2003 FX4 4x4, Tilt Column

Went back to the family farm this weekend and right before I was about to leave back to home the ignition broke. From what I've researched the actuator rod within the column has either broke or the pin fell out that connects the two pieces. Either way I had to work the next day, so now the truck is still there and I'm driving my Grandma's loser cruiser until next Friday when I can go back and grab/fix the truck.

I believe it's this actuator rod that's broke because when I turned the key the truck turned "on" but when I tried to start it nothing happened. Then when I pulled the key out the truck wouldn't turn off. Radio, lights, fuel guage and all were still on but the key was out. Grrrr...

So the truck is now sitting at the farm with the battery disconnected. I would like to have it back in the city (no duh) but if I can't fix it next weekend I would at least like to have it back home to work on it. It seems that opening up the column to get at the thing might be tricky. Luckily the steering wheel is unlocked so I can turn the thing.

Question: If I put the key in the ignition (transponder key so it needs to be there), reconnect the battery, and then pull the ignition switch from the bottom of the column, can I turn the truck on and drive it with no problems? I've seen how to pull the ignition switch (not the key switch, but the actual white switch box on the bottom of the column) in the Haynes manual so getting to it isn't an issue. I would just like to know if it will work. In theory it all sounds perfect but still not 100% sure that it will work.

 

Answer: Yes it works. So if you find you've broken your actuator pin but still need to get your truck somewhere, this might work for you. All I did was pull the panel off of the dash below the steering wheel, used a torq driver to remove two screws holding the white ignition switch to the bottom of the column, then moved the switch forward to start the vehicle. It's really simple but if you don't have the key in the ignition the truck will simply turn over without firing.

Note: If you can't turn the steering wheel or move the shifter you may be SOL. Haven't tested it, but maybe you can put a screwdriver in the bottom to move the pin around until the steering wheel unlocks. I'll update this once I find out. In the meantime I need a new column as the bushings in my shifter are shot too. Might as well just swap the whole thing. I'll tear it apart after to figure out what exactly went wrong with the actuator rod.