Ignition switch?

[mud4feet]

Hey, Zers! Been a while since Ive been on here. Good to be back.
A little history on my problem. 03 Tj 4 banger. A few years back my radio and turn signals did not function when I started the Jeep. As I drove down the road, I heard an arcing sound in the steering column and everything came back on....worked fine. This would occur every now and then. Somehow I discovered that when this happened, if I just gave a little bump to the key my radio and turn signals would come on again. Ive been using this method for a couple years now. Yesterday, bringing her up the mountain to my house, the radio cut out, did the key thing, it came back on, cut out, came back on, cut out......etc. Wife got up this morning to go to work and........nothing. No lights, no start, no acc., no dash lights......nothing. Im thinking bad ignition switch (just replaced the switch in our 90 Cherokee with similar symptoms). Evidently, whatever happened killed the battery because I get nothing now, not even interior lights. Any suggestions before I start tearing into it?

mud

 

[JPNinPA]

Welcome back!!!! Likely the ign switch. I'd verify battery voltage then voltage at the switch.

 

[mud4feet]

Update......$18 and 15 to 20 min. with nothing but a multi-bit screwdriver (you need a tamper-proof torx bit) and shes back running as good as new. Much, much easier than changing it out on the Cherokee (had to drop the steering column and reach into places that werent meant to be reached!). Thanx, JPNinPA for your response. Cant believe Ive been driving like this all these years with such an easy fix. As Forrest Gump said stupid is as stupid does. Count me as stupid.

 

[JPNinPA]

Update......$18 and 15 to 20 min. with nothing but a multi-bit screwdriver (you need a tamper-proof torx bit) and shes back running as good as new. Much, much easier than changing it out on the Cherokee (had to drop the steering column and reach into places that werent meant to be reached!). Thanx, JPNinPA for your response. Cant believe Ive been driving like this all these years with such an easy fix. As Forrest Gump said stupid is as stupid does. Count me as stupid.

Can't be that dumb. You fixed it, didn't you?..

Turkish proverb - no matter how far you have gone down a wrong road you go, turn back.

 

[greg92jeepxj]

Usually I hate working on dashes or columns since I'm not a practiced contortionist , but this time of year , inside jobs are welcome ! Lol

 

[mud4feet]

The culprit.......


And a helpful video for replacement:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...=IqvFWRRJ3NN0jaCW6dNk3A&bvm=bv.60444564,d.eW0

 

[mud4feet]

Just to let yall know......you dont have to do all that stuf in the video if you just want to change out the switch. Dont remove the lock cylinder or the actuator.....didnt even remove the multi function switch, just moved it out of the way. One screw (tamper proof torx) is all that holds it in. Took about 15 min. to change it out.