1993 240 Bad Ignition Switch?

newmex999 · Post by **newmex999** » 17 Aug 2014, 19:12

My car wouldn't crank. I removed the small connector on the starter and applied 12V from the battery and the car turns over and starts. How can I tell if it is my ignition switch, or just something wrong with the wire from the ignition?

lummert · Post by **lummert** » 17 Aug 2014, 19:57

If your 240 has an automatic trans maybe the neutral safety switch isn't working properly.

newmex999 · Post by **newmex999** » 17 Aug 2014, 20:39

Is there a way to test this or bypass it?

newmex999 · Post by **newmex999** » 17 Aug 2014, 21:18

Further info - think I just put 2 and 2 together based on the clue from lummert. If my shifter(auto trans) is very loose and difficult to get in and out of park be the cause of my starter not turning? Wondering if the neutral safety switch is not making contact, therefore not allowing the starter to turn the engine over?

lummert · Post by **lummert** » 17 Aug 2014, 21:24

Try starting the engine with the shifter in neutral.

newmex999 · Post by **newmex999** » 18 Aug 2014, 06:22

Already tried that and no go

Post by **98T5** » 18 Aug 2014, 08:46

Take the shifter assembly out and clean it. it's probably packed with dirt and gunk and the connection is hampered. re-install. should be good.

newmex999 · Post by **newmex999** » 18 Aug 2014, 08:49

Unfortunately cleaning the shifter assembly is not going to tighten it up. There are other issues here and the no start may be a secondary condition that would be fixed by replacing whatever it is I need to do to tighten up the shifter assembly

IridiumValkyrie · Post by **IridiumValkyrie** » 13 Aug 2025, 14:57

Hello! Did you ever figure it out? My car is doing this intermittently (worse on hot days) and the mechanic only had it happen to him once and he only read 7 V going to the starter from the ignition switch, we changed the ignition switch but it’s still doing it so I think it’s the wire but he won’t fix it so he taught me how to start the car with a screwdriver but. I’d really like to figure it out. My car is missing the plastic socket that goes behind the ignition switch he said, and I’m having a hard time getting that off of a donor car in the junkyard. I’m not very car savvy myself, but I would like to have the car be reliable without a screwdriver.

Post by **volvolugnut** » 13 Aug 2025, 16:57

The 32 year old wiring likely has an intermittent fault somewhere. Get a complete wiring schematic and start tracing. First start by cleaning any ground points related to starting.
volvolugnut