mystery ingition inversion

[luket]

I enjoyed taking my 79 2000 to work today for the first time after an extensive top end rebuilt, much faster now. However when i stopped on my way home for a six pack things got weird....

For some reason, and all of the sudden, my ignition is only on when the key is not turned. when i turn it to the on position and past it to activate the starter, the ignition turns off. The starter still goes but there is no power the dist. Also, the gauges turn on and off with the ignition, backwards. In fact, i have to disconnect the battery because when i take out the key everything stays on.

Someone please tell me they've seen this before and that its some weird phenomenon with late seventies analog circuits were the ignition inverts when the windshield wiper fuse blows or something (i did check all the fuses for the record). I know the rear lights go nutty when any portion of them is not intact... maybe its something similar

[luket]

Important detail, i have a replacement ignition switch from international auto parts.

[Tobi]

Important detail, i have a replacement ignition switch from international auto parts.

That could be the problem. I had two of the IAP switches, they both worked for a few month. I had my longest run (3 years so far) on a switch I removed from a donor car.

[spider2081]

Although it sounds like the switch itself, I would look at the ignition switch connector. The car's side of this connector can cause some strange problems.

[TX82FIAT]

I'm suprised that to date no-one has produced a dependable replacement switch that is "as good as OEM. People re-build the original, but it seems the IAP switch and various LADA swirtches are all prome to failure. If my current switch (good for three years now) fails (like the last one), I may just take a deep dive into alternatives that are reliable and can preserve an OEM look. I don't like the pushbutton on a classic car.

any ideras where one can pick up a relaible EOM switch that is not prone to failure?

[luket]

a little bit of graphite powder in the old OEM ignition switch and it worked great again. Would advise against the junk aftermarket ones

[Tobi]

Glad you made it work again. The one I got from Egypt, on ebay was just as bad as the Lada switches.