NHTSA Complaint #10185722 — 2002 CHEVROLET MALIBU

DRIVING CAR AND IT WOULD DIE. FIRST OCCURANCE WAS UNDER WARRANTY. CAR TAKEN TO DEALER. DEALER SAID FUEL PUMP WAS BAD AND REPLACED PUMP. SAME PROBLEM OCURRED OUT OF WARRANTY. NOTICED THAT SOME OF THE GAGES AND LIGHTS ON DASH ALSO QUIT WHEN THIS HAPPENED. I COULD HIT THE KEY AND THEY WOULD COME BACK ON, AND THE CAR WOULD RESTART. DEALT WITH THIS FOR ABOUT 2 YRS BECAUSE THE COST OF A NEW SWITCH WAS MORE THAN I COULD AFFORD AT THE TIME.FINNALLY DISSASSEMBLED THE IGNITION SWITCH WHEN PROBLEM GOT TOO BAD. DISCOVERED THAT GM HAD NOT USED THE NORMAL HEAVY WIPER STYLE CONTACTS THAT MOST IGNITION SWITCHES HAVE. THEY USED A PLASTIC CAM THAT PUSHES PINS THAT OPERATE VERY LIGHT SPRING STYLE CONTACTS. I FOUND THAT THE CONTACTS HAD ARCED AND WERE NOT MAKING GOOD CONTACT. USED VERY FINE EMERY CLOTH TO CLEAN CONTACTS, REASSEMBLED SWITCH, AND PROBLEM WAS SOLVED.CAR STARTS AND RUNS FINE FOR NOW, BUT AS SOON AS CONTACTS ARC ENOUGH, PROBLEM WILL RETURN. I HAVE NOTICED THAT THERE ARE MANY MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AND THE DEALERSHIP IS TELLING THEM THAT THE PROBLEM IS IN THE SECURITY SYSTEM. WELL ITS NOT. ANYONE WHO HAS A MINOR AMOUNT OF MECHANICAL ABILITY CAN FIX THE PROBLEM IN ABOUT AN HOUR. BE SURE AND CONSULT A REPAIR MANUAL ON THE PROPER REMOVAL OF THE IGNITION SWITCH FROM THE DASH. ITS NOT HARD, BUT THERE IS A TRCK TO IT.*AK