no eng start,dash lights inop

[mackyls6]

Hello, this is my first post . Here goes... I have an 88 Seville with 195,000 miles and as expected everything is starting to really wear out. The current problem is when I turn the ign sw the eng does nothing (the sw itself binds). Sometimes I would have to tilt the steering whl all the way down and it would start. Once it starts the dash lights, headlights, ac, heater, are inop. All of a sudden they will come on for awhile then go off again.
Now, the ign switch turns freely but no electrical items will come on and it will not engage the starter.
Therefore, I have removed the ign switch for replacement. The ign switch really doesnt seem to be bad but I cant thing of anything else. I have not reassembled the column yet, I want to be sure because this thing is a drag to take apart.
Any ideas? any more info needed?
Thanks for your help, really appreciated.

[Ranger]

What you are looking at is the lock cylinder. There should be an actuator rod from it that runs down the column to the actual electrical switch. I think THAT may be your problem.

[N*Caddy]

Tilting steering wheel (moving wires) seems a lot like a harness issue. Check the harness on the steering column.

[chubbyranger]

Probably failed VATS wiring or contacts causing the no-start. The other electrical is possibly a seperate problem.

[mackyls6]

Thank you very much for the replies. Those are all avenues I will atempt to follow. I think I will locate the electrical switch first and the rod which activates it first, then check the harness. Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought the rod would be revealed once I pulled the ign lock cyl. Is the rod deeper in the column? And, where exactly is the electrical switch?

Thanks again.

[Ranger]

The linkage rod should be attached to the lock cylinder as I recall.

[mackyls6]

Well I haven't been able to dig into the steering column of my
Seville to look for the problem until this weekend. I figured out how to disassemble the column down to the tilt housing and I found that the 'rack-switch' , GM part #26001765, was broken in half. The piece with the teeth which slides back and forth by the gear on the ign lock cyl was in the housing. The other piece had slid below the tilt housing into the lower column cover. It is made of pot metal and when the two pieces are put together it looks like a mouth harp. I was looking for an actual rod actuator as the problem. Boy what a surprise. I had no idea it looked like that!
I checked wiring harness for broken wires and the operation of the switch in the column and it seem to be ok, however, I was wondering what else I should check at this point. I know how to take the column apart and put it back together but it would be a drag to get the new part, put it in, reassemble the column and have it still not work.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, and thanks again for the help.

If nothing else, this has actually been a good learning experience.

Macky

[chubbyranger]

I'd seriously consider getting another column from a parts car or yard and just swapping out the whole thing.

[mackyls6]

Originally Posted by chubbyranger

I'd seriously consider getting another column from a parts car or yard and just swapping out the whole thing.

That seems a bit extreme concidering the part costs only $11.56. Could you explain in greater detail? At this point the column is torn down so all I would have to do is reassemble, other wise locating another column for that car plus the color, shopping around, money.....

[chubbyranger]

Originally Posted by chubbyranger

I'd seriously consider getting another column from a parts car or yard and just swapping out the whole thing.

Originally Posted by mackyls6

That seems a bit extreme concidering the part costs only $11.56. Could you explain in greater detail? At this point the column is torn down so all I would have to do is reassemble, other wise locating another column for that car plus the color, shopping around, money.....

I'm sure I must have had a point when I posted that but it escapes me now Looking at the time I may have been sleep-posting. If you've got the part and the column apart I guess you're on the right track. I'd check the VATS wiring if possile while you're in there. Two white wires in an orange sleeve IIRC. Slightly thicker than thread. They tend to break or have connection problems at the key switch to read the resistor slug in your key.

[mackyls6]

That sounds like a good idea. I had to order the part from a dealer (a friend of mine is a parts mgr at a GMC dealer) which will be here tomorrow. This weekend will be the reassemble test. Hope it works!