Cautious DIY Fixes and Youtube mechanics for the BA/BF series

In the age of the internet there is a wealth of knowledge shared however this can lead to some very questionable sources of information.  With regards to this issue of fixing an ignition switch we’ve seen just about every fix possible by the DIY community and Youtube videos.

Some of the more common ones:

  • Put it back together and slap some cable ties on it
  • Put it back together and apply glue to stop if falling apart again
  • Obtain another switch from a steering colum and cut off the faulty one and splice the wires attaching the replacement
  • Drill a hole in the switch and install a piece of wire or a roll pin to replace the piece of metal broken off from the spring
  • Rewire and splice a later FG Series falcon ignition switch

Some of the more creative ones:

  • Using a roofing screw and cable tie for good measure to hold it in
  • Insert a screw under the switch and filing it down smooth for the spring to work off
  • Wiring up 2 switches to the wiring loom, 1 switch to power accessories and flick second switch on and off to start
  • One poor customer paid for an auto electrician to essentially hot wire the car and teaching the customer what to do just leaving exposed wires between their legs

Whilst these may work they are more often than not a short term fix that’s likely to fail again or force the spring to pop out of its housing causing more issues.  If you haven’t read our post on what’s wrong with the ignition switch post check it out here

The main problem with putting it back together is the condition of the metal where the spring returns the key back to accessories from the start position, whilst we are talking about a surface area of only a few millimeters it has  a massive impact on the normal operation of the switch.  Even if you get it back together the spring is still going to be twisting as it mounts to the deteriorating lug which it will inevitably fall apart again at some point or it will break off.

The second biggest problem is the condition of the cast metal housing, unfortunately it is a very brittle material which splits and tears quite easily which we can see in the picture here.  Like most metals once it’s been worked it doesn’t retain anywhere near the structure it had before so the risk of it falling apart again over time is likely.

One of the biggest risks of putting it back together is breaking the wiring loom plate, this is bakelite and extremely fragile.  If you break this then start shopping for a steering colum as no wrecker anywhere will part with them.

Tagged , , , .