thanks, if a 94 dakota ignition switch/cylinder combo is compatible I found a good deal I can get

edit-upon some pics it looks the exact same as some ram ignition switches on youtube, going to go ahead and order it. too good of a deal to pass up

edit2- i dont think im doing the deal, the ground portion on the used ignition switch looks rusty, i dont want any problems

 

well, after much delay getting the right tool to get the screws out, and weather permitting (why yes I hate the cold...) I put the new ignition switch/cylinder in this morning and it made the blinkers work. It was a cheaper brand so it doesn't feel as "good" as factory OEM....Maybe some other time when I just have the money to spare I'll find a good used OEM ignition switch/cylinder.

Trans seems to have lost the final gear, but, test drove it on a highway and it was slowly speeding up, got it to about 76mph.....it'll do as a grocery getter and point A to B machine in-town until the good old 46RH goes to heaven in the future. Drove about as good as you could expect a 26 year old truck with ~226k miles on it that's been abused could. It seems to shift sooner than it used to, final shift being about 50mph.

Thanks to the guy who said try new ignition switch, I guess them messing with the old one screwed something up sensor wise inside (the ignition switch has two sensor plug-ins incase nobody knew). All those airbag and warning lights didn't come on the dash anymore.

Disabled some major components until I get the back sliding door window fixed..........does ANYBODY have a cheap source for that? I'd rather get another one of those little sliding windows than pry a whole back rear window off. I already got a very well rated alarm system but wanna fix the window obviously before installing it.......... and will also probably get one of those steering wheel locks for good measure. And security cameras came in the mail.

I know if a thief wants in a vehicle bad enough they could get in but I suppose anything in life is a deterrent....technically a thief could easily break in any house-window, but you don't see us all barring up every single window to a house.

My concern atm is a new rear sliding panel back window piece, ebay has the entire thing for like 275ish bucks but I'd really rather something cheaper than that...

extremely frustrated with the cops here, the criminal investigation division has been going straight to answering machine every time I've called, left messages, never got anything back....they don't have the best reputation here, a few years ago when my friends house was robbed then burned down they never got in contact with them again or gave any calls back either. I wanted to see the pics/vids from the bank and if they caught the people so I can take them to court for damages. I need a new passenger seat, it's broken and won't go back all the way like it used to.

 

I can look in my dads garage next time I’m up his way I may still have the windows that came out of my rear window when I replaced it. I also just had my truck broken into as well as my enclosed trailer and over 20 other cars that were on the lot. The truck had been there for over 2 years and never messed with until that day. It cost me a new door but they must not have wanted the truck because the key was in the truck and they never touched it.

 

My dad got a whole entire one piece back window from a junkyard and got it for me, I didn't know a distant cousin apparently had their own junkyard. I got an el cheapo 3rd party ignition that works but it's so finicky trying to get the key out I'm going to be on the lookout for an actual dodge ignition switch/cylinder. I saw a cheap 94 dakota one they said was compatible but it was rusty and I didn't trust it.

the passenger seat got broken and doesn't go all the way back now, back bumper dented, dash a bit more broken than before or maybe that's just father time doing that, and at least the trans final gear got burned out, it drives but doesn't have as much power as before.

been waiting to fix the window before installing the alarm system. Not much point otherwise. Also been saving up money, and as much as I love the old 2nd gen ram, I want something newer like a 3rd gen so it as least has chip security in the key so it couldn't just be stolen like this... this was all a pretty traumatic experience. Cops still to this day after multiple messages haven't hit me back up to see the vid and pic of the bank robbers so I could see who it was or ask around, I'm fairly well connected and if it was local people I'd know or could find out. I actually had been on the lookout for years for a clean 90s model Chevy/GMC truck extended cab short bed in good condition that didn't cost a sky high price but a guy got one stolen here last year too, those don't have chip security either. I've seen some 3rd gens extended cabs for around $3k.

 

Chip keyed cars are just as easy to steal as ours. It's old technology

 

I know anything can technically be stolen, or in drastic measure even taken off with a tow truck but at least a chip would stop low common denominator thieves from taking it on a whim by just popping the ignition off and turning it. The alarm I'm going to get installed has a starter kill switch, one of those well regarded Viper ones. Think I'll pay some place to install it rather than do it myself, never really liked messing with vehicle electronics.

I have several major systems disabled on the truck right now, so good luck to any idiot trying to start it without me wanting it started now lol

 

Actually to steal a skim vehicle it's as simple as jamming a screw driver in the ignition and using a scanner to find the skim code. Can be done just as quick as your truck. I'm not saying that to deter you from getting it, it's just the thieves caught up with that technology

 

Like the old saying... “locks only stop honest thieves”.

 

If someone really wants your truck, it really doesn't matter what you do, they will get it. Friend of mine had a '17 Hellcat, with the factory security system, and it was stolen from in front of a restaurant in less than 2 minutes...... The whole RFID security simply didn't matter.

 

this is what mine looks like after someone wanted in. The interior was stripped and had been sitting in this lot for almost 2 years. I wish I would have left it unlocked.