Help, I have replaced the ignition switch, and The key still has zero life... no buzzer no Windows no glow plugs no start zero.. we tested wires there is a wire in the column getting juice... could the littllittle actuator be the problem? I was gonna replace it but was told errently I hope that it had no electrical functions... I know these break often... Also could it be in the actual ignition?
Turning the key toward the start position moves a cast pot-metal actuator inside the upper column assembly that is about 6 inches long - sliding it in the direction of the base of the column, and back when the key is turned toward the off or 'lock position. Connected to that actuator is a metal rod, similar to coat hanger steel that goes all the way down to the ignition switch and that rod moves the internal part of the ignition switch to it's proper positions, Run (glow plugs on) Start, Off (or
"Lock") and Accessory.
If you can locate that rod down by the switch at the bottom of the column , and hold onto it while turning the key you can tell if it is moving appropriately and thus operating the ignition switch. If not, the actuator is broken or if the action on that rod doesn't seem right, (doesn't move the internal part of the switch to it's appropriate positions), you can remove the
lower plastic cover (shroud or whatever it's called) bottom and top, that goes over the steering column and under the lowr plastic parts of the instrument panel so you can have access to the steel rod that runs down the top of the steering column. .
You can control the ignition switch positions by simply grabbing onto that long rod and pushing it down or up.
There are two long Phillips screws, accessed from the bottom that hold the plastic cover part together. You might have to loosen two bolts under the dash that hold the steering column up and drop the column slightly to remove the plastic shroud.
If the vehicle has an automatic transmission, in this example a C-6
VERY CAREFULLY remove the upper half of that plastic cover because there will be a very fine "cable" running under it (nylon or something like that) which controls the red shift indicator needle "PRND21" There may be a clip or guide on the inside of that cover that the wire runs through. If you break that clip the shift indicator needle will not work properly
My advice: If the actuator is broken, expose that rod as explained and use that method to start your truck.
DON'T replace the broken actuator
until you KNOW how to do it correctly because:
that job can be a real nightmare if you are not 100% prepared! Your truck could be down for quite awhile if you are not prepared in advance and know exactly how to do it correctly. There are LOTS of WRONG and also INCOMPLETE instructions on the web. Youtube for example has many of those. So, I am recommending not to rush into it. Tilt Steering columns and Regular steering columns are
very different in terms of replacing the actuator.
Some people have Tilt steering columns and don't even know it because there
is no separate 'tilt lever.' The tilt lever is the Turn Signal lever.
Pushing on it (it takes a rather hard push) in the direction of the steering column releases the tilt lock mechanism.
One guy on Youtube has several long videos about replacing a broken ignition actuator lever and
he didn't know that he had a tilt column.
He had a horrible time trying to replace that actuator until he eventually removed the entire steering column, put it on a bench and disassembled the whole column! He probably spent a week or two on it by that point and he never returned to update the video.
Other people who posted on youtube had problems getting the actuator into it's proper installed position so they ground off a lot of the metal from the actuator to get it to fit into place,
substantially weakening the part ! (those won't last!) DON'T DO THAT!!
I have read comments where a few people have dealt with this difficulty by going out and buying a replacement steering column with an actuator that worked and replacing the whole steering column!
With either column it's not what I would call a simple job even when you know how to do it correctly. (much more is involved than it would seem, to replace such an inexpensive and simple part. If you don't know how to do it the correct way and you do not have correct instructions to follow,
you are not properly prepared and it's likely to be very frustrating.
Otherwise if you have good instructions to follow it's not a hard job, it's just a little bit more involved than what one would imagine. If you have done it correctly before and know the step by step procedure it's ... fairly easy.
Describe your truck, year, transmission and if it has a tilt steering column or regular steering column.
