2008 Renault Trafic ignition switch problem

[Paul-R]

First disclosure is that it's actually a 2008 Vauxhall Vivaro Hightop Camper Van 1995cc Diesel 2500 as owned by my daughter but it's the same as the Renault. I'll shorten the story somewhat.

About 5 weeks ago she was driving the van down the road when the engine cut out completely. All electrics failed, radio went off, electric windows wouldn't work. They pushed the van into a side road and until I eventually was able to look at it.

Turn the ignition key and no lights on the dashboard. Turn to start, lights still out and still wouldn't start. I found that by wiggling the keys in the start position the lights would flash on and off and the engine try to start but returning the key the lights would go out and the engine would cease trying to start. I stripped the cowl off and was able to jam a wedge of hard foam plastic between the wiring loom and the outer column. The lights would come on and further advancing the key would start the engine. Sometimes the lights would go out and the key needed to be wiggled. I pushed the wedge in a bit more and than seemed to sort it.

Position of the hard foam wedge

I was in hospital for a month after that and last week the intermittency returned, so much so she had to abandon the van outside her sister's not daring to take it back through the Mersey tunnel. Anyway I'm out now and planning to go over tomorrow to take a first look. Obviously my first thought is that it's the ignition switch again.

So, first question - are ignition switches a known problem on these vehicles?

Second - the wiring loom disappears inside the column tubing so I haven't actually been able to see the back of the switch. How easy are they to take out?

[Paul-R]

Anybody?

[Gibbo2286]

Renault Trafic ignition switches do at times fail but it's not a regular problem,

[Paul-R]

Thanks Wheeler. Any idea how easy it is to get to the back of the switch? I'll be going over to look at the van again this afternoon after events stopped me going on Friday.

[Gibbo2286]

This might help but it's LHD.

[Paul-R]

My God that was a brilliant video showing what to do. He even had the same problem where wiggling the key would make it work intermittently. Let's hope there are no gotchas with it being RHD.

[Paul-R]

Interim update.

The video helped no end although my ignition switch put up much more of a fight to be extracted. Once out of the column I could check the continuity with my multi-meter. This showed extremely intermittent internal electrical contact and then I came to stumbling halt as the spot in my clip of 1/4" screwdriver bits had an interloping flat bit instead of a T10.

I checked out on Ebay and there are plenty new ones available quite cheaply but I said to my daughter I would wait until tomorrow morning so I could check out the price and availability of a genuine one.

When I got home where I have more tools I stripped the switch down and gave all the contacts a good scraping. After reassembly there's a huge improvement in conductivity. Not perfect but enough to give confidence driving home through the Mersey Tunnel tomorrow I think. If good enough I can then delay ordering one while daughter drives the van around to check reliability. You never know, it might be the forever fix!

[Paul-R]

The engine started immediately with the repaired switch back in position. I noticed it was smoking a bit but that soon stopped however she said that the van was juddering a bit. I asked her drive it around for a few days to see how it goes.

And so today she tells me that it's broken down again and (aren't I lucky) just down the road from where I live.

So another, different problem probably lack of maintenance as the van seems to been in her hands for 2-1/2 years, travelled about 26,500 and had no preventative maintenance bar an oil and filter change earlier this year. I'd say that the van's suffering from chronic lack of maintenance. I've asked her if one of her friends, who's a mechanic, has a reasonably high end code reader as that has to be the next step.

But that's another problem. The ignition switch problem has been solved.