1995 850 station wagon/automatic won't start

[Tony]

During the time I have the car it behaved quite nicely. No problems except with front calipers.

About two years ago, it refused to start. Turning the key in the ignition lock achieved nothing - control lights go on but car won't turn the starter. Then, after a minute, hour, or day, it starts normally and keeps on like that for two weeks. In about 200 normal starts it does not crank the engine once; usually in wrong place like when I wait in the line for ferry.
Electrial installation has been checked and rechecked but nothing was ever found. Checking the error codes never showed any error code;everything was perfect.

I must add here that the gearbox microswitch that release the gearshift from 'P' when motor runs is out of order for many years. In 95% of time I have to press the manual override button with one hand and pull the gearshift out of P with other hand. I have the mechanical anti-theft device installed on the gearbox and I would have to remove it to change that switch; so I decided I will use manual override button.

Recently I asked for advice on one forum. Someone told me that he experienced the similar problem after spilling coke over the gearshift area. The switch became 'sticky' and car won't start. Then, with gearshift in 'P' one has to jerk the gearshift and hit it a bit to shake the switch. The guy says it always helps and car start as usual.

I also noted that jerking the gearshift helps but only sometimes (or I was not energetic enough).
Has anyone experienced similar troubles? Does anyone know where I could find a procedure to change that switch (there was the illustrated procedure somewhere on the web some two years ago).
And, is it really that switch or something else? What?

[matthew1]

I don't know the definitive answer to your problem. But I can say this: I had a friend with a Chevy years ago who said sometimes his starter would not fire because it was on a bad 'spot.' The older the starter, the more 'spots' it got.

All that was needed to start it was to turn it a little bit (or humidity, or temperature change) and get it off the spot.

Maybe this will help you...