Yesterday while working in the garage, the door buzzer went off on the Cutlass.

I've been fighting an intermittent parasitic draw that has drained my battery and killed one so far. I thought I figured it out, because I originally didn't have a diode installed on the alternator with the MSD box. I installed a diode and thought I was good to go.

So when the door buzzer started to go off yesterday, I was at the workbench away from the car. The hood was up, the driver door open, and the keys not in the ignition. I reached in and wiggled the ignition cylinder thinking it wasn't clicked firmly into OFF position, didn't do anything. I put the key in, turned the ignition to RUN, buzzer went off. Remove the key, buzzer turned back on. Put the key back in and turned to RUN, buzzer went off, remove key and buzzer stayed off. (driver door remained open this whole time)

Is it safe to assume (I know, I know) there is a bad contact somewhere in the ignition cylinder? And if so, would that put the whole wiring harness in the Accessory position?

 

Yep. That'd be a safe one.


Huh?

The key-in-ignition buzzer has nothing to do with the Accessory position.

It is designed to remind you that you have left the keys in the car when you turn it off and open the door to get out. All cars made since 1969 are required by Federal law to have this, including new cars today.

Your buzzer switch is bad. They go all the time.

Just pull the pink (or was it black and pink?) wire off your horn relay and be done with it. Those darned things are as annoying as hell.

- Eric

 

Sounds like maybe a broken or shattered key buzzer switch. It's inside the column under the ig cyl. They are very fragile and get brittle over the years. East to find a tilt switch, it's harder to find a regular switch.

 

I was thinking whatever is inside that turns on the key buzzer, may also activate the accessory position. But after some more research it looks like the key buzzer is turned on by the tip of the key being inserted into the cylinder, and accessory of course is by rotating the key forward.

The reason I wanted to be sure, is I do plan on deactivating the key buzzer, but wanted to be sure it wouldn't sometimes "stick" in accessory position.

Thanks Eric!

 

Nope. The action of the ignition switch, screwed to the top of the column way down by the firewall, and the key-in switch, located at the tip of the lock cylinder, is completely separate.

The key-in switch is a fragile leaf switch, with two leaves retained by a small, brittle plastic base, and they just crack after a while.

As I say, since I hate key buzzers of all kinds, I have disabled these as the first thing when I get a new car since 1979 - Hand over cash, receive documents and keys, open hood, yank wire off of horn relay, then drive away.

- Eric

 

Thanks again guys. Pink and black wire pulled, covered with heat shrink, and tucked back into the harness!

I also noticed my door jam switch sticks, which explains why the buzzer randomly went off while I was working in the garage. It must have been stuck "closed" and popped up while the door was already open. I pulled all my interior bulbs while working on the car, so I never noticed.

WD-40 and/or replace it. Should be good to go!