gandalfthegray.

Hello folks, I've been driving the wheels off my 79 5-speed car this summer but as of late I'm experiencing my first problem. Occasionally when I go start the car, I turn the key and there is no response. I mean nothing, not even a click. It's as if someone disconnected the starter. I've been able to push start the car and drive home on the instances where I was in town. I'll return home and shut car off. Sometimes it starts immediately and other times it starts the next morning.

One of the weird things I've noticed is that when the car was pushed started, it ran fine but all of my dash warning lights were illuminated. Every possible light is on and stays on until the next time the car starts under normal conditions in which all lights are back off again. So far I've replaced the battery since it was due anyways. Any insight? Starter relay? Ground?

Thanks!

jwillman

I had the same issue. The ignition switch has two parts, the back half is the electric part and in the front portion is the key lock that has a shaft that has a flat blade key the inserts into the electric portion. Over time that flat blade key wears and even though the key turns fully into the start position it will not rotate the electric portion far enough to engage the starter circuit.

Later cars had a shaft with a cross tip blade that fully engaged all four surfaces of the ignition switch opening.

I separated the electric part from the key housing, let it hang by the wiring below the dash and used a flat blade screwdriver to start the car for a while until I had time to pull the pod, drill out the lock pin and remove the key lock to replace the connecting shaft using kit PN below.

PN is 928 347 919 00. Kit shaft is longer so it comes with a spacer and longer screws to allow the electric switch to attach.

gandalfthegray.

Jim, thanks for the input! I never considered the switch but that would make sense. Is it difficult to separate the two halves?

Wisconsin Joe

The dash lights are a good tell. They go into 'test mode' until the car is started. Since you aren't engaging the starter, they aren't coming out of test.

That would suggest the ignition switch to me, but I could be wrong.

Another good suspect is the starter relay. I'm not sure if that failing would leave the dash "stuck" in test mode or not.

kiwiokie

jwillman

You will have to pull the lower covers under the steering column. Some seem to be able to access from there but I have always removed the four pod attaching bolts so I could raise the pod up to allow me to can access to the two slot headed bolts that hold the electrical portion of the switch to the yoke where the ignition key lock is. I installed phillip's head screws on one of my previous disassembly events making the reach from behind bolt removal less painfull.