Ignition switch gremlin? or what???

[roadbox]

I haven't seen this behavior before. I hoping someone might provide some direction on troubleshooting. The car is an '86.

Here's the deal:
With the engine running, the power to everything except the starter circuit occasionally drops out ...and the green outer lighting icon on the dash comes on, but no others. I can crank the starter, but no immediate restart. Also, when just sitting in the driveway (not running) with the key set in the "run/on" position, the red warning icons come on as they should, but will go out and the green outer lighting icon on the dash comes on. I can turn the switch a few times and still only the green light comes on, then something seems to "reset" and all the red warning icons turn on again and the car will start.

Weird.

What's throwing me is the green outer lighting icon coming on as if something is back feeding it.

I was going to start by throwing in a spare steering column with a known-good ignition switch to see if the problem starts there. Any other ideas?

Thanks for any help.

John O.

 

[Black-Tooth]

Hmmm... that's a good one John...

My first guess would be to drop the column cover under the wheel and take a peak at the 4/5 wire connector to the ignition switch. I believe one wire goes from there to the headlight switch... and thes connectors and wirng have been know to overheat and FRY!

(The BWM solves this issue...)

Otherwise... hopefully you have a schematic... if not, go here and PRINT it, and then TS the system.

http://www.lemley.net/electric/bertone_schematic/


The methodology I would attempt to use is TWO people... and getting the problem to occur...

While one person observes and directs, the other person dives below and tries separating wiring, removing fuses, or unpluging various connectors until the problem goes away.

I would start with the ignition switch connector even if it does look OK and that oughtta help prove the ignition switch good or bad without changing it or the column out...

Hope this helps...