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Replacing ignition with switches

1K views 13 replies 4 participants last post by  cj7sswampers 
#1 ·
Searched, found nothing on specifics of what I want to do.

So, since I got my Comanche, there never was an ignition key. The lock had been busted out, and all there is is a tab that I use plier to grab. Othere than that it was turning and starting just fine.

The other day I was driving around, and when I got where I was going and went to turn the truck off, I found I couldn't turn the igniton back to 'off'. It was stuck in the 'on' position. I said, ok, decided to really ream on it, still didn't budge. So my truck was stuck 'on'. I ran around like that till noon or so, and once I got my truck in the driveway, that's when I tried to stop it. Ended up yanking the distributor wire, stopping the engine.

So, no my truck is in my garage, dead until I can fix the ignition. What I want to do is catch the wires before they go up the steering column, and splice in 2 switches. One will be an 'off/run' 2 position switch, the other will be for the starter. That switch you can push up, and it returns to 'off' position when you let go, perfect for the starter.

So, the big question is, which wires do I snip and splice? I know how to do the work, just need the right wires.

Push button start, baby, oh yeah!
 
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#4 ·
It is an 88. I crawled under the dash, and based on this info, I found 2 harness plugs that I think are the right ones.
The one has a dark green (starter I'm told), brown, and yellow wire:



The other one has a large red (power), a large orange (run), small purple, gray and black/white wires:



So, what do I cut to put on a different switch? What DON'T I cut and leave in that plug? And where do I put them on the switches I have?

Switch #1: has 3 poles, top, middle, bottom, switch only has 2 positions.
Switch #2: has 2 poles, switch returns to starting position.
 
#5 ·
You could tap the 12 volt wire and feed to one side of each switch. (start button and ignition on)

Verify the starter wire, remove it from the column plug and connect to the switched side of the starter button (push button switch)

Connect the ignition on lead to the switched side of the 2nd(3 pole) switch. The other terminal on that switch may be ground?

On the 1988 I'm showing green for start and yellow for ignition. Red should be 12, but direct wire is not listing much for that year/make/model

Test the other wires if you can to see what is powered up in accessory and run. wire accordingly.
 
#9 ·
It is a lit switch. Are the wires going in the right order? Ground on the bottom?

Good point on that.

To the op, the orange lead should be yellow to send power to the ignition on the 3 terminal switch. Test the orange to find its function though. could be a 2nd ignition or 2nd 12 volt constant.
See, now there is a yellow, AND and Orange. How am I testing it? I have disconnected the batter, because the truck is still 'on' because I couldn't move the ignition. I suck at deciphering what to with phrases, can you take my pic, and modify how it is supposed to go? Please?:D

And I take it, any wire NOT going to a switch is going to stay in the plug, to be plugged back in?
 
#10 ·
If it is a lighted switch, then the third terminal (probably center) will be unused

If your ignition switch is stuck in the run position, you can test the orange to see if it is constant hot or switched on by the keys acc or run position.

Sorry i cant modify your drawling, but the yellow should be on top in your drawling, and red needs to go to the bottom. again, the center is probably the light terminal.
 
#12 · (Edited)
Sorry, I can't really help with your specific wire colors(although it shoudl be fairly easy to sort them out with a tester), but I did this on my YJ, and here are a few suggestions that I haven't seen mentioned yet.

Along with the switches, you'll also have to come up with a way to disable the steering wheel lock.

I put in a total of 3 switches, one for "off - run"(turns on the fuel pump and ignition), one for "accessories", and a push button for the starter. The extra switch for the "accessories" was put in so that I did not have to activate the ignition when I just wanted to turn on the radio(using stock harness for radio).

Sense my switches are mounted for easy access (on the front of the dash), I also added a hidden kill switch, which kills the power to the switches.

Also, make sure the switches you use have a good amp rating, or you may burn them up.

And just for the heck of it, here's a pic of my switches mounted in the dash,
The switch on the left is the "accessorie" swithc, it turns on stuff like the radio, wipers, etc....
The switch in the middle is the "off-run" switch, and turns on the ignition and fuel pump.
And the push button activates the starter.
 
#13 ·
Thanks, muddyJ, that's kind of what I was looking for. I don't have to worry about a steering wheel lock, that was gone before I got the truck. The key release that is also usually on standards also is broke/shot/not there/lost in time. I posted this pic in Comanche Club, as I have the same post there. This is my steering coulumn, and why I want to get as much as possible off the column and on the dash:
 
#14 ·
I can't complain, I bought the truck for $700, I have gotten 6,000 miles and $4,000-$5,000 using it for scrap metal gathering. If it dies, money isn't the problem, it is not having transportation, and not being able to sell this thing for enough to get something else.
I tried hooking up different wires last night.
I went RED->ORANGE=dash lit up, buzzer went off, basic start up
RED->YELLOW=pretty much the same thing
RED->DRK. GREEN=starter engaged, but I have the feed wire from the coil pack off of the distributor, JIC.

So, what I am thinking is, I have to split the red wire to go to each switch, for the starter, have the green wire come off the rocker switch, and on the on/off switch, have the red wire feeding the yellow AND orange wire, as they both seem to control the truck turning on. Might be the 2 switches you have, muddyj.
 
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