Hello Folks, My 1991 Explorer wouldn't start on Thursday morning when I went to leave work. Sometimes when I turned the key the lights on the console would come on and it would almost turn over and the next time I tried it it wouldn't even make a click and no lights, etc... I asked a guy at work what he thought and he asked if I could pull the key out when it was in the start position and I tried it and yep, it pulled straight out. Then I realized it also turned completely around and didn't stop....then I said to myself 'this ain't good!'
Then the co-worker said well you need an ignition switch....so after borrowing the Neighbors van, off to OReily's auto parts for the switch. Then I return to work with the part and I'm told I really didn't need the switch, instead I needed the ignition lock cylinder. Hmmmmm.....Ok, back to the parts store for another part. Then I find myself with 2 parts, the 'ignition switch' (it actually says that on the box) and the ignition lock cylinder. Of course, none of the 'shadetree' mechanics want to do the work, and 1 of them even insisted that he tow it (at about $75.00-$80.00) and then 'hook up his diagnostic equiptment to diagnose the problem' (which he said would take a couple of hours...) so I said BS on this, I'll go to the Explorer Forum (right here folks!) and will research it and I did. After getting off work this morning, I spent over 3 hrs. on here reading all of your posts visualizing how and what you did, and looking at your pictures and I decided to take a handful of tools and print out your posts and do this myself.
I want to THANK YOU ALL for your hard work in posting your successful removal of the ignition, it helped more than you'll ever know.... just reading that all you had to do is remove the plastic steering wheel covers, to be able to visualize the cylinder area and then turn the key to the "on or start" position and then push in the hidden pin hole and pull the old one out and WAAALA! It took me all of 5 minutes after I finally found the hidden pin release! And just to think, it ONLY cost me $20.00 for the cylinder and another $14.00 for the "switch" which I haven't been able to find where it goes yet, but for that price and peace of mind, I will also change it out to the new one (since some of the symptoms of a faulty switch is what I have also been experiencing.) It's kinda cool to be able to brag that a Woman fixed her own car, when the guys wanted hundreds just to transport it to their shop and 'diagnose' the problem and fix it. So, for $34.00, not a bad deal at all!
Now, if anyone knows where the ignition switch is so I can replace it, I'd be a happier Camper!
THANKS GUYS! It really was a no-brainer....now, If I'd had a newer version instead of the Gen1 (a 1991), and had the air bags, or had to remove the steering wheel, I would not have had such an easy time of it. Anyone know where this goes?