Ignition switch problem, maybe

Sometimes when I press in (toward steering column) on my ignition key cylinder **without** a key in, the interior lights come on and the chime sounds.  What's wrong?  I suspect I need to replace wither the cylinder or the switch/harness or both, but don't wanna if I don't hafta.

Please advise, thanks.

Albertj

bump - help?

I'm trying to find a schematic that shows the Ignition input to the interior lights. As of right now, all I get is fused power and lights. I also see the dimmer module, but still no Ignition input.
I know exactly what you're talking about, but I want to be sure what's causing it before I say what it is.

I don't have much work today, so I should be able to find it.

Abaddon wrote:

I'm trying to find a schematic that shows the Ignition input to the interior lights. As of right now, all I get is fused power and lights. I also see the dimmer module, but still no Ignition input.
I know exactly what you're talking about, but I want to be sure what's causing it before I say what it is.

I don't have much work today, so I should be able to find it.

My guess is a misrouted wire in the column that got abrasion and so it shorts when you push the ignition cylinder in. It is a wild guess based on when I replaced the radiator some time ago I found a broken grille ornament "R" in the lower radiator support, indicating to me that the car had been in a collision (I suspected that when I bought it but with the good body shops it's almost impossible to tell). That would have been around the year 1999 (I bought the car in 2000) and it would of taken a while for a misrouted wire to wear thru. Snaking the wires into the right places in the column is tedious, not difficult; most mechanics I know like fast money and shortcuts and hate tedious. So my guess is that when the car was repaired the wires got misrouted because genius mechanic decided not to pull the column to string them correctly. I don't blame him/her much BUT that's not why they are paid to do what they do.

Anyway - The Ig *switch* has a load of contacts but the Cylinder - I think there's just the security wires in the escutcheon. By the way the Security system is acting up too. I cleaned the contacts and it calmed down but it's not working 100% reliably. I can't see the contacts but I suspect they are worn, not consistently making contact with the pill in the key.

My solution was to arrange for a dealer mechanic that likes the car to pull the steering wheel and replace the cylinder, the ig switch and the multifunction switch (which has never worked 100% right by the way) with genuine Delco parts that I either bought from Ed Morad (pull and test) or bought as NOS. The car is there now, I have a rental. The fellow will also install a *new* steering wheel (I got as a 20-year-old-factory-fresh NOS item from a customizer that didn't want them anymore). I am going to get replacement floor mats maybe; definitely re-cover the A and C pillars (they are faded and the foam is part decomposed); in a few weeks the interior will look new enough, except the driver's seat which looks good but not new.

Back to that chime - If my surmise is correct then my guess is the abraded wire is one related to the system that reads whether the key is in and the door is open. It will often but not always sound off if you push in (along the axis, toward the column shaft, not radially clock or counter-clock) without a key in the ignition. The security issue is a simultaneous problem, not necessarily related, and could be as simple as the &^*&^* keys have resistor pellets that have worn-out contacts.