HIT THE IGN. KEY AND NOTHING

[racefab57]

85 C-30 When I hit the key to start truck I get nothing ..It's ben doing this a few times. It's like a bad sign switch.I replaced the ign. switch and that helped for a while. Its acts like it has a dead spot when hitting the key.... Now it won't start at all.. hit it and blank, I need my truck wife ways me to haul some mulch.HELP.DR.

 

[Edelbrock]

Assuming its an automatic, try holding the key in the start position when moving the gear selector from P or L and back. The neutral safety switch might be misaligned, and this would identify that issue. The truck should start in P or N, but if its misaligned, it might start in R or D, etc.

 

[Edelbrock]

If you just need a quick workaround, you can buy one of these or make one. Its just a way to manually activate the starter. On the solenoid - clip one onto the S and one on the B. Press the button and the starter kicks on.

 

[racefab57]

Like your idea about the remote started switch...Also want to fix this darn sign sw. problem. Any more ideas? Thanks DR.

 

[Edelbrock]

Like your idea about the remote started switch...Also want to fix this darn sign sw. problem. Any more ideas? Thanks DR.

I had a guy complaining that "the car works sometimes but not other times.... sometimes the car wont turn on". But I tried starting it like 50 times over the course of a few weeks. It ALWAYS started for me, and the other guy continued to have problems with it. He would get stuck in parking lots and things like that. People would help him with jump starts and stuff like that. Twice the rig was towed home because of this issue. But the problem simply could not be located or repeated. So one day I asked him to demonstrate how he was starting the vehicle. He could not understand why I wanted to see him start the engine.

Issue:

He had no clue how a starter or ignition switch worked. He was simply not turning the key far enough to activate the starter. So I explained to him that he needs to rotate the key all the way until it stops on it own. Problem solved....

It would be like getting stuck on an elevator for hours because you don't press the "door open" button far enough to activate it.

 

[fast 99]

Neutral safety switch as suggested, loose or corroded connection, ignition switch, starter, battery or bad ground.

Below will narrow it down.

Need to do some diagnostics, with a helper turn key to start position and check for power on both S [inner purple lighter duty wire] and battery lug at starter. Power on both terminals would tend to indicate a bad starter. No power on S need to trace that circuit back to ignition switch and or neutral safety switch. Power on neither open in battery circuit, corrosion, loose connection or bad battery.

 

[Jgonick]

1985- automatics do not have a neutral safety switch. Went to mechanical interlock on steering column/steering wheel

 

[Edelbrock]

1985- automatics do not have a neutral safety switch. Went to mechanical interlock on steering column/steering wheel

Good to know.

 

[Ricko1966]

I doubt he has a neutral safety switch,didn't read his year and don't remember the break off the top of my head. If the new switch helped for a while,I'd verify that the ignition switch is traveling through it's full range of motion, pull it down use a screwdriver to push the switch see if it works then. Am suspicious of the ignition rack.

 

[Jgonick]

don't remember the break off tge top of my head

some time in 84 they switched.

if it is a manual - check the clutch start interlock.

 

[SquareRoot]

It would be like getting stuck on an elevator for hours because you don't press the "door open" button far enough to activate it.

They're out there. I even work with a few. More annoying are the people at the crosswalks pressing the button repeatedly thinking it's going to speed up the process.

 

[Frankenchevy]

They're out there. I even work with a few. More annoying are the people at the crosswalks pressing the button repeatedly thinking it's going to speed up the process.

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[racefab57]

What's this Mech interlock? When the problem happens, almost every time I start truck you have to push ignition switch FAR towards dash to get to do anything. Start or blank, nothing...

 

[Ricko1966]

What's this Mech interlock? When the problem happens, almost every time I start truck you have to push ignition switch FAR towards dash to get to do anything. Start or blank, nothing...

Again making me think ignition rack, cycle the electrical part of the ignition switch with a screwdriver. If it works normal that way we have covered a lot of maybes and what ifs. The mechanical interlock,physically keeps the key from turning to start position instead of electrically interrupting starting circuit,thus,no neutral safety switch.

 

[Bextreme04]

What's this Mech interlock? When the problem happens, almost every time I start truck you have to push ignition switch FAR towards dash to get to do anything. Start or blank, nothing...

I had similar issues with my truck and it turned out to be a worn button inside the starter solenoid. Do you get a click when you turn the key to start, but it won't turn the engine over? Does the lights and gauges come alive but you don't even get a click? Does nothing happen at all? Be more specific or better yet, take a video of it happening and post that.