Pardon my ignorance here but when you say the ignition switch are you talking about the section below the "**** and post" where the electrical contact is made down in the column or are you talking about the **** and post itself?

 

I'm talking about the thingy with all the 'lectrical stuff in it, yeah. No need for all the chit chat and don't waste time and effort to 'take it apart and clean 'er up'. It's a bit of a pain in the wazoo to get out so do it once and do it right.

 

...and I agree with GOVS...if your 'technician' hasn't puzzled this easiest of all problems out yet, get one who can.

 

Have you checked your MAXI Fuse? No power to anything could just be a fuse.

 

you got "tech'd"
thats happens to us everyday... the problem never shows up when the person that can fix it is watching.

 

Come on now. For that problem, you don't need to be watching it happen. I wasn't watching it when I came up with the first response! So did other guys. A competent mechanic would have listened to the customer...who hopefully provided all the information that he did in his first post...and what else could it be? That's why I said it was easy peasy!


Nope...I'd get myself another indy if they couldn't figure that out. The OP never should have had to come on to this forum and ask the question...when it happened to me, I didn't have to ask. I knew. And I'm not trying to make a living at it.


Now, the 'technician' could have expanded on his explanation to the owner...maybe saying something like "well, it's not doing it for me, but the only thing it really could be is the ignition, I've seen this numerous times, it's always the ignition BUT...there's a slight chance it's something else, could be the cannon plug into the ignition switch, but when I'm in there, I'll probably be able to see that. Only way to go is a new ignition switch, if it's not, no point in trying to futz around with that one, a new one is only sixty bucks, and you'll pay more and that in labor if you try to fix the old one and fail. I'm working percentages here, but my confidence level is high'...or something like it.


If you're in the repair business, you always want to leave yourself a bit of an 'out' in the event that **** happens...but this one here was pretty straight up...

 

I was thinking the same thing. Before I pulled the ignition switch out I'd pull the maxi fuse, clean up the legs and reseat it. It's a long shot but it's a free and easy.
Also, the op didnt say what year bike. Didn't some of them have a relay instead of a fuse that would crap out frome time to time?

 

back in my pan and shovel days i had two toggel switchs, one for the coil and one for the lights. never a failure !