WalterRohrl

After my key became "sticky" last year I replaced the ignition switch (the black plastic part) with a NAPA replacement for $9 an half an hour of my time. This fixed that problem completely and was fairly simple to do.

This morning when I turned the car on the key stayed in the Ignition position and did not return to the ON position as usual. After the engine fired as quickly as always the starter stopped spinning and everything worked great as usual. Except the key was all the way to the right (so the head was basically horizontal in the slot).

At a stop I worked up the nerve to turn it back towards the left towards ON where it normally is after starting and nothing changed, engine stayed on etc. Turning further left turns it off as you would expect.

My next start was the same, i.e. the key turned all the way to the right and stayed there unless I manually turned it back again.

What do I need to replace? The same $9 plastic part or the whole ignition assembly? Can I leave it as is or might there develop some other issue related to this unless I get on it right away? As I said it's not like the starter keeps spinning, it stops as soon as the engine fires. I was not able to (not do I want to) work up the nerve to turn it from IGN to ON and back again to IGN while running to see what would happen.

DTMiller

$9

dgjks6

agreed.

WalterRohrl

Thanks guys!

FRUNKenstein

Yeah, my first NAPA switch lasted about 9 months, I think. The second one was still working when I sold the car. You might want to get a new NAPA switch and swap it in immediately (so you don't get stranded), but order one of the $30 switches from warehouse33auto.com and replace it this weekend.

Aspen Autosports

The entire ignition assembly is what the problem is. Porsche has updated it and it corrects the problem. Replacing the $9 switch will fix the problem for a short period of time, but do you want to keep doing that over and over? If you do then by all means go ahead, however the correct repair should only cost $250 and about 45 min of your time.

sjg1138

HERE is a DIY for upgrading the ignition switch.

tharbin

My Indie seems to agree with Jake. Since I was getting some work done anyway I decided to ask him what he would charge to change just the switch part. He told me that he no longer does it and does not recommend it. He says they usually go bad again within a year or so. Now he only does the upgraded assembly replacement. I did the whole assembly. More expensive but hopefully not a yearly maintenance item.

FRUNKenstein

I still think all that is necessary to get a lasting fix is using the higher quality switch rather than the cheap NAPA part. You can see here both the cheap model and the roughly $30 part.

http://www.warehouse33auto.com/parts...10/14/0/4516/0

I would at least try the $30 fix before spending $250. Last time I swapped mine out it took me a whopping 19 minutes - if it was a big job, then yeah I'd spend the extra $220 so I didn't have to do it again. But, this is really a simple DIY fix, especially if you have already done it once - I've had turn signal bulbs that were harder to change out. Take the money you save and buy a new set of motor mounts, which will take you another 20 minutes or less to replace.

5CHN3LL

I've done it once in each car and think it would probably take all of 10 minutes at this point...

My current $30 switch has 3+ years on it.

If I buy the cheap one and it lasts a year, I wasted $30.
If I buy the expensive one and it lasts a year, I burned $220...

If I had to pay someone to do the labor, I'd probably suck it up and do the "hope it lasts forever" version...

Aspen Autosports

Even the $30 switch from Porsche will fail again. Porsche released an updated part for a reason, I have replaced over 100 of these ignition lock assemblies since the update and have not had a single one come back for ignition switch or lock issues. I will see if I can find the TSB on this.

frisbee91

Same problem. Replaced the switch with a $12 part about 2 years ago. It's acting up again.

FRUNKenstein

Has anyone replaced the switch using the $30 unit and had the $30 switch fail? That might be a good poll question.

WalterRohrl

Is there really a difference between the $9 part and the $30 one? I'm happy to spend the extra $21 if it is better and chance it. If that part fails also then I'd be more inclined to do the whole thing.

Is there a risk of being stranded in the short to medium term with my switch that won't return from IGN to ON by itself after starting? Even when my original one got sticky it still worked well enough for quite some time.

At this point I'm still fighting my new door latch mechanism that works first time every time if I don't lock it but if I lock it, it takes anywhere from three to twelve pulls of the outside lever to release after unlocking...It probably has something to do with that little plastic doohicky that connects the inside latch to the outside doorpull which was such a pain in the *** to reach and adjust as a human with only two normal shaped hands.

This is the kind of crap that people hate about VW/Audi/Porsche, cheap and crappily engineered by an outside supplier plastic and/or potmetal bits that have zero business being in a car at this price level.

Thanks.

jhbrennan

TSB and part numbers please. Thanks.