Ignition key won't sping back

After my key became "sticky" last year I replaced the ignition switch (the black plastic part) with a NAPA replacement for $9 an half an hour of my time. This fixed that problem completely and was fairly simple to do. This morning when I turned the car on the key stayed in the Ignition position and did not return to the ON position as usual. After the engine fired as quickly as always the starter stopped spinning and everything worked great as usual. Except the key was all the way to the right (so the head was basically horizontal in the slot). At a stop I worked up the nerve to turn it back towards the left towards ON where it normally is after starting and nothing changed, engine stayed on etc. Turning further left turns it off as you would expect. My next start was the same, i.e. the key turned all the way to the right and stayed there unless I manually turned it back again. What do I need to replace? The same $9 plastic part or the whole ignition assembly? Can I leave it as is or might there develop some other issue related to this unless I get on it right away? As I said it's not like the starter keeps spinning, it stops as soon as the engine fires. I was not able to (not do I want to) work up the nerve to turn it from IGN to ON and back again to IGN while running to see what would happen.

$9

agreed.

Thanks guys!

Yeah, my first NAPA switch lasted about 9 months, I think. The second one was still working when I sold the car. You might want to get a new NAPA switch and swap it in immediately (so you don't get stranded), but order one of the $30 switches from warehouse33auto.com and replace it this weekend.

The entire ignition assembly is what the problem is. Porsche has updated it and it corrects the problem. Replacing the $9 switch will fix the problem for a short period of time, but do you want to keep doing that over and over? If you do then by all means go ahead, however the correct repair should only cost $250 and about 45 min of your time.

HERE is a DIY for upgrading the ignition switch.

My Indie seems to agree with Jake. Since I was getting some work done anyway I decided to ask him what he would charge to change just the switch part. He told me that he no longer does it and does not recommend it. He says they usually go bad again within a year or so. Now he only does the upgraded assembly replacement. I did the whole assembly. More expensive but hopefully not a yearly maintenance item.

I still think all that is necessary to get a lasting fix is using the higher quality switch rather than the cheap NAPA part. You can see here both the cheap model and the roughly $30 part. http://www.warehouse33auto.com/parts...10/14/0/4516/0 I would at least try the $30 fix before spending $250. Last time I swapped mine out it took me a whopping 19 minutes - if it was a big job, then yeah I'd spend the extra $220 so I didn't have to do it again. But, this is really a simple DIY fix, especially if you have already done it once - I've had turn signal bulbs that were harder to change out. Take the money you save and buy a new set of motor mounts, which will take you another 20 minutes or less to replace.

I've done it once in each car and think it would probably take all of 10 minutes at this point... My current $30 switch has 3+ years on it. If I buy the cheap one and it lasts a year, I wasted $30. If I buy the expensive one and it lasts a year, I burned $220... If I had to pay someone to do the labor, I'd probably suck it up and do the "hope it lasts forever" version...

Even the $30 switch from Porsche will fail again. Porsche released an updated part for a reason, I have replaced over 100 of these ignition lock assemblies since the update and have not had a single one come back for ignition switch or lock issues. I will see if I can find the TSB on this.

Same problem. Replaced the switch with a $12 part about 2 years ago. It's acting up again.

Has anyone replaced the switch using the $30 unit and had the $30 switch fail? That might be a good poll question.

Is there really a difference between the $9 part and the $30 one? I'm happy to spend the extra $21 if it is better and chance it. If that part fails also then I'd be more inclined to do the whole thing. Is there a risk of being stranded in the short to medium term with my switch that won't return from IGN to ON by itself after starting? Even when my original one got sticky it still worked well enough for quite some time. At this point I'm still fighting my new door latch mechanism that works first time every time if I don't lock it but if I lock it, it takes anywhere from three to twelve pulls of the outside lever to release after unlocking...It probably has something to do with that little plastic doohicky that connects the inside latch to the outside doorpull which was such a pain in the *** to reach and adjust as a human with only two normal shaped hands. This is the kind of crap that people hate about VW/Audi/Porsche, cheap and crappily engineered by an outside supplier plastic and/or potmetal bits that have zero business being in a car at this price level. Thanks.

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TSB and part numbers please. Thanks.

I know you were asking Aspen for the part number and TSB referenced but I thought I may as well put what I had out there too. The original factory part that failed last year has an Audi logo with part number 4A0 905 849 This part has W. Germany stamped on it so presumably it was made there sometime in late 2001 and lasted for 14 years before becoming "sticky". I replaced it with a switch that has part number 4A0 905 849 B (the B is the difference) from Napa that came in a box that says Made in China. This one lasted six months and maybe 100 starts (haven't been driving much) before failing to move the key back under spring pressure and would be under warranty if I could only find my $9 receipt...

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Maybe older than 2001 too since I believe W. Germany ceased to exist in 1990.

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Well yeah, the same part was used at least as early as 1988 at Audi. I have no idea if they would remove the "W." in the existing tooling if they manufactured the part after '90. In my experience, Audi and VW plastic and electrical parts tend not to sit on a shelf for too long after being made...

I don't think so, they still start all of the VIN numbers with W to denote West Germany, right?

