Ignition System Troubles

1998 Wrangler......Not sure of what the piece is called so I will describe it's location. On the steering column, in between the key and tumbler assembly and the ignition switch, there is a wire with a steel piece that wraps around it. That piece is what feeds into the ignition switch and turns it to the correct position as you turn the key and tumbler assembly.

Well, that piece is broken. I have it rigged now so I can start it with the key on and in the start position and a pair  of pliers to manipulate the ignition switch. What I am trying to accomplish is to have a momentary start push button wired to the battery and starter solenoid for cranking the engine over. Problem is, that piece described above is broke so when I turn the key I still have to manipulate the ignition switch to the on position to start and stop the motor. How can I make it so when I turn the key to the on position, I can crank the engine....and stop it when I turn the key to the off position.....regardless of the position of the ignition switch?

My intentions is to make this setup work so I can neatly tuck the ignition switch back in its original location instead of having it hang down and bouncing all over the place.

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I am awesome at breaking stuff....fixing it is another story!

here is one article that shows how to tear it down..

http://www.fieros.de/en/articles/steering.html

http://www.carcraft.com/techarticles/ccrp_0908_gm_steering_column_repair/index.html

this might be the part you need to fix it...


Brand: Dorman - HELP! - Carded 83211  
If the rack and pinion fails, the steering wheel and/or shift lever may not move in or out of the locked position, vehicle starts intermittently or not at all

Type: Ignition Switch Kit
Make: Chrysler/GM 2002-75 w/ tilt wheel

you have to tear the column way down to replace these pieces... there are lots of small parts that are hard to get back into place or even to see how they all fit together...  and its spring loaded... in several directions...

do to the amount of thefts... there are a lot of steering column repair shops..    almost every help your self junk yard out here in so cal has one...

some of the articles show a way to get the pivot pins out... After you remove the tilt spring with a #3 phillips screw driver..

this is what the tool looks like

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=43072

you will also need something like this..

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=42031

and you still have to deal with the AIR BAGS...

do some more research...  find somebody who has done it....   make sure that the electrical part of the ignition switch moves freely..   some replacements are really hard to move and cause breakage like you have...

its really not that hard to *** once you have seen several done...     but it does take care...

and a real warning...    the air bag wires hook to a device under the steering wheel...     this is the clock spring...  it has ribbon cable in it... and in only wound part way...    this is so the wheel can turn all the way one way.. and all the way the other way.. 100's of thousands of times.. without the ribbon cable wearing out ...  so the air bag can get its proper signal to save you life...  when the steering wheel comes off.. the front tires have to be pointing straight ahead... exactly..

the clock spring may try to unwind...  if it does... you will have to replace it..   if it gets turned and you loose count.... you will have to replace it..    tie it with a tie wrap...  something easy to get off when it's time to reinstall...

if you pull the column....      do not spin the steering wheel...  

Good info, but not quite what I'm trying to do.

The key and tumbler assembly has a bar that turns as you turn the key from accessory to crank. The key and tumbler assembly is on the right side of the steering column. The ignition switch that the key and tumbler manipulate via an intermediate bar piece is on the left side of the steering column. It is the intermediate bar and copper wire underneath that connect the two that is broken.

With all that said, I am just trying to connect a push button,momentary on switch to the starter solenoid. When I push and hold it, it will act just like if I were turning the key all the way to crank the motor. Problem is, I also want to tuck the ignition switch back onto the steering column so it do not hanging down. I want to eliminate having to manually manipulate the ignition switch to cycle it through the different positions to turn the vehicle on and off.

How do I bypass the switch so when the I turn the key to the on position and hit my push button it starts and when I turn the key back to off, it kills it without ever having to manually manipulating the ignition switch. I am not trying to to replace the piece in question, just a way to make the push button work as a start/kill switch.  
I am awesome at breaking stuff....fixing it is another story!

I have deduced that I need a momentary start button and two toggle switches. One toggle for accessories and the other for the everything else (fuel pump I guess). As I understand, both toggles in the off position also act as a kill switch. Can anyone verify this? Does anyone know the color codes on the ignition switch and what toggle they need to be connected to?  
I am awesome at breaking stuff....fixing it is another story!

Here is the wiring diagram of the ignition switch. I want to run 2 toggle switches and one momentary start push button. What wires do I need to run where in order to make this work?????

 
I am awesome at breaking stuff....fixing it is another story!