hello, i was starting my car before i went to work the other day, and when i started the car my windows would not roll down, the stereo would not come on, and the cooling fan was not running. the ignition switch was stuck and i couldn't get the car to turn off. i could pull the key out of the ignition but it would still be running. so i lowered the idle on it to stall it out so it wouldn't overheat the engine. and lately, when im driving at night, the brights come on and won't come off. after i turn the parking lights on, the brights come on automatically, not sure if this could be related or not tho. does anyone have any ideas as to what may be causing this?

 

Check out the Ignition switch on top of the column (under the dash). When you turn the key, the lock cylinder turns a gear that moves a rod that hooks into the bottom of the Ignition switch. If the rod is bent, the switch bad or out of adjustment, or if you have a case of the floppy column (tilt steering mechanism loose), they can all cause this (BTW, the bright light switch bolts on the drivers side of the column and bolts onto the ignition switch.

Good Luck!!

 

do i have to take the steering wheel off to get to the ignition switch? cuz im not real sure how to disable the airbag on my steering wheel

 

Nope, you don't have to remove the steering wheel, but I included instructions on how to disable the air bag.

Remove the lower dash panels (the one above the pedals and the one under the steering wheel. There will be two Nuts with a 13mm head holding a bracket, remove them and the bracket. After that you will see two more 13mm nuts, remove them carefully, because they hold the steering column up. lay the column down on the drivers seat and look straight back onto the top of the column, that is the ignition switch. Look to the 9 o'clock position on the column, there is the bright light switch. Check to see if they operate properly (watch the rod on top of the column- there will be 2 the other one is for the bright lights) the rod should move evenly without binding, jerking, and should move with the key- no hesitation.

Good Luck again!

Air bag disabling: Remove the fuse for the airbag system, then remove the lower panel above the pedals. There will be a large YELLOW connector, that may or may not have a red strip in it. If there is a red strip grasp it with a pair of pliers and rull it out, then disconnect the connector.

 

ok, so i took the column down and noticed that the brights switch wasn't connected the steering wheel like it should have been. so even when i tried to shut the brights off it wasn't making contact properly. and i can't really check the ignition because it's stuck in the on position as if the key was in it and it was running. how would i get the ignition itself to unlock for me to turn the ignition?

 

There will be 2 screws holding it on, the one in the front is shared with the bright light switch, and the second screw is under the bright light switch. pull it off the column, push the slider all the way to the rear, that is the accessories position, then slide it one click toward the front- that is off (lock).

turn the ignition key to the lockposition and remove it. remount the ignition switchbeing careful to make sure the rod end makes it in the slot on the underside of the switch, and bolt it down lightly. slide the switch as far forward as you can without moving the slider inside of it, and tighten the bolts holding it onto the column. test it out, if it works properly, remount the bright light switchand adjust it as well (pull it forward so that the rod makes contact without activating it).

 

i got the first screw out which is the one shared with the bright switch, but i can't figure out how to take the bright switch off for me to get to the second screw holding it on? sorry that it's takin me so long to respond to this but i only have 1 day a week off from work, and it's a different day every week.