Ignition switch

[mrbobian]

You ever accidentally hit them during driving? I mean it not a big deal as you can flip them back up and the car should spring to life, but, it could be a scare if it happened durring "spirted" driving.

[BoomerDJ]

i turn off my acc switch wile driving all the time, just turns radio and tach off as well as a few other things but if you flip the run switch the engine turns off. and dont worry you cant accidentally turn them off unless you put them somewhere where you could

[370HSSV0773H]

How many people here actually did this conversion with the ignition switch? Any problems???

[g323]

id say 5%-10% of have done it if i had to guess, but im really just guessing - i did it, works great, very easy

[g323]

To replace part #2 on this diagram do I need to take everything apart? i got the old one out by canibalizing it(i didnt really want to, but when i went to hook up a starter button the electrical panel on the back broke off )

Is it possible to put a new one in without taking everything apart?

[jrcook320]

How many people here actually did this conversion with the ignition switch? Any problems???

Interesting you ask this question. I had my first problem with it today after 4 years of use. The switches I bought were 15 amp switches. Apparently my ignition switch has worn out to point point it started to arc. That generated enough heat to melt the switch and some wire insulation.

The same switch that autozone still carries is now rated at 20 amps, but I bought a 50 amp switch today (it was cheaper) and will re-wire the ignition switch with 8 gage wire tonight.

[jrcook320]

Just an update on my 4 year old push button start setup. My ignition switch must have worn out or was overloaded. The switch was getting hot and melted itself and the wire insulation. I found that the switches were only rated at 15 amps which is probably not enough. The identical looking switch that autozone now carries is rated at 20 amps.

I bought a 50 amp switch which was cheaper and modified it by grinding down the huge toggle to fit under the flip cover from the old switch. While I believe the switch was culprit here and the 10 gage wire was adequate, I decided to replace it with 8 gage amp wire anyway.

Here's a pic showing the old burnt 15 amp switch and 10 gage wires:




And the new wiring harness and switch:



I'll be honest here, for the last 2 summers of driving this car I've had a faintly glowing charge light that I've been fighting. I've checked and cleaned grounds, replaced ground straps, soldered all my connections on my battery cable (battery is in the trunk), bolted my + battery lead directly to the starter, ran new 8 gage wire from my battery cable at the start to the fuse box. All these efforts did improve my cranking and the performance of the electrical system, but when my headlights were on the charge light would still glow.

After replacing this ailing switch the faint glow is gone. Cranking is faster & stronger, the car starts faster and my fuel pumps sound stronger and more consistent. Moral of the story, make sure you solder your connections and use switches and wire with a high enough amp rating.

[1988]

So your using 8 gage to your switches? What gage is the starter button?

[jrcook320]

16 gage is plenty for that.

[CsChuck14]

ok, so i did this to my car, and it works fine. but the actual ign switch still works to turn on the acc. it doesnt start the car tho (thats why i did the pushbutton)
was i supposed to cut the green and purple wires going back to the ign switch?

[g323]

leave it like that, if the ignition switch does nothing it makes it too easy to forget about it and drive off with the steering wheel locked.

which is horrible when you loan the car to someone who doesnt know the deal. or valet parking, or a mechanic....

[CsChuck14]

checkmate

thank you

[jrcook320]

my car doesn't get loaned and doesn't see mechanics. The guy at my tire shop knows how to start it and has a brain and knows he has to use the key.

[De36live]

I am wanting to do this on my e36, 1996 and need help on the wiring. Please see pics of switch. It is different than the e21, but hope someone on this thread can help.

[jrcook320]

red is hot, green and purple are ignition and accessories. It looks like you can just de-solder them from the back of your switch which is nice. Run a 10 or 8 gage wire from the red to each switch, then a wire from one switch to the green wire and one to the purple wire. For the starter you can run a smaller 16 gage wire from the red wire to your start button, then connect to whichever wire goes to the starter. You will need to look at an e36 wiring diagram to see which wire that is and also what the other wires do.

[De36live]

Congratulations, You are the first responder.

I will be soldering this after noon.

Mucho gracious

I will give the results to the earlier question of how to install a toggle and push button instead of using the ignition switch over on the e36 (1996) forum

[320i78/82]

JR- noting that you had an issue with your hot switch ( no pun ). If you kept with the wire size that was in the car, that would be the best. Upping amerage ratings on things will cause hot spots in other connections that aren't as pristine. Understand the desire for higher amps but i would install an in-line fuse in that Hot line, as a precaution. I just had an intermitent issue with mine today so i'll be embarking on that hot button journey but i often look at the way they hook up stereo's as a model for doing anything aftermarket. Install a fuse, or reap the benefits of an elongated stove top coil. As for security i think a dead man switch or key is a good thought. When you say grind flats, you mean like a standard slotted screw or at angles in the head of the bolt. Ever thought of drilling the bolt and using an easy out...or are they quite tight?

[jrcook320]

JR- noting that you had an issue with your hot switch ( no pun ). If you kept with the wire size that was in the car, that would be the best. Upping amerage ratings on things will cause hot spots in other connections that aren't as pristine. Understand the desire for higher amps but i would install an in-line fuse in that Hot line, as a precaution. I just had an intermitent issue with mine today so i'll be embarking on that hot button journey but i often look at the way they hook up stereo's as a model for doing anything aftermarket. Install a fuse, or reap the benefits of an elongated stove top coil. As for security i think a dead man switch or key is a good thought. When you say grind flats, you mean like a standard slotted screw or at angles in the head of the bolt. Ever thought of drilling the bolt and using an easy out...or are they quite tight?

