rabbit starts but only if u hold the key in on position

my 1980 vw rabbit only starts when i put the key in the ignition and hold it in the on position ...im not a big car guy and i think it might be the starter/ignition its self but i dunno if anyone could help me please i need this car to work iv got work and school thanks

this sounds like it may be a bad ignition switch. to put it plainly, the part you put the key in has a plastic wiring harness behind it that works like a switch. this plastic part is the ignition switch. it may be stuck or bad. it could also be the lock cylander itself. you do have to pull off the steering wheel to get to this stuff, but it is fairly simple if you are even slightly mechanically enclined. you should still get a haynes manual or something to help, and the ig. switch and/or lock cylander (that is probably it if its not the ig switch) can be found at a pep boys or car quest usually.

My (new) '82 rabbit diesel just did this exact thing to me this morning, after starting right up for days without any issues. Unfortunately I don't have a block of time this week to check it out myself.

Do you know of any tricks that could get it started long enough to get myself to the local shop? My first reaction is to spray in some WD40 and tap on the cylindar with a wrench... Suggestions?

:1zhelp:
Thanks!!

for a temporary run place a jumper between the positive battery terminal and the fuel shutoff solanoid on the fuel pump (it should be the only thing on the pump with an electrical type wire going to it). to crank the engine make sure the transmission is in neutral and take another jumper wire attached to the positive battery terminal and touch the small tab on the starter solenoid. if you want to warm the glow plugs before cranking touch a large jumper wire between the positive battery terminal and the glow plug fuse on the firewall. leave it on for about 10 seconds before you hit the starter. except for the jumper for warming the glow plugs all jumpers are made from 14- 16 AWG wire and small alligator clips. a quick way to determine if a jumper you fabricate will work is if it is made of similar sized wire as the stuff that is already in place. by the way, when warming the glow plugs expect a good spark, touch the jumper wire to the fues first and then to the battery terminal, that way the arcing from initial contact will work on the lead battery post and not the glow fuse.

there is a way to do all of this from the multiconnector for the ignition switch, but i can't remember the color codes for the wires off the top of my head. i think it was something to the tune of black is hot, black/yellow is on and glow signal, brown is for the seatbelt warning buzzer, and red is for the starter -- but i don't have a schematic to verify that because my shop manual has been "lent out" for a few months now. use that at your own risk.

if you don't fully understand anything that i've just written it might be safer to get someone to tow your car to the shop.