[NickD]

Don't know much about cars, but I think if the ignition switch does not make contact the engine will stop. Also other things could cause the engine to stop, like ignition points get one extra arc of carbon, extremely common problem. For years, GM was using a carbon wire to save a couple of cents on a real coil ballast resistor, internal arcing would create an open circuit killing the engine.

Another is a fuel pump failure, either electrical or mechanical, one major killer when ethanol first came out for cars not designed to handle it, the plastic used in there would swell up seizing the armature, this would sure kill the engine. Was not even a warning on this. Another major problem is getting water in your gas, happened to me this spring in all things, my motorhome.

How about just running out of gas, was a major problem for my kids in college, already getting screwed to the wall with super high tuition rates, those crooks owning broken down apartments charge a huge fortune for rent, price of gas going up to $4.56 a gallon, when they could only find minimum wage jobs, had to work a full hour for a gallon of gas!

Another major problem is the crap they are putting in engines, like aluminum heads and all those cheap plastic sensors. Bit low on coolant, engine would overheat a little and melt that plastic or even crack a head, this also causes an engine to stop.

Problems I had with my Cruze putting the cruise kill switch on the steering wheel, would accidentally bump it, the would kill the engine. Another going up a steep icy hill with that stupid traction control with just a slipping tire, that killed the engine, almost was rear ended in this event.

To fire an injector or a spark plug, millions of transistors are involved, cheapest logic in the world, three level and micron sized with code stored in very volatile RAM, if just one bit is lost or one transistor fails, this would kill the engine.

Can get into these stupid limited lubricated hub bearings, can fail at any time, happened to my wife's coworker, but fortunately she was only going at ten mph, steering wheel was jerked out of her hand, but managed to stop in time, didn't kill the engine, but another newly created hazard. Daughter-in-laws tensioner pulley seized up when driving breaking that stupid single belt drive system practically all vehicles adopted this insane idea.

Own daughter was driving her ZX2 when that stupid plastic idler pulley with a timing belt broke, that sure killed her engine.

Just saying not only a loose detent in an ignition switch can cause a stalled engines, practically all cars today are made like crap, key blame is the EPA, but you cannot sue them.

CEO's are far more concerned to keep the stockholders happy, really have a dislike for people that earn practically tax free money with money than the consumer. While our vehicles experience the same environment as military, forced to use consumer grade components. Would be far better to use PROM for memory, least it doesn't get erased, could be designed for an easy plug in if an update is required. Could add one extra belt for the AC compressor, and how about adding a zerk fitting to hub bearings?

Another obstacle is the EPA itself, far more interested in making our vehicles easier to recycle using the same type of plastic for the bumper as used on the interior, now we have 0.00001 mph bumpers. Don't blame conscientious engineers for this, ether do it their way or get canned. Those ignition switches only needed a slightly stronger spring. Locking steering wheels is another really bad joke.

 

[NickD]

How did you know this? I just tested it and you seem exactly right, of course I didn't want to force the wheel with the engine off that much and mess up the linkage. Brakes would seem another story in motion, I just can't see them working with no hydraulic power after a minute or two?

Sounds like you never drove a vehicle with mechanical brakes, had three of them, 30 Olds, Ford, and a 33 Buick, also drove a Model T, but even owned one. In 30's cars, starter was a pedal on the floor, would engage any time you stepped on it, in gear, out of gear, even with the engine running, was supposed to have brains. Was moved to the dash board in the 40's added a starter solenoid, more complicated, more problems, 49 Olds with hydramatic added a neutral safety switch. Ignition switch on my 82 P-30 is on the dash, real easy to replace, pain in the butt on the steering wheel, even a worse pain with steering wheel lock, adding in park lock even worse, but added because the public was becoming more stupid.

Drove a friends 57 Chevy recently, remembered why we put suicide knobs on these things, like a dozen turns from lock to lock. Memories are getting dim on my 37 Caddy Limo, a 7,000 pound car, but did have all ball bearing steering, 41 Buick was a dream to drive.

Back then when your vehicle stalled, people would stop to help you, today, they try to run over you. Still trying to find out why they removed the towing hooks.

 

[NickD]

What I don't understand is that did people with the vehicles with sloppy ignition switches complain about this? And were they told by their dealers, dey all do dis, satisfied with this absolute stupid statement and kept on driving their vehicles, even though they knew they were unsafe?

Are dealers and people this stupid? Not just one or two occasions but apparently in the millions. Now you as a person, if you know you have this problem, and the dealer fails to correct this, they you really have the right to sue. Never went this far with my rear disc calipers where the parking brake failed to adjust the pads, but sure had to go way to the top.

With a brake pedal going clear to the floor, the vehicle is just not safe to drive! Difficult to hold my cool when a service manager tells me I don't have brake problems, ain't getting a code, or dey all do dis from another one. And sure talked to a bunch of idiots working my way up to the top.

We are not talking about rocket science here, but a very basic ratcheting system my four year old grandson can comprehend and it the same with this ignition switch, it just won't stay engaged. Certainly even the dumbest person can recognized this, duh, the engine stops, of course it does, this is the purpose of that switch. But keep on driving it this way, not enough brains to switch it back on and end up killing their selves!

Then crooked attorneys join the fight so they can buy a new yacht or whatever, is the whole world going nuts?

Another problem I had with my Cruze is when I took my foot off the gas pedal, took it awhile for the engine to slow down. Idiots are returning the PVC back into the turbo input, crap in there that built up on the throttle vane, carbon, causing it to stall. Had to clean that up so it worked smooth again, should also be a recall on this. Because apparent if that throttle sticks, people are too stupid to even turn off the key like with Toyota and will drive it into a tree.

Sure questioning the safety of DRL's, namely because people are too stupid to switch on their headlamps when conditions call for it. So why didn't these idiots add a couple of more lights to the vehicle, hail no, too expensive. Now you have the BCM with code store in flashram where if just one of a million transistors goes bad, or one bit of code is lost, won't have any headlamps at all. This is really stupid.

Airbags are only good if not wearing your safety belts up to 25 mph, if you are, good up to 40 mph, sure doesn't help to have a bunch of idiots in government that don't even know how to open their hoods, making these laws. And failures in an ABS system, you would have no brakes at all. Not easy living in a country owned and operated by idiots.

TPMS? A 500 buck solution to replace a five buck tire pressure gauge, still can't get air any place, and a spray can to repair a flat? You got to be kidding, but they are not, dead serious.