No starter operation

[Kim]

In all the "bad ignition switch" posts I've found here, the theme always seemed to be strange electrical gremlins: radio stays on, lights stay on, etc.

For me today, everything behaved perfectly normally as I turned on the ignition. But, as I kept turning toward the start position, not a thing came from the starter motor. I have a Tip, so no clutch switch involved.

After trying several times, even with a spare key (just in case) the car suddenly started normally and I drove home. Immediately upon turning it off in my garage, I attempted to restart. Same symptoms as above. No gremlins or otherwise strange behavior.

Is this also a symptom of a bad electrical portion of the ignition switch?

Thanks

[Loren]

Does "P" show in the cluster signifying you are in Park?

[Kim]

Does "P" show in the cluster signifying you are in Park?

Loren,

I'm ashamed to admit that I did not take notice. I DID move the lever to neutral and try there .... but, again, did not look at the cluster display. My excuse is that it was 95+ in that parking lot yesterday, and my frustration level was running high.

I just went out to my garage to check it out. P is illuminated .... but, then, the car stared normally. I assume you are considering an issue with the neutral safety switch. I will just have to watch that, I guess .... although I was hoping to decide on and implement a definitive fix before I got stuck in another parking lot somewhere.

Is the neutral safety switch accessible from the inside of the car (beneath center console area) or is it located on the transmission housing somewhere?

Thanks,

[Richard Hamilton]

Starter isolation is controlled by the multi-function switch. On early cars this is on the side of the transmission casing (ZF transmissions - 3.4L cars), but on later cars (MB transmissions - 3.6L cars) I recall that it is on the bottom of the selector lever. On the ZF boxes the switch contacts have a tendency to play up, and cause this type of problem. A PST2 will display the lever position and is useful to compare where the lever is, to where the control unit thinks it is. There is also a fault code for the multifunction switch, so it might be worth getting a diagnostic check done.

[Kim]

Starter isolation is controlled by the multi-function switch. On early cars this is on the side of the transmission casing (ZF transmissions - 3.4L cars), but on later cars (MB transmissions - 3.6L cars) I recall that it is on the bottom of the selector lever. On the ZF boxes the switch contacts have a tendency to play up, and cause this type of problem. A PST2 will display the lever position and is useful to compare where the lever is, to where the control unit thinks it is. There is also a fault code for the multifunction switch, so it might be worth getting a diagnostic check done.

Thanks, Richard. I sometimes forget how capable that PST2 (and successor) is. My fear, left over from previous nightmares, is that, when one takes a car in the an intermittent problem, the mechs just start changing parts .... expensive parts. I'll get my Indy mech to hook up to the OBD and see what it says.

[Kim]

Update:

After my last post, I left the car in the garage went out of town for a couple of weeks. Upon return, car started both at home, and in the grocery store lot. 2 days later, would not start.

In a revelation, I pulled the new (month old) battery, and reinstalled the old one that had been sitting in my garage. Car started right up. Problem solved .... bad new battery. Next morning, car would not start. Would not jump. An external voltmeter showed 12.4 volts before, and during the start attempt. No drop in voltage.

I put the new battery back in. Car started and I drove to airport. At end of the day, car would not start, would not jump.

In yet another revelation, I decided it was the act of switching batteries .... not the different battery .... that made the difference. So I simply disconnected the positive terminal, then reconnected. Car started. Disconnecting the battery is allowing something to reset. I have no idea what.

The only other symptom: when I turn on the ignition and watch the oil quantity reading: if it completes the count down and then shows ZERO oil quantity, then the car is not going to start. If it completes the count down and then shows true oil quantity, then the car is going to start. Weird? I guess.

My new (old style Audi part) came in the mail today. I'll swap it out this weekend and cross my fingers.

[bolobar]

I have a similar problem with a 99 C2 Tip. On occasion the car won't start. The Park indicator is okay. I thought it might be related to steering wheel lock like other cars. I twisted the steering wheel, feeling no resistance, and the car started.

This has happened about four times in the last month (daily driver). Frustrating and can be embarrassing.

Suggestions and/or solutions appreciated.

[Kim]

I have a similar problem with a 99 C2 Tip. On occasion the car won't start. The Park indicator is okay. I thought it might be related to steering wheel lock like other cars. I twisted the steering wheel, feeling no resistance, and the car started.

This has happened about four times in the last month (daily driver). Frustrating and can be embarrassing.

Suggestions and/or solutions appreciated.

See my most recent post. My problem started out with just "every now and then" and developed into "always".

Might by your immobilizer computer as it is for me.