how much is the electric ignition w/e repair?

[burnrubr88]

so my car wouldnt start tonite again. about the 5th time ever, and its only been when its really cold out. doesnt crank, nothing makes a sound except a clicking that sounds like its comin from that driver side fuse panel. all the lights, radio, everything works, just engine wont do anything. so im guessin its the famous electical problem saturns are known for. does anyone know how much this repair is if im outta warranty and how long it may take?

[burnrubr88]

from what ive searched on here, looks like ive gathered that my problem is similar if not the same as it has sometin to do with the grease solidifying ignition switch and it needs to be replaced. but i cant till after the weekend so im gonna try that passlock relearn thing when it does it again and then if that doesnt work just diconnect and reconnect the battery. question bout the passlock thing...once i do the relearn and it (if) it works, will i need to do that everytime i need to start the car untill i get that switch replaced?

[QCs_R4_Girls]

I hate referencing this site but http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/showthread.php?t=92569

Or you could pay about $100 to have the dealership do it for you. But bear in mind, my Ion's only an 06 and I'm on ignition switch #3. It gets pretty costly pretty fast if you don't know how to do it yourself.

[04RedLine04]

Okay do me a favor..I know its cold but u have to do it... Get an another car and jump start yours.... let me know what happens

[burnrubr88]

i just called my dealer and they said right away with no hesitation that itll cost about 200-250 plus the cost of the switch to replace teh ignition switch. looks like im gonna try and do it myself. do i have to get anything reprgramed or reflashed by the dealer once its done?

[SCblkRL]

sounds like it could be a passlock failure. My ignition failed on me forcing it into passlock but lucky enough I was under warranty.

[QCs_R4_Girls]

Originally Posted by 04RedLine04

Okay do me a favor..I know its cold but u have to do it... Get an another car and jump start yours.... let me know what happens

Jumping doesn't do anything. The battery isn't dead, and if the car does start, it's just kinda random luck. Same with the trick of heating up your key with a lighter and sticking it into the ignition and hoping it works. It's hit or miss. If you're gonna jump it, jump it from the trunk, not the front. That way it's directly connected to the battery in the off-chance it might be the battery... which it isn't.

You shouldn't need a reflash if you follow the instructions to relearn Passlock in that saturnfans thread, but I'm not positive. It's not like you're disconnecting the battery and rebooting the entire car. When I did it, I called up my dealership and asked them to walk me thru the procedure to make sure I was doing it right. I told them if I screwed up really bad to expect me to get towed to the dealership within the hour. (Wasn't necessary)

[burnrubr88]

lol thanks. my dealership sucks, so they prob wouldnt help me or charge me just for calling and asking for help. so its a pretty easy job to do urself? just order the part? ive seen it for bout 33 online on saturnpart websites. would u mind if i got ahold of u while doing the procedure in case somethin comes up? lol

[QCs_R4_Girls]

I won't lie, it's nerve-racking, but it's not difficult. Hardest part about it is seeing your steering bezel in pieces and not panicking. lol It's mostly "remove these pieces, remove switch, replace, and reattach, then relearn." The ignition switch only goes in one way, so its not that tough. Maybe I'll eventually get around to writing a detailed how-to on this since it's such a problem...

Anyway, I'd be glad to help you through the swap. Pm sent.

[mypoorbrain]

200-250 is crazy. I just did mine for about $150 Canadian. I first installed the switch and did the passlock relearn, both sucessful. However, the car would crank but no fuel was being supplied. Saturn on The Queensway had to reprogram the BCM with the new switch in, and now she's fine. So from what I gather, you may or may not need to visit your dealer. Bad time to work for a VW dealership!