996 Ignition lock housing / Switch

Hi all. So I guess it had to happen sooner or later. Some problems surfacing on a 2001 996 I purchased a couple of days ago. Ignition lock /switch issue (possibly?) --------------------------------------------- - Symptoms: No fan and air conditioning, nothing blows; headlights dont come on; windshield wipers dont work. - However, Radio, parking, daytine running lights, displays, turning signals and rear lights work. - Intermittent problem when I take the key out of the car: Gong starts sounding when I open the door and the daytime running lights stay on. I then cant put the key back into the ignition and have to step out of the car, manually lock the door, leave the car alone for 5 minutes and then I can put the key back into the ignition with a little jiggling. Question: How do I know whether only the ignition switch needs to be replaced (Cheap fix which I can attempt to do myself http://www.gagme.com/greg/996/igniti...ignition01.jpg ) or if the whole ignition lock housing needs to be replaced? (About $500 to fix and I would not attempt to do this myself). Thanks.

The problem will only get worse. I just replaced whole lock housing, mine went from working fine to not being to get the electronics off in 2 days. The lock housing is like $120 from Suncoast, a cheap part to replace after 12 years of wear and tear.

Hi rb. Thanks for the feedback. Is everything ok after replacing the housing? Yeah, I saw that you can get the housing for $120 from suncoast. I called around asking how much it would cost me to have the housing replaced and its going to be between $500 to $700 (with labour). How do I know if its just the switch that causing problems or if the whole housing needs to be replaced? If its the switch, I could buy the part and do it myself. But if its the housing, Ill be forced to pay at least $500 since I cant do it myself. Anyone in the Greater Toronto Area have any feedback? (EU Autowerks gave me a quote of about $500) Cheers. P.S. Still in honeymoon phase, and this problem just seems like a mere ripple when I look at the car standing in the garage!! lol :-)

So you bought it a few days ago.Private sale? Dealer? They should stand behind this problem,right?

Yes, it was a trade-in at a non-Porsche franchised dealership. Picked it up monday. Well, if the car is sold without warranty I dont think I have much of a say in the matter, no? Tried getting in touch with the sales guy I worked with but didnt get through. Ill be following up again tomorrow, but not sure if they would be liable in any way.

I had the same happen to me only 2 weeks after my purchase. I changed the ignition switch myself took about 45min. Part was only $9.50 at a NAPA.

NAPA #ATM 4A 0905849B $9.48 will fix it 98% of the time without changing the whole steering lock assy. Porsche does not sell the switch separately anymore,you have to buy the whole assy. VW & Audi still sell it. In US NAPA is probably the cheapest. Not sure what the Canadian equivalent is?? 13th down on this page http://www.dmauto.com/web/dmauto/Cat...++++/15/15004/

It is normally just the switch. You can replace this yourself but you should also expect it to fail again at some point. Other threads on this topic suggest that replacing the entire lock mechanism is a permanent fix--the replacement is a different, better design. You can also buy the switch from Autohausaz.com, for about $10. Good luck.

Hi all. Thanks for the great sharing of experience, opinions and part numbers! I called around a few shops and decided to change the whole housing. Spoke with Porsche, and two other shops that recommended that I swap the housing and not just the switch; 2 of the 3 people I spoke with highly discouraged me to get the switch alone (in their experience they have seen this problem recurring with said fix). Once again, thanks for the feedback. Taking the car in today and will let post an update later on. Cheers.

Changed ignition lock housing. My car is beautiful again!

Quotes source post: 8818961

I realize this is reopening a pretty old topic, but I'm not finding any parts when searching for 'ignition lock housing'. Some of the parts are just what looks like a small solenoid and others have the entire metal assembly behind it. Do you know exactly what it is that needs to be replaced and preferably what the part number is? Really appreciate any additional information, my ignition has a lot of play to it and I would rather handle the problem now than end up stranded.

Give us some more detail on what is going on. There are two parts to the ignition that have different symptoms and different cures.

I just replaced mine a few months ago. I used the Audi aquivalent that I found while doing searchs in the Forum, well under $20.00. I can't recall what it was, though.

98% of the time it is the "electrical" part of the switch that has failed. I say "electrical" because it will often also jam up the mechanical bits too. For ~$20 and ~1 hour (first time) you can replace this part. If it does not fix the problem then go to replacing the whole lock assy ~ $130 and ~3hrs. I found it much easier to remove the left vent for added access space. I am 6'3 275lb and don't fit under the dash very well. Also do not over tighten the set screws. If you do it can distort the assy and make it hard to turn the key. http://www.gagme.com/greg/996/ignition NAPA #4A0905849B or http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/..._pg2.htm#item6 Get the $31 dollar one. I used the NAPA switch and it lasted two years. The OE (Pelican) one has been in for ~5 years with no problems.

As fpb111 said, start by swapping out just the electrical portion. They keep these in stock at NAPA for $11.49. You'll need just the tip of a screwdriver that uses interchangeable tips. Use the smallest standard (flat) tip you can find. I was able to fit in the driver's footwell (6'0" 250 lbs), so didn't need to remove the left vent. I've done it a couple of times - last time took me 15 minutes total.

Show off. I could fit but really needed two elbows on my left arm, had to go across my body from left to get to the top screw.

Thanks for the helpful thread went to napa bought the switch for $12...ignition has since had no issues. Even if it's a temp fix well worth the few bucks and few minutes time for install. Thanks again!

Well, it's a temp fix in that you may have to do it every ten years. Some people change spouses more often than they'll need to change out the electrical switch. I think of all the many threads there have been about electrical gremlins that were ignition-related, only one or two people had to replace the entire (mechanical and electrical) assembly - the $10 fix is almost always all that's needed.

Getting ready to do this. Mine just started acting up. Ignition switch won't cut the car "off" and put the DME to sleep and it's "Stiff" switching into the various positions. Gonna order from PelicanParts today! Gonna go ahead and get the light swtich because it's acting wonky as well.