2008 Dodge Avenger

By Matt Dixon and Omar Trinidad, Automotive Technology Department,
Southern Illinois University Carbondale

It won’t crank. It won’t start. The radio doesn’t work. The gauges drop out. I can’t get module response with the scan tool.

These are issues that many of us deal with every day. It’s a safe bet that on any troubleshooting procedure, among the first of your checks are powers and grounds. Checking the switched ignition feed to various modules sounds pretty straightforward, however a curve ball may be headed your way. In some cases, these might include finding modules designed without an ignition feed or, in other cases, discovering that the ignition feed does not originate from the ignition switch.

2008 Dodge Avenger Ignition Switch Block Diagram

The automotive ignition switch, formerly a straightforward device used to connect battery voltage to various circuits and prevent theft of the vehicle, has recently been switched up. This article is going to provide some examples of the obvious and not so obvious ignition switch changes so that when one of these vehicles gets thrown your way, you won’t be striking out.  

The ignition switch has evolved slowly over the ye...