[Sundown94]

Thanks for the tip IRA. The mechanic and I were looking at the old switch this morning (before reading your post) and were baffled as to how the white gear could be off, especially since a significantly wider notch in the gear is exposed when the switch is in the "off" position. This notch led us to believe that there could only be one way to install the switch (with the notch aligned to the key cylinder), but from reading your post, maybe this is not true.

In any event, the problem was "solved". They replaced the new ignition switch from last week with yet another new one and I can definitely feel the difference when turning the key. When the key is turned back and ready to be pulled out, all lights on the dash shut off as they are supposed to, and when I turn the key forward to start the engine, the key doesn't turn quite as far as it used to before the starter kicks in. I don't know if this difference in key travel has anything to do with the fact that it is another new switch, or if the mechanic somehow lined up the gears more accurately. I will definitely ask him what he did, but my main concern now is that everything stays working. :-)