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[Alex.]

Rode down to the Great Scottish Bike Show today - actually not so great, mostly a basic autojumble full of stuff you would just throw on the scrapheap, and with quite a lot of empty pitches. Disappointing.

On the way down I lost power, and it seemed to be the ignition switch - not the connections, but a few turns of the key brought it back to life, and it's been fine since. Opinions?

Should I be lubricating the switch, or anything else, or are the switches troublesome?

Cheers.
ALEX

[Pete]

Hi alex this has been an ongoing problem on my 08 electra. It has always been corrosion on the red wire terminal. It gives me the impression of all manner of different electrical faults but these have always been red herrings 'cause it has always been fixed by cleaning the terminals in the ignition switch. I drop the switch out with the 'bars on full RH lock. Disconnect the switch wiring and take the swith to a safe workplace where the bits can't drop on the floor - bench/kitchen table. The base with the wiring attached can be removed with the aid of a small thin screwdriver (watchmakers?)to very gently prise the plastic outer cylinder away from the lugs on the base - I find I only need to free two lugs and the base lifts out of the cylinder at an angle freeing the third lug on the way out. Watch out for the two balls which locate the switch I think that they are captured in the cylinder but am VERY careful just in case as I hate that midnight-hunt-the-ball- in-dark-corners-routine LoL! The corrosion has always been on the red terminal - the last time it was quite green, no wonder I had to waggle the key quite a lot. It even cut out several times for no apparent reason. I clean off the corrosion and give a bit of a polish off. The sprung loaded switch wiper contacts aren't usually too dirty but do get a polish over anyway. There are small springs under them and they DO fall out when you disturb the contacts. I have tried packing the switch with silicon grease but don't bother now as it didn't make a lot of difference, it still corroded. I think water runs in the key slot straight into the switch so I justsquirt WD40 type stuff in the slot now. Hope this helps. Pete

[Alex.]

Thanks for that - good to know what's going on in there!

I wonder if a contact cleaner down the keyhole might clean it enough? I use this for guitar contacts which get a bit crackly....

Anyway, thanks!

[Pete]

Yeah squirt it down the keyhole and work the key a good few times afterwards to wipe the contacts...
regards Pete

[Norm]

Alex,
I have always wondered why people drag that stuff to swapmeets/autojumbles, I guess they must sell some bits or they wouldn't continue dragging it around