I disagree. This isn't like installing a 15 amp fuse in a 5 amp circuit. This is like wiring a circuit for 30 amps when it's only going to pull 15. Just because I ran larger wire doesn't mean more amperage will actually go through the circuit and cause problems elsewhere. If the my original switch was getting hot, it clearly wasn't rated for the amps running through it. The solution is to install a switch that can handle greater amps so my switch doesn't become the "stove top coil".

I have also run 8 gage from the starter to the fuse box power supply. Is my fuse box going to melt now? The next step is to re-wire the fuel pump with 10 gage, the porsche 911 turbo pump draws more amps than the stocker and I suspect the factory wiring is too small.

[320i78/82]

Well i'm not blaming you for the switch issue but since, what i can recall the wires going to the ign switch aren't fused. the frist switch did act like a '15 amp fuse in a 5 amp' circuit. the theory behind putting a larger amp draw on a fuse-less circuit limits the components in between when not matched with the amp draw of the end (in this case the starter solenoid). I wasn't saying you were doing that; you didn't change the starter so no more amps would be pulled through. i think the cars are wired with 10 for the stock switch. I agree you aren't setting up for failure with re-wiring, i was more after why you changed the size at all. when you agree that the switch wouldn't become a glowing coil. On a side note i did see that happen to a guy with a stereo cable...no fuse, it looked as though someone had ran a torch down the side of his truck. For the porche fuel pump thats why i would ever change wire, is a larger amp draw.

[epmedia]

Are the newer models that much of a pain in the ass to replace the ign switch?

My '78 only needed a couple different size socket wrenches and a teeny-weenie screwdriver to remove the entire switch & tumbler assembly. Of course I have the key for it too.

Robert

[320i78/82]

well i craned my neck down under there and saw nothing of what looked like removable (by conventional tools) bolts. like jr was saying you have to chisel/ grind grooves in to the headless bolts and knock them out. you might have had a locksmith attack your car in its earlier years...

[epmedia]

The four round head bolts did not have to be removed on mine. Remove the two lower column securing bolts. The column assembly will flex downward, and the upper column cover will flex upward at the bottom. This flex gives just enough space to slide the tumbler out.

The switch removal from the tumbler is even easier. It's just a tiny set screw that holds the switch into the tumbler.

I know, mine's a 78, but its that easy to remove the tumbler and the switch - no dremels, no hammers. I'll take pics if anybody needs.

Robert

well i craned my neck down under there and saw nothing of what looked like removable (by conventional tools) bolts. like jr was saying you have to chisel/ grind grooves in to the headless bolts and knock them out. you might have had a locksmith attack your car in its earlier years...

I have four headless bolts on mine too, read my reply just a minute ago...

It may be a bit different on the newer models, I doubt that much different to be needing dremels and hammers....

Robert

[320i78/82]

well my body is a late 78 so i'll try that idea. not that removing two of those headless is so much easier than 6. but its worth a shot.

[jrcook320]

Well i'm not blaming you for the switch issue but since, what i can recall the wires going to the ign switch aren't fused. the frist switch did act like a '15 amp fuse in a 5 amp' circuit. the theory behind putting a larger amp draw on a fuse-less circuit limits the components in between when not matched with the amp draw of the end (in this case the starter solenoid). I wasn't saying you were doing that; you didn't change the starter so no more amps would be pulled through. i think the cars are wired with 10 for the stock switch. I agree you aren't setting up for failure with re-wiring, i was more after why you changed the size at all. when you agree that the switch wouldn't become a glowing coil. On a side note i did see that happen to a guy with a stereo cable...no fuse, it looked as though someone had ran a torch down the side of his truck. For the porche fuel pump thats why i would ever change wire, is a larger amp draw.

Do you understand how electricity, resistance or fuses work? No, the under rated switch was like putting a 5 amp fuse in a 15 amp circuit. The difference is, a fuse is designed to get hot and melt in half when too much current passes through, a switch is not.

You can't over wire a circuit. I ran 8 gage wire because I added almost 4 feet to the factory circuit which I felt was just barely adequate. As a wire gets longer, resistance goes up. To reduce resistance, you run a larger wire. Staying with 10 gage probably would have been fine, but I wanted to be sure it wouldn't be an issue again. I haven't agreed with anything you've said. My original ignition switch WAS a "glowing coil" which is why I replaced it with one with a higher amp capacity.

I didn't put a larger amp draw on anything, I simply upgraded the wiring to cope with the amperage requirements of the vehicle. The starter solenoid is very low amperage and runs off an 18 gage wire and isn't even part of the circuit in question.

[epmedia]

well my body is a late 78 so i'll try that idea. not that removing two of those headless is so much easier than 6. but its worth a shot.

The two horizontal headless bolts secure the sliding mounting bracket. The upper column cover attaches to this bracket with two regular screws.

The other four headless bolts secure a portion of the column to the upper cover, and the steel is flexible, without having to remove the four headless bolts.

By removing all the standard hardware, and lever switches, it flexes enough to slide the tumbler out enough for removal.

The ign switch is secured to the tumbler by a slotted set screw... Piece of cake .

Robert