Bravo gmb!!  Just spent about 6 months with same sort of intermittent problems
on my passat.  Sitting in the car waiting for my wife and playing with the
ignition switch to kill time one day recently and found I could make all sorts
of weird things happen.  Went to dealer to get the switch and parts guy says
"oh yeah, we sell tons of these switches.  Same switch VW has used for years"
Like gmb says, I'm very important ;-) and therefore have a colossus mountain of
keys.
Mark

Bulley-Hewlett & Associates wrote:

> David,
>
> Oh, oh, oh, I've got it!!! You have a MOUNTAIN of keys on your key ring,
> don't you??? Well if you don't your Dreaded Previous Owner did.
>
> I know I'm not the only one to figure this one out. I know Tyrone down in
> Florida figured it out, since his key mountain caused him problems...so
> Folks, look at the clues David gives below...
>
> Dear Darrell,
>
> My '87 has died a few times since I've had it. <<<SNIP>>>Tonight it died
> while accelerating, and I coasted to a parking place.  It started
> immediately and got me home with a couple of noticeable cut-outs or
> hesitations. First thing back I hooked up the your digitool.  The fuel pump
> light is flickering and turning off.  However, it always is bright
> concurrent with the starter light.<<<SNIP>>>It always starts with the fuel
> from starting it but then dies after the FP light has been out for a five
> or six seconds.<<<SNIP>>>
> That big mountain off keys bobbing and swaying in your ignition switch for
> the past 11 years has trashed the guts in the electronics of your ignition
> switch. The fuel pump has two contacts in the ignition switch, the "start"
> one is okay, the "run" one is in Heaven, with Jesus and the little lambs
> and harps.
>
> Put in a new switch (electronics), put your van keys on a separate key ring
> so you don't toast the new one, and have a nice day.
>
> gmb