Ignition Switch Replacement

[carbonfiber]

Today, when I went to start my car, the ignition switch broke! The steering wheel adjusts like normal, but the key rotates left and right without any resistance and it's stuck in accessory mode. I'm assuming that I need to have the entire ignition switch replaced, but I thought I'd ask to see if anyone else has any experience with this. I haven't taken it apart yet, but my past experience with ignition switches in other cars is that there is no easy to way to repair them. Assuming that I need to replace it, is there a way to order one that is keyed for my car's existing set of keys? Thanks in advance!

[carbonfiber]

Update: I got the switch fixed.

Here's what I did, so hopefully this will help the next poor soul that experiences this. :)

First off, my diagnosis was incorrect. The actual key tumbler cartridge was perfectly fine. The problem was with the cast aluminum rod that the key rotates to activate the various switches that operate the car. That rod is about 6 inches long and has several cams on it, a brass spring loaded blade that plugs into the key tumbler cartridge and a keyed end that plugs into a round shaped switch that has the spring inside it. In my case, the rod had an interal defect that caused it to have a weak spot and it snapped in half. Note to Lexus/Toyota: This is a poor design! This problem is due to poor engineering design. There is no excuse for using a cheap cast part rather than a machined part. I spent much time and effort attempting to order a new rod from Lexus and Toyota and finally determined that it is impossible to order this indivual part. They want to sell you the entire ignition switch assembly for over $800 and if you plan to do that, I recommend you spend another $600 to have it installed. You need special tools to remove the ignition switch assembly from the steering column and this is not a job for the feint of heart.

The way I ended up repairing the car was to use some JB Weld to put the rod back together, and then I took it to a shop to have it welded. In my case, the crack was very close to one of the cams, so it was impossible to weld it without having some of the welding metal get on the cam. So, I needed to use the dremel tool to grind off some extra material once it was welded.

If you are reasonably mechanically inclined, this is not such a difficult repair, but you will need plenty of patience and bandages. It's a tight area that you're working in and your hands will get pretty sliced up.

Tools required:

Phillips Head screwdriver. A ratchetted one is a big plus

Set of metric box wrenches. 6mm - 14mm is what I had. I recommend ones that have a ratchetted closed end on one side.

Metric socket set.

Impact wrench and metric impact wrench sockets. I used a battery powered Makita with 76lb-ft of torque.

Needle nose pliers.

Dremel rotary tool with cutting wheel and gringing tips.

Assistant (spouse, buddy, kid, etc)

Disassembly:

This is the hard part. Remove the covers below the steering column. There is a plastic decorative cover and a metal cover that need to come off. Follow the steering column down to the floor and slide the rubber boot back as far as you can. It will expose 4 bolts. You only need to remove 2 of them. There are 2 bolts that directly connect to the steering drive line and 2 that would only be used if the main bolts fail. You will need to rotate the steering wheel around to access the bolts. Slide a box wrench in and loosen each of the 2 bolts. You may need to get your fingers in to the underside to keep the nut from spinning. Once those are out, disconnect all of the wiring loom connectors from the steering column. Next, firmly pull down on the ac vent duct that runs across the steering column. A section of it will come out pretty easily. Look up inside and you will see the 4 nuts that mount the steering column to the dash. Use the impact wrench to remove those. Your trusty assistant comes in to help you here. I suppose you can do this with a socket set, but an impact wrench is really the proper tool for this. Remove the steering wheel from the car.

Repair:

There is a small black ring that surrounds the key tumbler cartridge. It is held on with a single screw. Remove this. at the back of the ignition switch, there is a white plastic cover that is held on with two screws. Remove this. Put the key in the ignition switch and rotate it to "ACC" mode. There is a small hole on the side of the ignition switch, about 1/2 way down. Inside that hole is a button that you need to press to remove the key tumbler cartridge. I used a jewlers screwdriver for this. Remove the key tumbler cartridge. Using the needlenose pliers, remove the rod. I had to wiggle and shake the ignition switch around to get both pieces out because the switches inside were holding one piece in place. A combination or needlenose pliers, screwdriver and patience managed to get the small piece to come out. Assess the damage to the part and then use JB Weld to glue it back together. In case you're thinking that JB Weld is strong enough to be a permanent fix, I remind you what a pain this repair has been thus far, and encourage you to get the rod welded!

I have a buddy that works at a machine shop, so this repair didn't cost me anything, but I expect the labor involved to weld the part would be around $50 at a shop with similar capabilities. Look through the yellow pages in your area and you should find a ton of machine shops or other places with welders working there. Muffler shops and auto body shops would be other places to try if you are not having much luck. An experienced welder should be able to quickly determine the best way to fix it for you. Ask him/her to try to do as clean a job as possible around the cams so you don't need to do so much cleanup work. If the cams themselves are damaged, have the welder put some extra material on them so you can shape new ones with the Dremel tool. It took me about 30 minutes of Dremelling to get my part back in shape. Just be patient and take off a little material at a time.

