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2006 WK ignition switch install

54K views 57 replies 28 participants last post by  kca2005 
#1 ·
2006 WK ignition switch install;

After having intermittent failures in the ignition I decided to install the electrical part of the ignition switch.

Order the ignition switch from dealer or online, about $48.00.
Part number for mine was; 04685719AB


Pull the negative side of the battery if you like (I didn't).

Remove the surround for the ignition/key hole. It has tabs on left and right,
just pop it out, comes off easily.


Remove the dash surround for the guages, pops off, wedge fingers in the lateral sides of the guage cluster and pull straight back.


Lower the kickpanel, below steering wheel, on a hinge and just pops down.


Loosen, but don't remove the star screw at the bottom right of the guage cluster area.


Remove two star screws below ingition switch housing.


I pushed inward/toward front of WK on the two metal tabs below the seitch housing to loosen the housing from the dash. It takes some twisting and turning to monkey the switch housing out from behind the dash into the space below. In that position you can easily remove the wiring connector and switch. Remove the single star screw at the corner of the housing.
You will need to pinch the tabs on the main housing to remove the electrical switch. Comes off relatively easily. You may need to insert the key and rotate it to line up with the hole on the new switch.

Just reverse the procedure to reassemble.

I suggest testing the switch before wiggling it back in to place in the dash.

The small rectangular box to the right of the switch with the strange ring around the shaft of the switch appears to be the sensor for a chip in the key.
Costs about $120 and will need to be programmed to let your old key work with the sensor. Don't bother replacing that one, ask me how I know. Trial and ERROR. After doing it a few times, the process took about 30 minutes.
TC
 
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#2 ·
Nice write-up. I can confirm the ring around the ignition lock cylinder is an antenna for the transponder in the key.
 
#3 ·
Thanks DRCracker!! This helped so much! Had to disconnect two small wire harness plugs and cut a zip tie holding a small black box and the whole thing was able to be brought out right by the steering column. Ignition switch was $46.11 with shipping from parts.com. Took me about an hour since I'm a novice. Way better than the $350-500 quoted from the dealership! Thank you everyone for all the posts and participation in the forums. They're invaluable.

JAhlman
 
#5 ·
No programming needed, just plug it in and it fires right up.

If you change the key antenna , you will have to have it programmed at dealer.

TC
 
#7 ·
I'm replacing the ignition switch on my 2006 Commander, and of course the trim around the dash is quite different from the GC trim shown. (Thanks for doing this, btw.)

Specifically, the Commander doesn't have the easy access to the instrument cluster area as shown in these photos, which looks like it gets you access to a third screw to release the assembly from the dashboard.

Has anyone done a ~2006 Commander switch who could tell me where all the screws are so I don't go ripping out trim unnecessarily? I'm not sure there is a third screw hidden by the trim but suspect that there is...

thanks!

Craig
 
#8 ·
@ Telefoto. I replaced my ignition switch on my 2006 Jeep Commander. I don't think I ended up taking out the instrument panel. After cutting a zip tie holding some wires together, I was able to pull the ignition switch out from the kickpanel under the steering wheel. Took a little phinageling but worked out. Good luck.

J. Ahlman
 
#10 ·
Craig,
When you get it done, how about posting some pics of the difference between your install and the WK install. This would be a good place for pics for others looking for the info.

Thanks,
TC
 
#13 ·
2006 WK ignition switch install;

The small rectangular box to the right of the switch with the strange ring around the shaft of the switch appears to be the sensor for a chip in the key.
Costs about $120 and will need to be programmed to let your old key work with the sensor. Don't bother replacing that one, ask me how I know. Trial and ERROR. After doing it a few times, the process took about 30 minutes.
TC
DON'T replace that one.

If you replace just the box connected to the back of the keyed switch as described, no key changes or programming were necessary.

This works on 2005-2007, can't be sure of the other years.

TC
 
#14 ·
Well I replaced my ignition switch today. The process didn't go too bad. The hardest part was trying to get the ignition out to switch it. Just wrangling it around under the dash was the hard part. The directions for replacement made this replacement very easy. Thanks everyone.

It seems to have corrected the problem of the lights not being on and the problem of getting messages saying I have a bad key.

Thanks again! It was very helpful.
 
#16 ·
My second ignition switch went in my 06 Grand, The first one cost me $400 this one cost $33 for the part. Much props to you. the photos and description made me feel like a seasoned mechanic and it now works perfectly. Thanks again
Great news, give yourself a $367 reward!! :highfive:TC
 
#18 ·
Did this yesterday, easy as Pie the only advice I have is, it is easy to unplug the ignition switch before wrangling it out (pull the red clip back first)

Also FYI I shopped the cost of the part well worth it too:

Autozone- $76
Napa-$29
Oriely-$24
Dealer-$47

the top three are all BWD
Dealer is OEM supplier
 
#20 ·
@OP or Shafer57,
What would be the symptom of a defective WIN ?
I get that intermitent zero response when I turn the key fob (no crank, no radio, no nothing), then when I flip back and bring back to start again she starts with no hesitation. Also sometime when I remote start, after putting the key in and turning it to run postion everything shuts down.
 
#21 ·
Sounds like you got it, my dash lights and guages would flicker too.
Sometimes the ignition switch would do nothing.

TC
 
#23 ·
Great DIY and save money.

Thanks

Chris
 
#24 ·
Just installed, my $20 Autozone ignition switch in our '05 WK. OBD faults are gone.

Thank you for posting the step by step instructions which probably saved us $300.

However, I easily spent an hour of time trying to disassemble the switch wire and the switch itself.

So if this is your first time at the job and you are a partially senile 70 year old like me, allow more time than 30 minutes to complete this project!
 
#25 ·
Just installed, my $20 Autozone ignition switch in our '05 WK. OBD faults are gone.

Thank you for posting the step by step instructions which probably saved us $300.

However, I easily spent an hour of time trying to disassemble the switch wire and the switch itself.

So if this is your first time at the job and you are a partially senile 70 year old like me, allow more time than 30 minutes to complete this project!
Great job.

Getting them apart is tricky, go get a $300 toy for yourself.

TC
 
#26 ·
I have an issue with my 06 GC. Occasionally, while driving, most warning lights on the dash will light up and gauges seem to reset. (One time all gauges went to zero and didn't come back up). But it was like when you start your vehicle. It hasn't done it in several weeks but I'm wondering if the ignition switch is the problem..

Why did you all change yours? Did it solve your problems?
 
#27 ·
I have an issue with my 06 GC. Occasionally, while driving, most warning lights on the dash will light up and gauges seem to reset. (One time all gauges went to zero and didn't come back up). But it was like when you start your vehicle. It hasn't done it in several weeks but I'm wondering if the ignition switch is the problem..

Why did you all change yours? Did it solve your problems?
I changed mine for the same reasons you stated you were having.
Mine also would occasionally fail to turn over when I turned the key, than start when I tried again.

TC
 
#29 ·
Since replacing the ignition switch I have had NO reocurrances of any of the issues. I think it's worth a try, and it's cheap and easy fix.

TC
 
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