dead key switch?, car won't start/ bad key switch? Options

[dragoon914]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/huh.gif) Just the other day I took a friend out to breakfast. Car was running fine. When we returned to the car and turned on the key the car did not respond, nothing happened, as if the battery was dead. Did a test and the battery was fine. Thought perhaps the starter might be malfunctioning. Had the car towed to my mechanic to check things out. Two days went by and made a call to see what my mechanic found out. Guess what? The car started fine for him, no problem. He couldn't figure why I had the car in for service. Any body out there ever experience anything like this before? I can only guess that the ignition switch might be on the fritz?

[campbellcj]

If it's the ignition switch it will usually start for a while with some jiggling of the key. Then eventually...it won't. Easy fix and the part is only like $14. But you do have to hang upside down under the steering column to get at the electrical connectors, unless you are lucky enough to do it blindly by feel reaching from above.

More likely, it's your starter or the connections to it - the infamous "hot start" problem. First step is to check/clean all the ground points on the car and make sure you have a good beefy + connection from battery to starter. My car had hot-start issues which the PO had tried to "address" using one of those cheesy solenoid kits. Putting a new battery, starter and battery cables in the car completely solved it even when the car is blisteringly hot.