This article was co-authored by Jason Shackelford and by How.com.vn staff writer, Eric McClure. Jason Shackelford is the Owner of Stingray Auto Repair, a family owned and operated auto repair shop with locations in Seattle and Redmond, Washington. He has over 24 years of experience in auto repair and services, and every single technician on Jason’s team has more than 10 years of experience.
There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
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If you’re trying to turn your vehicle on but nothing happens or you run into problems with your key and ignition, your ignition switch may be to blame. But how can you actually confirm that the ignition switch is at fault? What if your battery is just dead or the key isn’t working? We’ll help you confirm the problem. Read on to learn how to test your switch, narrow down the problem, and fix it so you can get back on the road in no time.
Things You Should Know
- Use a multimeter to test the starter’s solenoid and the battery connection.
- Inspect the fuse connected to your ignition switch to ensure that the ignition relay isn’t busted.
- Try starting the car with your spare key and jumping the battery to rule out the obvious culprits.
Steps
Expert Q&A
Tips
- If your car starts but the engine misfires when it runs and it feels like you’re getting really bad fuel mileage, you’ve probably got a bad spark plug. The spark plugs sit inside of your engine’s cylinders and provide the spark to ignite the air and gasoline. Try changing your spark plugs to see if the problem goes away.[10]Thanks
- Once the ignition switch fires, the electrical signal travels to your ignition coil, which is where voltage is released to help the spark plugs fire. If you check the ignition switch, fuse, and the spark plugs, this is the most likely point of failure. Try changing your ignition coil to see if your problems disappear.[11]Thanks
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about ignition switches, check out our in-depth interview with Jason Shackelford.
References
- ↑ https://www.2carpros.com/articles/steering-wheel-removal
- ↑ https://mystolenhome.com/how-to-test-ignition-switch-with-multimeter/
- ↑ https://www.howacarworks.com/ignition-system/checking-the-starter-circuit
- ↑ https://mrfixitca.com/test-ignition-switch-with-multimeter/
- ↑ https://mechanicbase.com/electric/ignition-relay-symptoms/
- ↑ https://www.thedrive.com/maintenance-repair/36048/how-to-test-a-relay
- ↑ https://www.thedrive.com/maintenance-repair/36048/how-to-test-a-relay
- ↑ https://vehq.com/ignition-key-hot-when-removed/
- ↑ https://mechanicbase.com/electric/ignition-switch-symptoms/
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