Reassembly:

This is basically the reverse of dissasembly, but here are a few gotchas to watch out for. How do I know about these? :whistles:

1. Bolt the steering column back to the steering driveline assembly on the floor first. Only hand tighten the nuts and I suggest installing them the reverse of the way they were done at the factory. I put the bolts in from the bottom and put the lockwasher and nut on the top.

2. Check that you installed the steering column with the steering wheel the right way around! It will fit in both ways and you will feel really crappy when you drive the car and realize that the steering wheel is upside down. Adjust as necessary. Once you are sure that the steering wheel is right-side-up, tighten the 2 bolts that attach the steering column to the steering drive line.

3. When you put the ac duct back in, put the right side (side that attaches to the center console) in first.

4. Reconnect all of the wiring loom connectors or the car won't start. That black ring that you took off to get the key tumbler cartridge out has a sensor that detects that you are using the proper key. If you don't have that plugged in, the car will turn over, but won't start.

5. The extra black screw that you can't figure out where it goes attaches the ac duct to the plastic dash.

Good luck!

[mscott]

Excellent write up... Thanks

[cmcooper]

I'm experiencing this problem right now. Dismantled per your instructions and found the little broken shaft. It's the size of a pencil and seems to be made of pot metal. One guy I spoke to says this is no ordinary weld job. Has your repair held together? Have anymore advice on the weld repair?

[jackryan]

I'm have the same problem right now. and this is very stressful!!!!!!

im waiting for the answer of carbonfiber to cmcooper.

thanks for the knowledge carbonfiber!

[cmcooper]

I agree, your remarks CF, were very useful. I brought your posting to my mechanic (I'm not very handy) and he dismantled the dash and discovered the snapped key/cam thingy. Mine also appeared to have a flaw: it broke where there was a small bubble in the casting. I thought about and even contacted a welder to see to putting the thing back together, but a few things changed my mind:

1) My wife wasn't buying into the repair-it-and-put-it-back idea, thinking it would break again in an inconvenient place

2) I started wondering if we couldn't find a part from a salvage yard, as we might find a whole unit which we could dismantle (avoiding the whole rekeying problem.)

3) but my mechanic took it one farther...apparently no LX470s have been totalled lately (good sign) 'cause the salvage yards only had landcruisers. But aha! My mechanic pulled out some diagrams and the ignition parts seemed awfully similar. Apparently the part is the same in the LR and THAT ignition unit is only 175 bucks, not the 650 Lexus wanted!

4) So, presto, Imy mechanic ordered the whole ignition, yanked the piece out, and I have my car again...

That's the story as I know it...if these facts don't check out, let me know and I'll get the whole story from my repair guy.

[jackryan]

I need help!

how did your mechanic put back the ignition switch? for some reason i put back the peace that broke but the ignition key won't snap on. :-(

btw i bought the parts from toyota in case you guys need to buy it here's the part number:

Bracket Assembly

45280-60510

Lexus price is $ 165.00

Toyota price is $ 100.00

[sxander]

Well.... add another to the list for this problem. Last nigh while getting a sandwich, came out placed the key in the ignition and heard a "Pop"! As described by the earlier people, no resistance in the ignition what so ever after that.

The one thing that I have not heard described by any of you is that the steering wheel having free movement after the key was removed ( pardon me if this sounds ignorant... I am not mechanically incined at all ). Is this common for the rest of you?

Thanks for the feedback on this!! This was a great help and stress reducer.

Lastly, is it not strange the number of incidents since June '05? I guess the next question would be what year are your LX 470's? Ours is a 2001.

San Clemente, CA

[BigLexusGuy]

I had the same problem with the ignition switch in my LX 470. Very irritating, since the car is bascially DOA until this is fixed. Good thing I had AAA.

I had mine towed to the dealership, and after reading this forum, mentioned to the service guy that I had discovered several people "on the internet" who had had the same problem. And I wondered if Lexus felt it had a problem here. He assured me that this kind of thing was "very rare", but after finding that I was right concerning the cause, he offered to have Lexus pay for the replacement parts. I still had to pay for the labor, but knowing what I knew probably saved me $800.

Thanks for posting!

[pearlralizing2k]

ok my problem is exactly same as everyones!! carbonfiber thankz for the write up now time to find parts and dismantle everything.

[tkgil]

This is an excellent description and help for those who go thru a similar problem and are clueless about what caused the problem. I have followed the instruction and pinpointed the problem and took out the broken rod. I plan to get a replacement part instead of welding the rod. Could anyone guide me to find the part name and number? The part number listed below seems to be incorrect. For those who got the parts, pls let me know....

Thank you for your help.....

[Jangell]

Thanks for the write up and all of the comments.

I have a 2000 LX 470 that this just happend to...

