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Key in Ignition Chime


enjr44

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2008 Ranger FX4

The chime that tells you the key was left in the ignition cylinder when you open the driver's door is malfunctioning.

1. It does not chime when you open the door with key in cylinder.
2. It randomly sounds with the key removed and the door open.
3. When it does #2 (hum :D) you can get it to stop by moving (wiggling?) the ignition cylinder with the key removed. Inserting and removing the key has no affect.

Now the question......

Is the switch internal to the key cylinder and to fix it I have to replace the cylinder and have the new one re-keyed?? Or is the switch external to the cylinder and I can just replace that switch??

Thanks, Ed
 


adsm08

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The switch is internal to the cylinder. There is a little flapper that the key pushes aside that grounds the circuit. It is probably getting stuck.

You can get a new ignition lock kit, they aren't super expensive, and you can even assemble it yourself, which is not hard to do. The kit comes with instructions, which are often hard to read (think photocopy of a photocopy) but not hard to follow.

If you don't have the tooth measuring tool (you don't) you can use a micometer, trial and error it, or take your old lock apart and get the tumbler numbers off it (usually).
 

enjr44

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You can get a new ignition lock kit,........
Is this kit a Ford item - available at the Dealer? I will probably try to key it; but, will end up taking to a lock smith.

Thanks, Ed :beer:
 

adsm08

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Yes, dealer item. The may have to order one in.

Take something with the VIN on it, it looks like that year may have more than one.
 
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enjr44

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Thanks for the great info. I'll get by the dealer I use sometime this next week. They have great counter guys.

Used to be one of them back when you had to use about 8 feet of catalogs to look up the parts. That was back in the days before time (50 plus years ago).

Thanks again, Ed :icon_thumby:
 
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adsm08

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No problem man. I don't know how skilled the guys at your dealer are, at my last dealership me and one of the counter guys we could both key locks just by sight, and Mike would have set the lock up for someone who came in just to buy it. Doesn't hurt to ask.

They may also have the key cut gauge that you can use to figure out the tumblers.
 

enjr44

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Ok, here is the follow-up on the key chime problem. First the short version and then for any still interested a longer one.

It finally really broke, anytime the door was open without the key it dinged. Got the kit. Keying the cylinder was easy; just fiddly (fussy). Replacing it was straight forward. Only problem I had was the electrical contact in the column that interfaces with the switch in the cylinder fell out and had to be zip tied in place.

Long version: The problem got so bad it dinged any time the key was removed and the door was open, so I finally got the cylinder kit. I got a 10 percent discount because I mentioned the Ranger Station and adsm08 to the counter man. Cool.

I decided to try to key the new lock to my key by trial and error before taking it to a locksmith. If was surprisingly easy. I tried to use the diagram in the instructions; but, I found it mostly useless. There are 8 key slots (four on the top and three on the bottom) and five different keys. First thing I discovered is that you have to put the spring in the slot before the pin or you will never get it right. After that is was pretty simple. Just select one of the five keys and go for it. When you think you have the right key for that slot try it to make sure. It took about 20 minutes.

The only problem I had was installing the lock pin assembly (the pin that keeps cylinder in the column). I could not get the ball to stay on the top of the spring and put in pin in. I finally figured out a way to depress the spring and ball, turn the cylinder and then put the lock pin in place.

Now for fixing the truck. The Chilton repair manual says to disconnect both battery cables and that you to have to remove the steering wheel tilt lever to get the lower cover off. But, the lever is a plastic covered metal rod and it in there really tight. There is no way to grab it with anything without screwing it up. But, the lower cover is flexible and you can bend it enough to get to the lock pin release. I used shaft end of an eighth-inch drill bit.

The cylinder comes right out with key in the “run” position. And the new one slides right in. Good to go.
I learned a long time ago working on aircraft to check the fix before putting the panels back. And with battery connected I got Ding, Ding, Ding...... So had to start over.

Cylinder out, and find that the ground contact in the column housing is not where it belongs and is grounding the circuit. Screw around with that and it will not stay in place (the keeper does not lock in). Finally used a cable tie to keep it in place. Put it back together and success.

Conclusion – I really think the key chime has been broke from new. I cannot remember it ever making noise with the key in the cylinder. And, I don’t know if original problem was the cylinder switch or the ground contact. I think I could have fixed it without a new key cylinder after inspecting the way the chime switch is mounted on the cylinder and how the housing contact is installed.

It works now, Ed
 

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That's good to know. I don't like the door chime so I disconnected the wire at the ignition for this chime. I'm much happier working on stuff with the radio on and the door open and NO CHIME. Much easier to work without a constant annoying sound lol. Plus if I ever go to sell it all I have to do is plug the little wire back in and it's just like it was.
 

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My friend has a purple 97 STX 4x4 and his chimes all the damn time, all day long. Maybe this is his problem too.
 

enjr44

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My friend has a purple 97 STX 4x4 and his chimes all the damn time, all day long. Maybe this is his problem too.
There is a door switch that should turn off the chime (break the ground) when the door is closed (key or no key). And inside the column there are two points of failure. So there are two ways for it to malfunction. The electrical connection to the steering column (just a wire with a contact that interfaces the lock cylinder switch. And, the switch on the outside of the lock cylinder that makes or breaks the ground that turns the chime on. When you insert the key there is a little plastic gizmo that the key pushes up to move the connect to ground the switch.

If it is on all the time (key/no key and door open/closed) he probably has two problems. If it were me, I would probably takeoff the lower column cover and clip the little green and black wire that goes into the switch. It will never chime again.
 

smegun

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my problem is that I don't have auxillary the chime is easy disconnect it after a key cylinder change I ended up without chimes and no auxillary there was a coper ring with a plastic ringattached thing cracked in half working while chiming is exzilleratn supposedly its a bar that goes down the columb and moves the switch but I got a ground issue with the copper ring at the key cylinder because ive changed the switch that takes it from the columb bar not sure 94 explorer
 

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