Let me start by stating my Crossfire key works fine. I am preparing myself for the sticky key problem that has generated over 1200 posts when only 75,000 cars were made.
I have read this entire forum. It took four hours.
I have a specific question that I suspect those with more than one Crossfire can answer, and those who have done several sticky key repairs may know.
So here goes.
From reading all these posts, I read that the key turns smooth as butter after the fix. I also saw one post that said there is reduced tactile feel when changing key positions after the fix. This got me thinking that the spring and ball under the cover are for detents in the switch. That turning the key pushed the ball against a ring with detends, and when this ball loses lubrication the detents can't push past the stuck ball, the key can't turn, and therein lies the problem. That is my theory.
If I am right, removing the ball and spring makes the detents superfluous, and the key turns like butter. That is what the fix does.
In that case, someone with more than one Crossfire—a before and an after repair car—could turn their keys and feel whether they feel detents or not. Also, someone used to using their key might notice the different feel after the repair.
I am getting to whether feeling detents is a sign that the sticky key repair has not yet been done. Has anyone noticed their key no longer having detents (stops) between positions?