Advise for good PT Cruiser ignition switch & ignition key health

[ptprice]

My apologies to SOOO BIG. I finally remembered the good advise a locksmith friend of mine gave me that I'd completely forgotten.

"Keep the weight stress on your ignition switch to a minimum to prevent the degrading of the pins in the locking portion of the switch." He told me he's done ignition switch repair by replacing the pins on more switches than he can count. "Those switchs could have been prevented from jamming by keeping that excess hanging weight off the switch".

I was guilty of the "good ol' boy look" of hanging my keys conveniently on a key carabiner on a belt loop. My excuse was that it was handy and I never lost them.

Remembering my friend's good advise this morning I made myself a promise to never put that excess weight stress on SOOO BIG's ignition switch again.

Chrysler's key design for the 2005 PT Cruiser was the ignition key and the access remote. Nothing more! They'll be carried in my pocket from now on. That'll be all that goes to SOOO BIG's ignition switch. I guess the other keys'll be in my pocket too. There's goes my "good ol' boy" look.

Happy PTin', ptprice

"Good ol' boy look"SSPX0023 (480x640).jpg

Excessive hang weight on SOOO BIG's ignition switchSSPX0024 (480x640).jpg

What Chrysler intendedSSPX0025 (480x640).jpg

VAROOM!!!SSPX0028 (480x640).jpg

[rob302]

lmao.. then there's me

Originally Posted by rob342

when i got my PT i purposely yanked the key out with the car running. now i can let it warm up in winter without leaving the key in the car.

the PT will still lock. i can't turn mine with a screwdriver.

[rsrocket1]

Too much weight on the ignition switch may also be the cause of the "all idiot lights blink and gauges sweep" syndrome. I read through 7 pages of that this morning.

[Goonior]

My solution was this.
I can start it up, remove the remote, then lock the doors. I've been doing it this way for years starting with my 96 LHS...

[rckstein]

On the Gen2 Chrysler then eliminated the extra weight of the remote by combining it with the key, so there is nothing "dangling" down putting any undue stress on the lock cylinder

[VsandFords]

I don't know if anyone has had this problem, I was carrying my key and fob in my pocket and was replacing the batteries every couple of months. I would go to get in the Cruiser at home at times and the doors would be randomly locked. I don't normally lock it unless I am out at places like Lowes or WalMart. Apparently when in my pocket, the buttons are being depressed because of pressure from the other keys or pens I carry daily. I stopped carrying the fob because I got tired of spending close to $10 a pair for batteries.

Things that make you go HMM.

[rsrocket1]

On the Gen2 fobs, these are plain CR2032 coin cell batteries. You can get 5 for $3 through Amazon or 10 for $5. If you don't want to pay shipping, go through ebay, you can get 20 for $13 shipped. But that's a little overkill.

But I agree with you, you shouldn't carry the keys in your pockets, the buttons do tend to get accidentally pressed.

[ptprice]

This is just a little of topic, but I've found you can increase the range of your PT remote by clicking it while holding the remote just in front of your chin in your open mouth. Don't knock it till you've tried it. It's been suggested that it has something to do with the oral cavity and the fluids in your skull doing some kind of wizardry to increase the range of the remote. It's not just our PT remotes. I've been doing it for years with all kinds of cars. Wiser PTers than me can probably explain this. Perhaps it need it's own thread.

Happy PTin', ptprice

[rsrocket1]

Originally Posted by ptprice

This is just a little of topic, but I've found you can increase the range of your PT remote by clicking it while holding the remote just in front of your chin in your open mouth. Don't knock it till you've tried it.

Have you been watching La La Land?

[dougs]

Originally Posted by rsrocket1

Too much weight on the ignition switch may also be the cause of the "all idiot lights blink and gauges sweep" syndrome. I read through 7 pages of that this morning.

This happened to me on the black one!