[BA5]

So my 99 Type SH was having the issue where it would cut out while driving. This happened to me a couple of times, mostly just for a split second, but twice I had to pull over and restart the car to get the switch to re-engage.

I did a little searching around on here and found some references to the ignition switch recall. Unfortunately I couldn't find a good write-up, so I decided to add my own.

For starters:

You're just replacing the electrical switch on the end of the lock cylinder. It's part number 35130-S0A-003. That's all you need. Along with a 10mm socket/wrench (just disconnecting the battery) and a phillips head screwdriver. Also not pictured is one of those little 1/4" phillips head bits and a small, 1/4" wrench.

Go out to your car and disconnect your battery. For most stuff I skip this step since I'm not afraid of electricity (more on that later) and know better than to zap most stuff, but since you're going to be in the airbag zone, I'd go ahead and do that so you don't accidentally drive a screwdriver through your face with your airbag.

Scoot your seat all the way back and lift the steering column all the way up. There's 6 screws you'll need to remove: 3 are machine screws and easily found directly underneath the column cover. The other 3 are plastic screws: one is right by the steering wheel, one is by the ignition, and one is by the steering column lock.

There's some snap together tabs on the covers you have to press to get the covers off once the screws are out. You can see them in the picture below. There's 3 altogether: 1 right above where you put your key (in the picture), 1 directly opposite it, and one right by the steering wheel on the left side. If I recall correctly you have to press on the top portion of the cover and kinda lift the top part. It's kind of a PITA.

Once all that is off you can see the switch.

There's just that one screw. It looks like there's a spot for another screw, but that screw doesn't exist. You can go ahead and remove that screw.

Go ahead and pull the connector. The latch is on the 'plug' side (as opposed to the 'socket' side, which is on the switch itself) The latch is pretty easy to press, but you'll have to give it a pretty good pull to actually unplug it. The picture below shows the plug pulled.

Hopefully you can also see that there's a single screw holding the plug to the steering column. It's tight up in there, so what I had to do was get one of those little 1/4" screwdriver bits, hold it in place on the screw with my finger, then use a 1/4" wrench to loosen the screw. Luckily it wasn't in there very tight. Hopefully yours isn't either.

Once that's done, you just pull the switch off the end of the key cylinder. Put your new switch back on, and everything goes back on in reverse order. Go slowly with the cover and take your time and you should be able to get it back on pretty perfectly.

Reconnect your battery and you're all done!

 

[BA5]

Now for a bit of fun stuff.

It just so happens that I design electrical switches for a living. I design the big stuff (what utilities use, stuff that's tens or hundreds of thousands of volts and thousands of amps), but the basic design of electrical contacts is the same no matter the size. So naturally I was curious about what was going on in the switch.

At first look, something was getting hot!

That discolored prong means it was getting pretty hot! At first I thought they were just passing too much current through it, but it looks like the color graduates away from the contact, which means that the contact was just getting really hot and the rest of it was conducting haet away from the contact.

Here's some of the real damage. See the copper colored spots on the silver patches around the outer ring? That's where the contacts had eaten away the silver and were actually starting to eat away the copper! A pretty significant amount of copper has been eroded away! The contact at 7 o'clock is discolored because it has overheated. It's the one that is connected to the discolored prong. Note for later that the inner ring of contacts does not have any significant damage.

Here's the mating part. The two rings match up to the inner and outer ring in the previous picture. Notice here how the inner ring shows no sign of damage, but on the outer ring the contacts have worn flat.

Playing with it, it appears that the reason for this is that the springs behind the outer ring are too weak. All electrical contacts experience something called 'magnetic blow off force', which is where the magnetic field from the electrical current passing through the contact actually tries to force the contacts apart. You need a certain amount of preload on the contacts to overcome this. I think it was too weak in this switch design, so the contacts would chatter, and over time the arcing and sputtering wears down the contacts until eventually they don't make good contact.

And that's when your car cuts out!

 

[604]

Hey man, thanks for this post. You know the last picture in your first post? I forgot to put that screw back in. Think its a big deal?

 

[BA5]

Odds are pretty good you'll be fine, but that screw is the one that's going to take most of the twisting from you turning the key on and off. You'll just increase your risk that over time you'll work out the screw and it'll fall off.

But I'd say the chances of that are pretty slim. That said, there's more twist in that switch than you would think. I still have the switch sitting on my desk at work.

 

[Wing8806]

Great write up, not sure how I missed his before.

 

[BlkD12agon]

You mentioned there was a recall on this, is this something Honda still honors if it has not been done yet or just easier to DIY anyway?

Also, is this the same cause for the ignition key being jammed/not turning right away when you try to start the car?

 

[Shimee]

Now for a bit of fun stuff.

It just so happens that I design electrical switches for a living. I design the big stuff (what utilities use, stuff that's tens or hundreds of thousands of volts and thousands of amps), but the basic design of electrical contacts is the same no matter the size. So naturally I was curious about what was going on in the switch.

At first look, something was getting hot!

http://carphotos4.cardomain.com/images/0016/43/04/16253440_large.jpg?v=1

That discolored prong means it was getting pretty hot! At first I thought they were just passing too much current through it, but it looks like the color graduates away from the contact, which means that the contact was just getting really hot and the rest of it was conducting haet away from the contact.

http://carphotos.cardomain.com/images/0016/43/83/16253438_large.jpg?v=1

Here's some of the real damage. See the copper colored spots on the silver patches around the outer ring? That's where the contacts had eaten away the silver and were actually starting to eat away the copper! A pretty significant amount of copper has been eroded away! The contact at 7 o'clock is discolored because it has overheated. It's the one that is connected to the discolored prong. Note for later that the inner ring of contacts does not have any significant damage.

http://carphotos2.cardomain.com/images/0016/43/93/16253439_large.jpg?v=1

Here's the mating part. The two rings match up to the inner and outer ring in the previous picture. Notice here how the inner ring shows no sign of damage, but on the outer ring the contacts have worn flat.

Playing with it, it appears that the reason for this is that the springs behind the outer ring are too weak. All electrical contacts experience something called 'magnetic blow off force', which is where the magnetic field from the electrical current passing through the contact actually tries to force the contacts apart. You need a certain amount of preload on the contacts to overcome this. I think it was too weak in this switch design, so the contacts would chatter, and over time the arcing and sputtering wears down the contacts until eventually they don't make good contact.

And that's when your car cuts out!

I love it when an engineer talks dirty to me.

 

[liranhershman]

I loved it when an electrician have done this work for me.

 

[Moker55]

Moker

Hi BA5.

Unobtainable down here in Australia.
Is there a way to hardwire a switch around these contacts?

 

[space_coupe]

@BA5 Can you just replace the ignition switch? What if the car has an immobilizer? Do you need new immobilizer and keys as well?

 

[Ian Harding]

Are the pictures missing or is it just me?

 

[Wing8806]

Are the pictures missing or is it just me?

Unfortunately many outside hosted photos are no longer viewable due to sites shutting down or putting up a paywall.

The ignition switch replacement is rather straightforward though.