You guys are obviously much more mechanically adept than I am. I replaced the switch once on my previous 996. It took me 45 minutes upside down stuffed into the driver's footwell in 115 degree heat. It wasn't an option since the symptom was that my climate control fan would randomly work--or not. I used the Audi part. I think it was 20 something bucks. Six or seven months later it was failing again. Symptom was not always releasing the key. Luckily my car decided to try to mate a pickup truck before I got around to crawling in there again. It is too soon to say "fixed for good" but my indie says he hasn't had one of the TSB assemblies go bad yet.

Audi part last me only 3 months i think best is new design from porsche. I am going one more time if fail again go to redesign porsce part.

Part number is 99634701707. Ignition Switch: Technical Service Bulletins Interior/Ignition - Ignition Switch Replacement 911 (996) 4/03 2804 Binder - 2, Fuel, Exhaust, Engine Elec. Replacement Ignition Switch Vehicle Type: 911 Carrera (996) / 911 Carrera 4 (996) / 911 GT3 (996) Model Year: As of '99 (X) Concerns: A new ignition switch is available as replacement part. Information: As of the date of introduction below, a modified ignition switch will be installed in vehicles. For spare parts replacement of the ignition switch, only the new ignition switch part number, 4B0 905 849, is available now as a replacement part. On vehicles produced before the date of introduction listed below, the complete steering lock, part number, 996 347 017 07 (steering lock including ignition switch) must be replaced once in order to use the new ignition switch if replacement becomes necessary. The reason is modified dimensions of the new ignition switch. The lock barrel of the removed steering lock can continue to be used. Removing and installing the ignition switch or the steering lock is described in the Technical Manual (see Literature). Introduction: Introduction of the new ignition switch on September 05, 2003 as of the following VINs: 99 64S 62 0554 USA 99 443 63 5123 USA 99 743 65 0736 USA 99 743 69 2289 USA This is what I found so far.

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Thanks Jake. My car is a 10/2003 production so maybe I have the "improved" version. I'll have to do some more research.

I ended up deciding to use Warehouse33 and ordered ONE OF EACH of the cheap, $6 ones and the $30 ones (actually $26). When they arrive I'll look to see if I can see any difference between them externally or if I think I just got ripped for buying OEM. Either way I'll install the more expensive one and keep the cheaper one in the glovebox along with the mini screwdriver just in case. If I can find my receipt from NAPA I'll take the bad one back and get yet another spare which I'll probably try to pawn off on one of you homies... Thanks for the lively discussion!

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Subscribed. I want to see pics, dimensions, part weights, color comparisons, electrical measurements, aesthetic evaluations, and artistic interpretations of the two parts. Thanks in advance for the comparison

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Any update???

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Thank you for your business! I'm curious too on how this turns out. -Jason

I received the package from Warehouse33 but haven't gotten around to replacing anything yet. As you recall I ordered one each of the cheap $6 switch and one of the $26 ones. When I opened the package I assumed that the more expensive one was the one in the full-color box but I was mistaken. The cheap one ($6) was in the full-color box with a sticker that says the part number, JL Germany and "Made In China" on it, the box has an "AIC" logo printed all over it. The switch looks pretty much the same as the others but is a slightly different plastic texture and has a sticker on it 2015.10 that probably denotes the manufacture date. The part also has the AIC logo embossed into the side. It does not look obviously cheaper or worse or lower quality than either the other new one ($26) or the one that was installed at the factory and came out of my car after 14 years of use. The expensive ($26) one was in a plastic bag marked "Made In Spain". Interestingly it looks IDENTICAL to the one that originally went bad in the car last year. All the mold marks are in the same places and all the markings are the same, including the Audi logo and the part number, up to and including the "W. Germany" molded into the bottom (even though the packaging clearly says it was Made in Spain. The label on the package does have the part number 4A0-905-849-B but then has the suffix "/56" right after the B so it reads 4AO-905-849-B/56 I have no idea what the /56 denotes. I will be putting the more expensive switch into the car. I figure the real original one lasted 14 years and the cheap one lasted less than six months. Hopefully the more expensive one will hold up this time too. Once I take the bad Chinese one from NAPA out of the car I will dissect it as well as the bad original one that I held on to from last year and try to compare internals. I'll most likely get to the dissection in the next couple of weeks and report back again.

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You might want to hit Paul Waterloo up to see if you can use his microscope.

Just FYI - the updated part has a non removable plastic switch on the back

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Do you mean the /56 version of the switch itself that we are discussing here or do you mean the whole new updated ignition cylinder assembly as in if you get the whole shebang the switch is now integrated into the total assembly?

I replaced the cheap part and did not fix the problem. So I replaced the entire ignition lock assembly. The part that I replaced before came with the plastic switch on it and it was not removable.

Hi All, Just went to start the 1999 996, and the key just spun in the ignition. Moving it back and forth got it to a point where I could get the key out (couldn't before), and then I was able to put the key back in and get it to start, bit the problem is still there. Is this issue with the cheap $30 part, or the assembly, or is this the part that the correct fix is the assembly, but the $30 switch will take care of it for some amount of time. I ask, because the day after I bought the 996, I purchased the space 996 $30 switch just to have it for when it went bad. So if that fixes it even for a bit, I'll throw it in tomorrow.

Throw it in tomorrow.