How To: Ignition switch Install. 07 Sport Trac | Page 3 | Ford Explorer Forums - Serious Explorations

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How To: Ignition switch Install. 07 Sport Trac

I actually just did mine two days ago. Very simple. There are two screws under right where your knees would be if you were sitting in the seat. Then there are three smaller screws under the steering wheel. Next to the lever that changes the height of the wheel. The switch has one plug and two "clips." Sorry I don't have any pictures. It is a pretty simple replacement. Maybe do some searching on YouTube for a video on how to do it. Good luck.
 



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Thanks much. I thought the first "2 screws" you noted are the ones under the steering column. Appreciate the input Dlkjr18
 






Thanks God for the internet. Exact fix and only took a very non-mechanical 20 minutes.....
 






Thanks everyone.

I had the dome light issues and the switch info in here worked like a charm on a 08 Mountaineer.
 






I'm having the dome light issue as well on my 2008 explorer. Also makes the tire sensors and a wrench light come on. Wish those pictures were back in the tutorial ....
 






Good thread. I will need to try replacing the ignition switch as well. My 07 ST is having a power loss at the dash cluster and radio. I will be driving normal and then I feel the power drop and my dash cluster goes dark, radio goes off. It will then return to normal and do it again, sometimes it will do this 4 or 5 times in about 30 seconds, then it will just stop and everything is back to normal. I didn't think to look up and see if the dome light is on, so I'll check that next time. I have a new battery and new alternator, but that didn't fix the issue.

Seems that replacing the ignition switch is the next easy thing to try.
 






I hope it's something easy, but sounds very electrical. Any change the power locks go on or off at the same time?
I had a 1998 Explorer that would have the power locks go on and off, while simultaneously other random electrical things happened. The wipers would not turn on, radio strangeness. Ended up having the entire wiring harness replaced. Yikes.
 






It did it again and this time I was watching for the door locks, and they do not lock and then unlock when the issue happens. I cannot see the dome line from the drivers seat while driving, and because this issue has occurred in the day time only so far, I cannot tell if the dome light is turning on and off. The dome light does work fine when I open / close the door. The seat does not move on it's own either, so my issue seems to be slightly different than the rest of you in this thread.

In my case it's seems to be an electrical issue that cuts power to the engine (it acts like it wants to die so it must be losing power to the ignition coils), dash cluster goes completely blank for the digital panel and gauges (the speedo and tack continue to work, but they are analog), and radio goes blank. Then one by one it comes back, first the engine returns to normal, then the dash lights come back on and then the radio turns on / boots up as if you just started the vehicle. There is no obvious cause, meaning it doesn't happen when I hit a bump or pothole, or only when raining, etc. There is no reason or rhyme to it. Sometimes it happens 50 feet down the road when I leave my house, other times it happens when I'm 10 miles from my house on the freeway. It's totally intermittent. I really wish that what ever is failing would just fail and die so I can find and replace it.

We did test the battery and it is good. We also confirmed that the new alternator voltage when running is good.

I do have one other issue that may or may not be related. The airbag light comes on sometimes when I start my truck, and stays on until I turn off my truck. Most of the time, it is only on for a few seconds after I start the engine. Even when it stays on, I can turn off my engine and then back on, and most of the time the airbag light will then go out like it should. I had Ford check that while I still had a warranty and they said they found a lose connection, and fixed it. I didn't see the airbag light again for several months. So I don't know if the Ford fix didn't hold, or if the airbag light is related to the electrical cutout issue, or if that is a separate issue altogether.

Given what I have read here, I still think the next step in troubleshooting this is to replace the ignition switch and see if that resolves it. The problem is my issue is intermittent, and I never know when it will do it. In driving an entire month, it only had the issue once. That said, I have a very short commute so my truck runs for less than 10 minutes going to work and then another 10 min going home. Perhaps if I had a longer drive, I would see the issue more often.

Unless there are other suggestions, I will order the ignition switch. I'd also like to hear from anyone who is having the same exact symptoms as me.

Thanks!
 






My truck has had this problem for a few years now. It wouldn't happen unless I hit a good sized bump or really got into my music and was drumming the steering wheel. Since I don't drive much at night, it didn't bother me too much.
I found this forum years ago and figured I needed an ignition switch. Luckily, I printed out the instructions, including pics. I was always leary of doing this since repairs are never as easy as they sound.
Well, the lights kept coming on more & more so I decided to order the switch off ebay for $15.
I did the repairs yesterday and was amazed how easy this was. I think this is the easiest repair I've ever done, thanks to this forum. I drove around today and the lights never came on.
Thanks Kcirtap and everyone else on this forum for making this a very simple repair.
I should have done this years ago.
 






Update: We installed the new ignition switch early Feb and we've been driving it just about every day since. No airbag light and no more electrical cutouts, or any issues at all for that matter.

I didn't want to post too soon, as this was an intermittent issue. But now that two months have gone by with no issues, i would say replacing the switch did the trick.

Knock on wood the problem doesn't return, but good so far. :)
 






Well, here I go for a THIRD time! If you go back in this thread, you'll see that at 5 years old, I had to replace the switch. 2 years later, replaced the switch AGAIN. Now here we are, 6 years later, and I need to replace it YET AGAIN! LOL! Just bought an aftermarket switch from AutoZone, but forgot that the pictures in this thread are no longer here. I am not sure I can recall the screw locations without the pics,, but I'll try to find them, and hopefully it is as simply of a fix as it was the first two times!
 






Well, here I go for a THIRD time! If you go back in this thread, you'll see that at 5 years old, I had to replace the switch. 2 years later, replaced the switch AGAIN. Now here we are, 6 years later, and I need to replace it YET AGAIN! LOL! Just bought an aftermarket switch from AutoZone, but forgot that the pictures in this thread are no longer here. I am not sure I can recall the screw locations without the pics,, but I'll try to find them, and hopefully it is as simply of a fix as it was the first two times!
Hey man. For what it's worth mine hasn't been right for a few years. But I didn't want to replace it again!
 






Well, I just completed the repair. Even without pictures, it was a 10-minute repair at most. The hardest part, is pushing in the two tabs on the side of the switch, simultaneously, to allow it to detach from the steering column. Otherwise, easy peezy.

Steve
 






Hey man. For what it's worth mine hasn't been right for a few years. But I didn't want to replace it again!
I didn't want to replace mine, either. Just seemed like alot of hassle. BUT -- ironically, I was at AutoZone today, and just on a whim asked the guy if he had the part. While looking, I did a search for the part on my phone, and this thread popped up! So, I said, "what the heck!" I took it as a sign, when the instructions for the repair popped up on my phone, right there in the auto parts store! LOL!

Do yourself a favor -- do it. It's SO easy. 5 screws (remove the two 7/32" screws for the "shroud" under the instrument cluster, and then pop it off as it's held in place by clips, and then remove the three 9/32" screws that hold the upper and lower steering column shroud together, and then pop them apart as they are held together by clips). Then, with the steering column exposed, the switch is on the left side. Disconnect one cable bundle from the switch itself, and push in the two tabs that attach the switch to the steering column, and pull it out. Replace, and reverse the steps. Easy as can be!

Steve
 






Bringing this one back to top - think my switch is going and ordered it from A1Auto..

They have a helpful video under How-to (of a 500 not our truck) which gives a good visual.

Curious if disconnecting the battery is mandatory seeing how many of you guys can finish this in 10min! Thx.
 






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