There are several things that can cause this, mostly all of them would be switch/connector/wire related. My first try would be the neutral safety switch, as you have suggested. This part has failed on ALL of my Chrysler and Ford cars. I have learned what to do to bypass the switch, should I suspect a problem. 90% of the time this has been it.
You should also check and clean the connections at the starter relay, starter, and anything else that you can reach or see.
My '68 Imperial had a totally different problem with exactly the same symptoms. I mention this as the least likely scenario, but still a possibility. It has a bad wire running through the "loom" between the starter relay and the starter motor. It is the smaller of the two wires, going to the starter, and is currently bypassed to enable the car to run. This was difficult to find, but not after replacing virtually every other component first, and realizing that it had to be the wire itself. This car had been parked for over 20 years, so it is hard to say why this happened. I suspect it had given trouble before since the starter, relay, ignition switch, and neutral safety switch all still looked new from someone who had been through this before.
A corroded wire/switch/connector can cause an intermittant problem that only time and patience can cure.
Paul W.
In an email dated 1/10/2005 5:24:21 pm GMT Daylight time, "JAY D'ANGELO" <cadij@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:
Here is a new problem I hope someone can help me with. Usually, this occurs
when I try to start the car for the first time. I turn on the key, the
radio plays, but there is no engagement of the starter - like the battery is
dead.
I pulled the wire loom connector from the firewall and found the connections
dirty and corroded. I cleaned them up, exposing clean metal and plugged it
back in and it started.
The next day it wouldn't start again unless I "jiggiled" the wires. Thinking the connectors strill were not making contact, I made new wire connectors about 3 inches long and plugged them in, then tried again. The car started.
The next day, it wouldn't unless I moved the wires around. Once it's running for the day, it will restart.
I'm thinking two things: One of the 3 ignition wires to the connector has a
short or something, or the neutral safety switch is shot. A new one is on
the way.
What do you think, guys?
Jay
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