Alright, I drive to work this morning, and everything is fine. I attempt to run to Radio Shack and the car won't start.

When I put the key in, the door chime will start chiming (with the door open of course).
When I turn the key to ACC, my stereo/amps come on, but none of the other normal start up procedures happen. The fuel pump does not pressurize the line, NONE of the dash lights come on at all, not even the security light, and the car will not crank at all. No ticking noises, all the fuses are good.

A search led me towards the ignition switch, but I couldn't find any useful information except that one post saying he had the same problem and it was the ignition switch. Does this sound like my culprit, or should I try elsewhere?

Thanks! George

Edit; 97 A4 V6 by the way

 

Does sound like the switch or the connector to it. Just for grins, try flipping the key back and forth repeatedly in effort to try to make it catch. You can also try thumping on the steering wheel to vibrate the column and making it catch (I know it sounds crazy ). If you need a replacement guide, there is one on my Tech Page.

 

Shoebox,

Thanks for the link to your tech page, I don't think I could have fixed it anywhere near as easily without the article. It was the ignition cylinder, and what a P.I.T.A too! Those damn tiny screws holding the cylinder on were a killer. And I thought installing a ceiling fan over the weekend was tough.

Anyway, thanks again, and one more kink I gotta work out. I wasn't able to mark exactly where the cynlinder was supposed to be, so now the key cylinder is mis-aligned by a hair. It's close enough to normal for the car to start and all the key positions to work, BUT, it's misaligned just enough so that if I take the key out, the cylinder thinks it's in the backwards position and the radio and security light will stay on.

I have to go readjust it to compensate, but i'm not sure if I should move the cylinder more towards the firewall, or more towards the steering wheel. My first guess is towards the steering wheel. Do you know the answer to that off the top of your head?

Thanks, George.

Also for the record, if anyone reads the tech article, I didn't unbolt the steering column under the hood (due to the fact that I was at work and was only able to get limited tools to work with. All I undid were the bolts holding the column to the bottom of the dashboard, and the ones holding it to the firewall, and that lowered it enough to get it replaced. It probably would have been easier getting at those tiny screws if I had taken it all the way out, but that might be more trouble than the tiny screws. Also, I don't think it could be done without lowering the column. I couldn't even find the thing until I lowered it. Then after I replaced it and put the column back up, I could see the connectors.

 

You do mean the switch, don't you and not the key cylinder?

You can make adjustments to the switch position and try it with the key before you put the column back up. Make sure you check your dimmer switch, too, so that you can be sure you did not mess up it's position.
If I understand what you said, moving the switch toward the steering wheel should help.

Obviously, you can change the switch without removing the column, but some people cannot stand on their head for too long!

 

I actually meant switch AND cylinder. The final location of the ignition cylinder when it's securely tightened directly effects how the car reacts when the key is in different positions, because it's connected by a rod.

I had my wheel cylinder secured a couple hairs to far up on the steering column and when I turned the key into what should have been the complete off position, it thought it was in the backwards (where just the radio and lights work) position. I actually had to move it down towards the firewall a tiny bit to get it to line up properly.

It is kinda confusing. Of course not only would my ignition cylinder go out, it would have some funky side effects too.

Anyway, it's all good now.

George