Bad Ignition Switch by Greg Zyla

Q: Hi Greg. I have only seen your column a couple of times so, I don't know if you deal with this type of question. Here goes. My husband has a 1964 Olds Cutlass F-85. The ignition switch does not work anymore. We checked in the Chilton repair manual and followed the directions. The problem is it did not release as the instructions said. Is there any other way of taking the ignition switch out? If the dash is pulled and the unit is cut off from the back, will it release or just be a shortened problem? Is there any other way of getting it out? I would greatly appreciate any help you can give. Thanks so much for your time and effort. Diane, email.

A: Diane, before you pull the dashboard, I would revisit all the instructions in the Chilton manual to see if perhaps you might have missed something. Chilton is known for correct information, and your inability to release the ignition switch from its socket is puzzling. However, if indeed you still cannot release the ignition switch, I'd go ahead and carefully pull the dashboard and see if you can release the ignition without cutting the wires first. If you indeed need to cut the wires and the problem is the ignition switch, you will be able to reattach the wires and your problem will be solved. However, if the ignition switch is not the culprit, which you will find when you attach a new one, this means you have a problem somewhere else along the "major wire highway," which could take lots of time to find. Good luck, and I hope for everyone's sake it is the switch, not an electrical short farther down the line.

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