Ignition Switch(electrical side, not key cylinder)

[jjewett444]

My 1984 c10 will not start. drove home from work yesterday and would not start again.. sometimes it would not start then when turning key from start back to run it sounded like the starter would engage for a sec. not it does nothing. i put in a brand new starter and nothing. i bench tested my old starter with a jumper and a battery in garage and it worked, so i believe problem is in the ignition switch. CAN ANYONE PLEASE TELL ME WHERE IT IS LOCATED ON AN 84 C10 TILT COLUMN, thank you. anyone else have similar problems? any suggestions are welcome. also i tried using a power probe 3 to supply power to ignition terminal at starter solenoid and nothing which made me think originally bad starter solenoid
.

 

[yevgenievich]

Top of the column, under the dash. It is actually adjuatable. Easiest way to reach is to drop the column down.

 

[jjewett444]

how can I adjust it? and how labor intensive is it to drop the column? just replaced starter and tried to bypass ignition with applying power to ignition terminal on starter solenoid with a matco power probe and it just trips breaker on probe, will not energize solenoid

 

[yevgenievich]

If you want to try starting while starter installed, use a screw driver to connect battery terminal on starter to solenoid terminal. Dropping column not hard, remove panel cobering below column, move hvac ducting oit of the way and you will see 4 nuts holding the steering column up from the bottom. After removing them, it would drop down and you can access ignition switch. It can be adjusted by losening and sliding it up/down for proper engaugement.

 

[jjewett444]

thanks. will do! i think i just broke the freakin key cylinder it seemed like it was not moving far past run position so i turned it a little too hard and now it just moves freely(not engaging the rod or moving it) i can't seem to be more freaking lucky

 

[75gmck25]

If the key is turning, but the rod is not moving, it may be that the rack on the end of the key cylinder is broken. They are made of cheap pot metal, but that is what connects the key cylinder to the rod that actuates the electrical connections.

A replacement GM ignition rack is cheap ($12) and available from almost any parts store. However, there is a lot of disassembly required to replace it. You have to pull the steering wheel (steering wheel puller) and all the parts behind the horn button (horn ring compressor) so that you can get to the bolts that hold the upper column. Then you remove the upper column and shell, which exposes the rack so you can replace it. I found a good description of the job online, with lots of pictures, but it still took quite a while.

While I had it apart I replaced the turn signal switch and emergency flasher switch, and used locktite on the bolts for the upper column so they would not loosen up (a common problem on GM columns).

Bruce