Thanks. No worries on the new battery, the old one is 5 years old and I do have a few thousand watts pumping through my stereo system. It was due.

So from what you are saying, the electrical part of the ignition switch is also in the steering column? If that is the case, is there anything special to taking that shell off? Should I try to unplug it first and clean it before ordering a new one? I would probably order a new one anyways, but wondering if it might be a short term fix.