radio is actually "off". The cig lighter doesnt get any juice when the car is off either. If i turn the car back on and hit the dimmer swicth then the radio light turns off or dims properly so its not broken.
Here is a pic of what i mean. Right now im just disconnecting the battery every night until i figure this out but im gonna go grab another ignition switch in the next few days sometime and see it resolves the issue.
http://imgur.com/a/2xRIS
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