Waaaa! My Ignition Switch Died!

[PaulE]

Originally Posted by 10/10ths

....an issue for ALL 986's or just early year models?

From what I've read the 2004 550 SE has the updated switch and lock assembly that also went into the 987 and 997. Those are supposed to be more robust but I've also read that they still can fail. My 2003 had the earlier one and I've updated to the later style that you should have. My indy told me he hasn't seen any of the newer ones fail yet.

[key_lime]

As mentioned above, the trick here is to remove the side AC vent & vertical AC tube. Doing this exposes the ignition switch assembly from the side/top, which enables you to see, and reach the 2 annoying screws which secure the electrical component into the back of the barrel.



With the vent out of the way, it’s fairly easy to get your arm through the gap and loosen the 2 screws holding a 3mm slotted bit.



One thing that caught me off guard when I did this was the quality of the spare electrical component I ordered – the edges of the pins were rough, and it was impossible to clip it into the back of the barrel. Sand paper fixed that!

[rczap]

What are the signs of a failed switch? It seems like this past week my car wont turn over on the first turn. I have to turn to run, wait a few seconds then turn to crank. Any thoughts?