Weird starting/starter relay issue?

[Tepidguacamole]

Haha. That's the fate of anyone who drinks a Four Loko. I do kinda like the watermelon one though...ick.

[MacGyver]

It’ll be the end of the key barrel worn and not turning the ignition switch far enough to start.
Replaced lots of these when I was a locksmith. Common problem on a lot of vehicles as they age.
A quick fix is filling the hole in the switch where the key barrel drives it to take any slop out of it. Sometimes works.
If it’s a two piece key barrel, that may have excessive slop (play) in it too.
This is usually the problem if the vehicle starts with a screwdriver when the ignition switch is removed from the key barrel.

[Tepidguacamole]

Originally Posted by MacGyver

It’ll be the end of the key barrel worn and not turning the ignition switch far enough to start.
Replaced lots of these when I was a locksmith. Common problem on a lot of vehicles as they age.
A quick fix is filling the hole in the switch where the key barrel drives it to take any slop out of it. Sometimes works.
If it’s a two piece key barrel, that may have excessive slop (play) in it too.
This is usually the problem if the vehicle starts with a screwdriver when the ignition switch is removed from the key barrel.

For curiosity's sake, what would you use to fill the hole in the switch, anyway?

I'll report how it goes when I get the new parts...

[Tepidguacamole]

It works no problem!!! What a headache that was. Thanks, everybody. Hopefully someone facing the same stupid issue might come across this thread.

[SVTCTR]

i actually found a newer nissan key with the square head and cut it to match my old key and that seemed to fill the slop.

my old 94 Explorer Sport had an alarm and it wouldnt allow me to start it so i just ran a push button. never fixed the problem cause my frineds and i thought it was cool idk.



glad you got it fixed!

[jp2code]

Originally Posted by Tepidguacamole

It works no problem!!! What a headache that was. Thanks, everybody. Hopefully someone facing the same stupid issue might come across this thread.

Wait! Which one of these steps fixed your problem?

[Tepidguacamole]

Originally Posted by jp2code

Wait! Which one of these steps fixed your problem?

The new lock cylinder is all it took to get it going again. The old starter relay and ignition switch were still working fine although I replaced 'em anyway.