Cars - 91 Dodge Caravan ignition switch replacement

Well...sounds a bit different than what I had happen, but hopefully what I
can tell you may be of some help.

When mine went belly up - I turned the ignition and it would turn on, but
instead of hitting the spring resistance and cranking the engine it just
swiveled to a stop without cranking.

There are 2 parts - the lock cylinder (the round part the key slides into)
and the ignition switch - the lock cylinder engages the ignition switch to
make the car start, etc. I will email you off-list directly some scanned
images of the directions that came with my new ignition switch - that will
probably help you greatly. You'll need to remove the shroud around the
steering column, then you'll need some of those security type torx bits -
the ones with the hole in the middle. Mine died at work, and the bits I
actually had gotten a while back and were sitting in a pile in the basement
waiting to get to the toolbox in the van...so I had to have my wife bring
them to me! Good ole Murphy at work! :-) Anyway, the directions step you
through the proper procedure to remove the ignition switch (with lock
cylinder intact) then how to remove the lock cylinder, then the correct
re-assembly steps to make sure everything works - part of the system is to
engage the steering column lock - be a little hard to drive if you can't
turn the wheel! It's kinda tedious, but not too difficult. My problem was
the collar at the end of the lock cylinder had broken off, so it couldn't
engage the ignition switch far enough. If the ignition switch is ok and the
lock cylinder out of the way, it's possible you might be able to use a
screwdriver or something to turn the ignition switch. That's how someone
almost stole my wife's Plymouth Acclaim a few years ago... Anyway...mine is
now working properly again, just have another key on my keychain... :-(
The local Dodge dealership could get one in and key it to mine, but that was
more $$ that it was worth...

Good luck!

Wesley

> wrote in message
ups.com...
....the ignition lock on my van has disintegrated. Basically, the sleeve

that goes into the barrel came out with the key, and a lot of pins and
springs fell out too. It had been loose for a while (and causing some
electrical trouble too, I think) but now it's history. I've looked thru

the FAQs and still am in the dark. The van is a LONG tow from a garage
(rural Quebec).
SOOO - I briefly (once) was able to get the assembly to turn with a

flat-headed screwdriver but no longer. I can see a vaguely D-shaped
hole at the bottom (where I stuck the screwdriver) but there is a
(now-rounded) stub of metal in it that keeps me from getting a grip. My

questions, then:
1) any way to get the stub out? The van's a beater and I would be happy

to just use a screwdriver in future.
2) it looks like to disassemble the switch and lock, I must remove the
shroud from the steering column, and to do THAT it looks like I must
remove the steering wheel. Anybody know a diagram or instructions for
doing this on the web?
Thanks for any help - Ðª×
My email eddress is - remove shorts to get the

REAL address.