HELP! I have an 89 e150 with a 4.9 and tilt column. The problem is that it is very hard to start. The wheel must be in the down position, sometimes you kinda have to move it around to get it to start. The key switch turns ok from the off position to the run position, but you really have to push it to start it then sometimes it sticks and you have to pull it back. This started doing it a year and a half ago when it was cold. It was stiff then but still worked ok. When the weather warmed up, everything was fine. It started getting worse this past winter, but has actually gotten even worse with the warmer weather now. Before we discovered wiggling the column works, we had to jump it every time at the solenoid.

My research shows that the key switch pushes a rod that moves the ignition switch mounted part way down the column. The way this feels like it's in a bind, I'm thinking there may be a problem with the rod or the ignition switch. I don't have a whole lot of time to be able to tear it apart, discover the problem then possibly put it back together to fix it another time after I can get the parts.

Does anyone have any suggestions as to what the problem may be and what I need to do to fix it?

Thanks in advance!

 

Anybody? Bueller? Bueller? Nobody has any idea why my ignition might be stiff when starting? Just looking for some suggestions. Any kind of idea what I may be looking at. I'm out on the road right now and it will be a couple weeks yet before I can look at it. Just want to know what I should be looking for.

Thanks

 

I'll just throw this out there: Since you have a tilt wheel could a wire have a break in it due to the movement of the wheel over the years that can't be seen and that's why the van starts only when the wheel is in the right position?

 

Thanks for the reply. I appreciate you taking the time to offer a suggestion. The ignition switch setup on this column appears to be a three part set up. The key cylinder moves a rod mechanism which in turn operates the actual ignition switch mounted midway down the column where the wires are attached. So the wires wouldn't actually be affected by the tilt of the wheel. However, because the key gets real stiff to turn in the start position and gets stuck there, I'm wondering if the tilt is causing some kind of bind with the rod mechanism. It won't start at all with the wheel in the up position, only in the down position and even then you have to move it around.

Thanks again for the suggestion. It helps to clarify just what the problem is. Thanks.