Symptoms of a Bad Ignition Switch

If your vehicle is having trouble starting, it could be showing signs of a failing ignition switch. Some symptoms may be similar to other problems like starter motor issues. If your ignition switch is showing signs of malfunction, you will notice a wide variety difficulties which need to be investigated to find the underlying problem.

Check the Status of the Switch
Normally, when you put the key in the ignition switch and turn it, you will have three positions of ignition status. The ‘off’ status means that no power is being transmitted to the engine or system. The second position is the ‘on’ position where the dashboard lights come on but your engine will still be off. The third position is the ‘start’ mode where you exert key pressure to actually fire the engine up. One major sign of a bad ignition switch is that the instrument panel with not light up when the key hits the second position.

Problems Starting and Running Your Vehicle
What should happen when you start up your vehicle is the ignition coil will take its power from the battery and relay it to the spark plugs. This ignites the fuel and makes your vehicle run. A major symptom of a recognizably problematic switch is if the vehicle is fails to start. If you have to turn the engine over a few times to attempt ignition, you could also drain your battery until it has no power to start the vehicle. Your vehicle can also be prone to stalling when you run it on idle.

Overheating Switch
Another symptom of a bad ignition switch is if it is overly hot when touched. This is an accurate sign that the ignition switch problem could be rooted in the electrical system. The ignition switch is connected to a series of high-resistance wires and any of the terminals connecting these wires can overheat. This causes an arcing of the terminals which can melt the insulating base. When this occurs, the vehicle will jerk quite violently and will not start despite repeated efforts.

Watch Your Dashboard Lights
In older cars, the natural wear and tear on a vehicle can lead to ignition switch failure. If the switch is failing, you will probably not hear any clicks from the main relay, which fires the ignition. Check the behavior of the dashboard lights if your vehicle stalls as mentioned before.

Alternatively, when the key is first turned to position two, the oil light, brake light, charge light, and other warning lights will not dce function. You can try a test to check the integrity of the ignition switch by turning the ignition key to the ‘start’ position. As soon as it tries to start, let go of the key. Allow it to snap back to the ‘run’ position and note warning lights. If they go out as the switch snaps back then the switch is faulty.

If you find that your ignition switch is faulty due to electrical issues and wiring, you may have a short in your system. Be careful when handling electrical wires if you're replacing your own ignition switch because there is a current running through them that can cause you bodily harm, so keep metallic objects away from electrical wires.

Symptoms of a Bad or Failing Ignition Coil

Common signs include the Check Engine Light coming on, engine misfiring, rough idle, a reduction in power, and the car not starting.

Ignition coils are an electronic engine management component that are a part of the vehicle’s ignition system. The ignition coil functions as an induction coil that converts the vehicle’s 12 volts into the several thousand that are required to jump the spark plug gap and ignite the engine’s air-fuel mixture. Some ignition systems will use one coil to provide the spark for all of the cylinders, however most newer designs use an individual coil for each cylinder.

As the ignition coil is the component responsible for generating the engine spark, any problems with it can quickly lead to engine performance issues. Usually a faulty ignition coil will produce a few symptoms that alert the driver of a potential issue.


1. Engine misfires, rough idle, and loss of power

One of the most common symptoms associated with a faulty ignition coil is engine performance issues. As the ignition coils are among the ignition system's most vital components, an issue can cause spark to be compromised, which can quickly lead to performance issues. Faulty coils may cause the vehicle to experience misfires, a rough idle, a loss in power and acceleration, and a reduction in gas mileage. In some cases the performance issues may even result in the vehicle stalling.

2. Check Engine Light comes on

Another symptom of a potential issue with the vehicle’s ignition coils is an illuminated Check Engine Light. Faulty coils can lead to engine performance issues, particularly misfires, which will trip the computer and set off the Check Engine Light. The Check Engine Light will also be set off if the computer detects an issue with the ignition coil signal or circuit, such as when a coil burns out or shorts. An illuminated Check Engine Light can be caused by a wide variety of issues, so having the computer (scanned for trouble codes)

3. Car is not starting

A faulty ignition coil can also lead to a no-start condition. For vehicles that use a single ignition coil as the source of spark for all of the cylinders, a faulty coil will affect the operation of the entire engine. If the coil fails completely, it will leave the engine without spark, which will result in a no spark, no-start condition.

Problems with ignition coils are usually easy to detect as they produce symptoms that will be quite noticeable to the driver. If you suspect that your vehicle’s ignition coils are having an issue, have the vehicle inspected by a professional technician from AutoFactorNG to determine if any coils need to be replaced.