92 SC keychime problem.

My 92 SC just keeps on chugging. I'm up to 136,000.
Just had a small nagging problem kick in however.

The key chime continues to go off even after I remove the key.
The headlights are off. The key is out.
The chime stops as soon as the door is closed.

Any advise would be helpful.

- Mike, Friendswood, Texas

 

even after I remove the key.

Mike, it could any number of things... but I suspect that the problem is in
your steering column, at your ignition tumbler. It sounds like the contact that
sends the signal (ground I think) is stuck or shorted. It has been a while
since I had to repair my column and I don't remember the specifics.
Try squirting some WD40 into the tumbler and see if this may free it up.

James

 

See the previous posts for the past week with the subject of Ignition
Switch.
Be careful as the same thing happened to at least two of us causing a lot of
smoke!!!!!!

JJ


My 92 SC just keeps on chugging. I'm up to 136,000.
Just had a small nagging problem kick in however.

The key chime continues to go off even after I remove the key.
The headlights are off. The key is out.
The chime stops as soon as the door is closed.

Any advise would be helpful.

- Mike, Friendswood, Texas

 

I have the same problem.. it's very annoying.
I have noticed with the key out I can push the switch in with my finger and
the chime will go out.. But when I let my finger off it starts up again..

I dont really want to go on a spending spree...Please help us from going
dinging crazy!

 

Same thing happened on my 97 SL2. Turns out that the ignition switch got
gummed up with the graphite that I was periodically using to lube the lock.

This caused the ignition switch (not the lock mechanism, but the switch
behind it) to get gummed up.

I fixed it by removing the switch and replacing it. I disassembled,
thoroughly cleaned, and LIGHTLY oiled the lock mechanism. No problems after
that.

Good Luck!

 

Disassembling the Ignition switch revealed that the same piece of spring
metal that you refer to had one side of it broken off and probably had made
contact with +12v somewhere inside the switch as it was also blackened.
I replaced the switch and removed the charred black ground wire.
Yes I have no "key in" warning chime anymore, but that's O.K. by me.
I like your idea to remove the "innards" of the switch so that that part
doesn't break off again and possibly cause more damage next time. But oh
well, I not going to remove the switch again and besides since it's a new
switch maybe it won't break for another 150k miles.
Thanks for the info and since I now firmly believe that that is what caused
the problem, I can sleep better with the car in the garage with the battery
connected!

Jerry




Same thing happened on my 97 SL2. Turns out that the ignition switch got
gummed up with the graphite that I was periodically using to lube the lock.

This caused the ignition switch (not the lock mechanism, but the switch
behind it) to get gummed up.

I fixed it by removing the switch and replacing it. I disassembled,
thoroughly cleaned, and LIGHTLY oiled the lock mechanism. No problems after
that.

Good Luck!

 

Thank you all for the replies!

I bet that sucker is plain worn out!

- Mike