[s-cars] Ignition Switch woes....and lessons learned

[Tom Green]

Ok, I'm trying hard not to smirk here.  I doubt there is any default   
to starter on in them books, Craig.  You probably just had a  
difficult time seeing exactly
where every connector was with your big mitt in the hole also.  :-)   
Not exactly a lot of working room in there.

In that same area, I had to change out the stalk switches because the  
headlight high beam switch failed.  Not wanting to tempt fate and  
having to disconnect the airbag,  I did follow the Bentley and  
disconnect power.  But when I pulled the plug off the wiper  
connectors, the wires pulled out of
the plug,  all seven to wipers and washers.  How lovely, I thought.   
I had a good feeling about 5 wires but no clue for the other two.   
So, punt, then
power up to check.  All is well on power up except the washers squirt  
with the right turn signal and the washer turns on the turn signal.  
The obvious
swap fixed all.  But what a moment when I looked at all those wires  
loose in my hand.  Beware if you work on these, the connector pins  
are just
round pins and do not have the double barb holding them in the  
connector like the Amp connectors in use so many places on the car.

Tom

Original message:
> Date: Wed, 17 May 2006 17:03:38 GMT
> From: "lebakken1 at netzero.net" <lebakken1 at netzero.net>
> Subject: [s-cars] Ignition Switch woes....and lessons learned.
> To: s-car-list at audifans.com
> Message-ID: <20060517.100422.26819.980996 at webmail54.nyc.untd.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain
>
> All,
>
>
> Been meaning to post this for a couple of weeks. Last Dec., in a  
> fit of fixing things not broken aka preventive maintenance aka  
> "derossatoing" (apologies Bob), I replaced my ignition switch. I  
> had purchased it a year before - a Blau sale I think. Did all of  
> the dash lights at the same time. About two months later, I was  
> having problems with getting the starter to engage. Then it would  
> engage and the dash lights would go dead and it wouldn't start  
> although the starter was going. Giggle giggle the key until I would  
> get both the starter and the lights and off I would go. The door  
> buzzer also stopped working with the key in the ignition. Finally,  
> I bit the bullet, went to the brand spanking new Audi stealership  
> in Bellevue, WA (a bloody glass/teak/stainless Taj Majal really,  
> very impressive), and got an OEM ignition switch - $50 or so.
>
>
>
> Having been through the procedure once before, I got lazy and did  
> not disconnect the battery. I will just be extra careful I told  
> myself. Well, when I separated the switch from the lock - the car  
> started! Not only that - the starter is still engaged pinion teeth  
> gnashing against flywheel teeth. After a few seconds of WTF  
> astonishment, I stuck the car in gear, dumped the clutch and killed  
> it. Starter stopped too. Bizarre I tell ya, the last thing I was  
> expecting. Thank God the car was not in gear when it started.  
> Otherwise the engine might have been killed with the back wall of  
> my garage.
>
>
>
> So I disconnected the battery, buttoned everything up, ignition  
> problem solved. I inspected the faulty switch, and it looked to be  
> a cheap knockoff. The one I replaced in December looked perfect  
> upon disassembly, and was an OEM.
>
>
> Two lessons learned:
>
>
> 1. ALWAYS disconnect the battery when doing electrical work.
> 2. Use OEM electrical components.
>
>
> It would be interesting to check the Bentley Electrical Diagrams to  
> see if the starter defaults to on when the switch is disconnected.  
> Must be, otherwise I just did battle with some serious gremlins.
>
>
> HTH,
>
>
> Craig Lebakken
> 94 S4
>