The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay Reproduction Ignition Switch Goofy Symptoms

1949 3600 235 SM420

I just replaced the sloppy universal ignition switch in my 3600 with a reproduction switch and bracket. It's a bit of an effort getting that assembly in! Anyway, the new switch isn't passing power to anything. I wired it as standard, with the top lug taking power from the ammeter and the bottom left lug connecting all the power out lines, and the third lug (right) not doing anything. With the key off, I read battery voltage (13v) at the top lug, and no voltage at either of the other two lugs (just digital meter millivolts). With the key on, I lose the 13v at the top lug, and all three lugs display wandering, transient millivolts readings of no consequence. With the key on, nothing lights up, no fuel gauge, etc.

Is this just symptomatic of a bad reproduction part? Or is there something else I can check?

EDIT: minor update, I just took the switch out of the mounting bracket so it's dangling from its wires and not touching anything, and now it consistently shows voltage where it should be: battery voltage at the top terminal and when the key is on I get battery voltage at the top terminal and the bottom left terminal. I'm guessing that the switch is grounding somehow to the mounting bracket and must be a faulty part.