How To Tell If Your Vehicle's Ignition Switch Has Gone Bad

Your vehicle's ignition switch has the job of sending or cutting voltage to a group of parts within your car. This is done by moving the key into one of four positions. The vehicle can be in the off position where most components have electricity shut off or the accessories position to turn on things like the dashboard and radio. There is also the "on" position that powers the control modules, and the start position to give the starter motor electricity. 

If your initiation switch is damaged, the vehicle will have problems sending voltage to these components when you turn the key. Here is how you can tell that the ignition switch needs repair. 

The Engine Doesn't Crank When Starting  

The most obvious problem that you'll notice is if you go to start your vehicle and the vehicle doesn't crank or start. You go through the process of turning the key and nothing happens. It could be due to the switch not making contact with the component that sends a signal to turn on the starter motor, so the part doesn't crank the engine. A faulty ignition switch can also cause the vehicle to start the cranking process but stop soon after. 

The Vehicle Shuts Off While Driving

A properly working ignition switch is going to send the signal to all the necessary components to drive when it is in the on position. When the ignition switch is faulty, it can potentially give the signal that the switch has been turned to the off position. Even if this happens momentarily because of an intermittent problem, it can cause the vehicle to shut down when driving.

One way to test this issue is to put the vehicle in park and start the car. Then try moving the key slightly to see if it loses contact with the on position. If so the car shuts down, you know the problem is when the ignition switch is faulty and not making the proper contact to keep the vehicle running. 

The Vehicle Won't Turn Off

While the vehicle not turning off is a rare problem, it is a big indication of a faulty ignition switch. If you park your vehicle and are able to remove the keys, and the car is still in the on or accessory position, it means that the ignition switch has a faulty connection when you switch it to the off position. You'll definitely need to have the ignition switch repaired or replaced to fix this problem. 

To learn more, contact a company like Elite Automotive.

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