kenneth d lewis wrote:

> Mark;
> ATDT(am there, doing that) for statistical reference, how many keys do
> you have on your key ring. I am trying to convince my wife to lighten her
> load.
> Drive Safely & Good Luck
> Ken Lewis<K-ville,NC>
> 86 VW Transporter Double Cab Pickup
> 60 Porsche T-5 Coupe
> 85 VW GL Vanagon<Elvis>
>
> On Sat, 25 Apr 1998 19:57:48 -0400 Mark Rokus <marokus@VOYAGER.NET>
> writes:
> >> ... you know, the one
> >> the key is turned and nothings happens?
> >> Nate El Great
> >
> >Nate..
> >I just went through what sounds like the same problem.. Ah-ha says I,
> >Ignition
> >switch!! So I ordered one.  Finally got around to swapping it out and
> >found that
> >the little tab from the key/lock assembly that actually turns the
> >electric switch
> >was broken off and would engage enough to make contact on the "run"
> >portion of the
> >switch, but not enough to engage the "start" . A simple trip to the
> >local bone
> >yard resulted in the discovery that a rabbit assembly is exactly the
> >same. ( at
> >least on the one that I found). Swapped out the whole thing,  as my
> >key was
> >getting bad anyway..  Didn't take more than an hour if you can the nut
> >off for the
> >steering wheel.
> >Mark Rokus
> >(waiting for a '87 syncro next week!!!)
> >
>
> _____________________________________________________________________
> You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
> Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com
> Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]

>

Hate to dissapoint you but it only has 3 on the ring.  Over 200,000 before
the problem.  My Rabbit has 155,000 on it and the key ring has probably 10
keys on it.  I have not seen any identifiable wear that I would attribute to
key weight.  In my experience it has usually been an overheated contact in
the switch due to not fixing a poor starter problem when I really should
have.  Just to clarify,  the broken piece in the van ignition was the
extention from the key lock assy. that engages the plastic electrical switch,
not the switch itself.
Mark Rokus