Not Starting

Long story short, my 1995 Mercury Villager won't start. I don't even get a click out of the starter. Put the key in, all the idiot lights come on, turn the key, nothing (in Park or Neutral). So far I've:
Checked the battery: Good
Checked the starter / solenoid combo (had it tested at AutoZone): Good
Both cables: Good
All fuses and relays and wires: Good

This basically leaves me with two options, a bad ignition switch or a bad (or misadjusted) transmission gear sensor.

Per the Haynes manual, I pulled the two gear position sensors connectors off the the transaxle and tested for continuity per gear. In park, I got no continuity on the 1-2 connectors...at first and good on the 3-4. Then it seemed to be working so I figured my hand may not have been too steady. Then I got good continuity on the 1-2 for Neutral but bad...ish on the 3-6 (same problem of sometimes no continuity...then continuity which could be chalked up to a non-steady hand). So the end result was kinda non-conclusive. I also jumpered the 1-2 and 3-4 and tried to start the van but it wouldn't start.

Then I pulled the ignition plug off of the starter and checked it for 12V when I turned the key on. Definetly didn't get 12V, but my voltmeter went from something like .002V to .03...so something was happening.

Then I pulled the ignition switch and tested it per the Haynes manual also. Everything checked out good (continuity wise) except that on one set of connectors, B5-I1, I got continuity in the ON position, not just the start position. So does that make the switch bad? I did get continuity in the ON position (which the ON part didn't say I was supposed to...but it didn't way I wasn't supposed to either)...so this was kind of inconclusive also (to me at least).

So, do I have a bad ignition switch? Should I try and adjust the gear position sensor (some involved work with this one)?

Many thanks for any help. :)

either starter soliniod or ignition swich.

either starter soliniod or ignition swich.I tested the starter at AutoZone, so it's not the solenoid. What about the readings I was getting off of the gear position sensor?

Does the continuity while ON and not just START indicate a bad ignition switch?

Rzrseg - My brother is having the same problem. Please take a look at my posting.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=420824&goto=newpost

If you find out what is wrong with your van can you please let me know something. I've been trying to fix this problem for a couple days now without having him go out and buy parts that we might not be able to take back if hooked up, just to find out that was not problem. If we do find the problem I'll do the same and post it on your post. Maybe together we can help each other.

start and on are 2 differant positions. start position activates your starter to turn the engine. have you ever noticed that when you turn the key for a start (and it starts) and you release it it moves to the on position out of start position? turning it all the way to start turns on your soliniod to trigger the starter, once started it turns the starter off by going into the on position to keep the power on to the ingnition module.
so if you dont have continuty in start position that its the switchthat is bad. as far as the gear you shouldnt have a reading in anything put park and nuetral because of the nuetral start switch(it only allows you to start in park and nuetral), unless the ingtion switch is bad, therefore you wont get readings in park.

im just tring to help out. i dont man to sound rough or cocky, its just hard to explain functions of components
in as few words as you can. if i bought out my tech books and go word for word from them it would take all day to read and noone would be able to get anything done. just doing my best to help.

Rzrseg - My brother is having the same problem. Please take a look at my posting.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?threadid=420824&goto=newpost

If you find out what is wrong with your van can you please let me know something. I've been trying to fix this problem for a couple days now without having him go out and buy parts that we might not be able to take back if hooked up, just to find out that was not problem. If we do find the problem I'll do the same and post it on your post. Maybe together we can help each other.I'm getting there. I run a technical forums www.howwhatwhy.com and have a guy there that is a dealer mechanic. He's helping me run down this problem. I'll keep this thread updated as I find things out.

Per his request, this morning I held the key in the start position and ran the gear shift through it's gears to see if anything happened (it didn't) and he also had me see if the Inhibit relay (Relay Panel LH side of engine compartment) was getting power when the key was turned (it is).

Sounds good ... I'll do the same for you...

Sounds good ... I'll do the same for you...Okay. Got it started today!!!! WHOOO HOOO. My problem, after much futzing around with voltmeters was a broken wire! From the Start Inhibitor on the transaxle to the Inhibitor Relay in the engine compartment. Jumped it and it cranked right up.

The blue line is where I jumped. Not saying you're having this problem, just what I did. I can walk you through the testing procedure if you'd like.

http://files.automotiveforums.com/gallery/watermark.php?file=/503/346259van4.jpg

glad youre up and running.

I got my brothers running late last night... It was the the ignition switch and the starter. Weird because they went out at the same time.... Good to hear everyone’s up and running... take care

NOT FIXED!!

Yesterday my Sister-in-Law got stuck in wal-mart parking lot. Van would not turn over. I went up there and it was doing the same thing as it was doing before. Turn the key on and try to start it, NOTHING! The dash lights would stay on like before after turning the key off.
We've replaced the starter - $160.00 and the Ignition Switch $18.00 so far. Total waste of money. So we are back to the drawing broad.

Some new Information I found out during this is if you take a wire and hook it to the Negative post and ground it to the casing of the starter and someone turns over the key in the Van it will start. It's strange that the starter is not grounded, because the motor should be grounded to the frame. ANY IDEAS?


Can you walk me through the process that got yours fixed? Maybe this is it.... Whats the cost to fix it? Thanks

Check your inhibitor fuse. I blew a fuse changing the dash lights and it was the same symptoms described here. Check all the fuses. Also check your connections from the starter to the battery.