Took it to the Toyata dealer...They are talikng $500 for the repair...UGH

Asked them to call Lexus about this and see if this is an issue that they will help with. We will see.

also just an FYI...

My extended warranty from Warranty direct does NOT cover this issue...

[Jim_Chow]

Does the ignition cylinder break because of repeatedly having the steering wheel lock and having to release it w/ the key?

[tkgil]

Update:

Don't follow the direction of self-fixing the problem. It is not easy and not worthwhile. The correct part number is 45280-60510. The part can be ordered via the online shop at $115. Lexus will charge around $200 with bolts (roughly 20% above MSRP). The total cost of fixing should run you around $500 ($200 parts and $300 labor, $100/hr). Mention this site and the dealer would not likely overcharge you.

Lexus uses a cheap cast alunimum part that can't take repeated turns. For the new cars, you don't have to worry about that as the ignition is RFID-enabled touch button. No mechanical parts involved.

I hope this helps.

[randyandvicki]

I just had the same issue on my 2000 LX 470 here in Austin TX. At the dealership the part (45280-60510) is $173.50, labor quoted at $212. I'm a DIYer, but after reading the effort it takes to remove the bolts and possible cut hands decided the $212 (including free loaner) was worth it. BTW I requested that standard Allen head bolts be used instead of the tamper-proof, but the dealership wouldn't go for it (liability, warranty, etc).

[randyandvicki]

I just had the same issue on my 2000 LX 470 here in Austin TX. At the dealership the part (45280-60510) is $173.50, labor quoted at $212. I'm a DIYer, but after reading the effort it takes to remove the bolts and possible cut hands decided the $212 (including free loaner) was worth it. BTW I requested that standard Allen head bolts be used instead of the tamper-proof, but the dealership wouldn't go for it (liability, warranty, etc).

Update: Service associate quoted the wrong labor amount - I wondered how it could be so cheap. It should have been 'a couple hundred dollars', I assume a 'couple' to mean more than 2. The good news is they honored the original quote.

[LEX470LX]

Well I just joined the ignition breaking club mine broke last night when the wife the truck while she was out with her g/f's. what a mess !! she parked in a garage on the second level I had to drive to where she was 3 in the morning called a tow truck once i got there and seen what the problem was they sent 3 trucks out to get me one had to get me out of the garage the other took me to there shop then a flat bed took me home arriving at 830 am ( i was 45 miles from home)

anyone can tell me what the part number is and if the part is cheaper at a toyota dealership ??

[petew41133]

My 2000 LX470 also had the ignition cylinder/switch snap when my wife tried to start the car. Ordered a replacement from the junkyard for $100 plus shipping and going to replace myself following this post. Thanks for the tips, disappointing Lexus quality control for the shaft is low, thats why they break! Otherwise, 140K and going strong almost no other issues over the years.

[Aguila]

I thought I was the only one in the dark with this key ignition problems. I was at the rooftop parking garage at Century Link when the key ignition broke. Tried over and over encase something not catching but dead on water. I was helpless on Sunday evening during the Sounders game when my key ignition died. The SUV stuck up there for three days. Luckily didn't have to pay for the parking fee. Aside from broken key ignition, also problem with tow truck. No tow truck can get in into the garage due to height limitation at 6'-8"(ridiculous height). I called Lexus and they weren't able to help which is unfortunate. I called lock smith and couldn't get help except one. Sound very knowledgeable because I thought we were on the same page. I looked on Youtube and saw the problems before we spoke. He told me that is the key cylinder problems. Ok sound about right. I had him order the parts. We met at the parking garage and started to dismantle until he finally got to the piece and discovered that the cylinder was not the problem. It was the piece of ignition rod with the broken tip(about an inch long) towards the bottom and could not get the broben piece out from the bottom. Then the locksmith said, you need to bring your SUV to the shop and just smile at him. I paid $150 for the cylinder part for nothing. Then got a called from a friend who own an auto bodyshop and ask whats the problem with car. Key ignition rod broke and I have an issue with tow truck. He refered me to this tow truck co. that has a lowered tow truck. Got it towed for another $150. Down to $300. Money pouring down the drain like there is no tomorrow. Finally, my friend got to look at it, order the parts for wholesale plus three percent on top plus $100 on labor. Overall cost $620. Running smooth again. So now, I made a call to Lexus and confirm if key ignition rod is a defect due to poor design. Hope to hear from them and if you wish to call this is their number 1-800-255-3987. Best wishes to all Lexus owners. GO LEXUS GO HAWKS....

[Mike5]

Hi ,

this just happened to me , I have LX470 , I went to start it yesterday and heard a click, then key was turning loosely and nothing happening . 

i towed the car to Lexus dealership, service advisor told me they to replace the ignition and rekey it. They want to charge me $900 total , 3 hours labor and $620 for part . it sounds too much 
 

Can anyone advise what i should do ? Or what questions should I ask the service advisor? to not get overcharged. 

Mike