I've posted the following to the Electrical forum but as you guys are a very knowledgeable and helpful bunch to me in the past, read on if you are experienced in things Electrical...



I've been experiencing some strange electrical gremlins of late in our 1992 Aerostar LWB (with not much power stuff).

Last week it started where my wife complained that the presets of the radio stopped working (which indicates a loss of battery power).

Then, I shut the van off, and waited for a long train at a crossing. When I tried to restart it, nothing...no dash lights, dome light or any electrical at all. After trying a couple of times to start it, everything sprang back to life and all was good...

Until Sunday. I started as normal but along the road I noticed the battery guage was fluctuating madly, and the AMP light flickered on when I accelerated. I parked it, had my lunch and went out to find it wouldn't start again just like at the railroad crossing. After wiggling the ignition a bit, going under the hood and wiggling everything electrical I could see, everything sprang to life again as before.

I had a trusted mechanic check out the electrical system and he said it all was OK, Battery fine, Altenator charging etc.

Then, as my wife was pulling away from the mechanic's shop with me behind her in my car, I noticed her backup lights weren't working. She stopped, jumped out of the van saying "every light is on, on the dash!" I had my mechanic come out and look at it, and he moved the key slightly towards the "On" direction, and the lights were as before and said "My F-150 does that all the time".

He's ordering me a new ignition switch and will install it for me. Is this all happening just because I have a faulty ignition switch, or is it something more? What's your experience?

 

When you wiggled things under the hood to get your power back, did you hear a click while you were shaking wires and the power returned or did you then just try to start again and the power was back? Was all power gone?

John

 

Nope, no click. The power came on while I was sitting at the driver's seat, and come to think about it I was doing nothing at the time. It was after I'd tried to start it. I heard a click and a whirr and then the door dinger started sounding.

All power was gone - no dome light, nothing! I'm getting the ignition switch replaced later today...

My 1 reply in the electrical forum said it might be a mechanical problem in the steering column - that there's a mechanical rod that runs down the column to actuate the electrical switch - that sounds like it might be the culprit. I'll post a follow-up when I know more!

Thanks for your comment.

 

The steering column should not be the problem. It should not be able to stop all electricity.

If the ignition switch does not fix it let me know and I'll try to help.

John