Legends, Guru's and Patrol Gods. I need your help pls - Old girl is giving me trouble

Have searched already for past similar issues here. I've tried to organise everything I have tried that I can remember.

Summary: Unreliable Starting and startup dash lights as well as gauges dont display every time when turning the key into the On position - 88 GQ TD42 with nearly half-a-million clicks on the odometer.

Problem: No startup dash warning lights, gauges, nor does the radio turn on when turning the key to On in the ignition barrel. Turning key to Start always fails to kick over the starter motor and engine when this happens. Have found that occasionally the startup dash lights and gauges will come on when returning from a failed start position and back to On position. This is consistent when it does occur. On these instances when the dash startup lights do come on I am always able to successfully start and turn over the starter motor.

Additionally, when turning the key to On I always here relays clicking in the engine bay even when the lights do not come up. When turning the key to Start position the starter relay always fires as well, but the starter motor does not actually engage.


Inspected Items:

Check battery earths and terminal connections: All ok

Checked battery voltage: Even recharged it after all my testing and issue still there

Fuses checked in the foot well kick panel: All ok

Swapped Ignition and Blower relay in foot well kick panel: No change - relay continued to click

Fusible links next to the positive side of the battery terminal checked: All ok

Starter Motor Relay: Clicks every time

Pulled Ignition switch from Ignition barrel: Could still engage and reproduce the issue using just a screw driver with the ignition switch

Attempted to bypass ignition switch by completing the starting circuit: Failed to get any relays to click - must have screwed this up. I would suck at as a thief.

Using the below diagram I tried to complete the starting circuit by running wires to 1,3,4 & 5 plug sockets and had no luck. What am I doing wrong - is there an order? I could get some clicking relays in the Accessory position when completing the circuit between 1 & 2
Attachment 77910

Checked for voltage for white wire with red stripe going into Ignition switch: Confirmed 12 volts supplied

Smacked fist above the instrument dash: Haha...no change, but I did feel better.

Wiggled or re-plugged in every mother f#*king wire, fuse, relay, switch I could find related to the ignition or starting of this prick. Also who in the hell was the a-hole who put the single screw that holds the ignition switch in the worlds must impossible location. I nearly lost my F-ing mind getting that tiny bastard undone.

Current conclusion: Suspect it could be the ignition switch which could be severely worn (remember nearly 500,000ks on motor) that is tormenting me - but without being able to bypass it I can't rule it out. Also I dont have a spare laying about. OR I have a melted wire/bad earth somewhere. Thought I smelt something hot once during my testing in the engine bay, but could not isolate where it was coming from.

Running out of ideas and may have to call in a pro. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

GazQ

What condition are your 'earths' for block, battery and starter? Have you cracked these and cleaned them to ensure good contact? The burning smell may be a high resistance joint thats frying the insulation or insulation tape or oily crude on the joint. You may get 12V at rest but far less at crank which will increase amps, which is heat.

With no previous experience with this issue I reckon you've already pin pointed it. Sounds like a faulty ignition switch to me.

Someone on here would know better but a if it were me I'd swap the electrical part of the ignition out with a known working one and troubleshoot any remaining issues from there.

The mere fact that if you reset and start again it works/doesn't says loads about the state of the ignition.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PeeBee

What condition are your 'earths' for block, battery and starter? Have you cracked these and cleaned them to ensure good contact? The burning smell may be a high resistance joint thats frying the insulation or insulation tape or oily crude on the joint. You may get 12V at rest but far less at crank which will increase amps, which is heat.

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Good point and thanks for the suggestions. Will inspect these tomorrow. I hadn't looked at these as I made an assumption that because they would still work occasionally when everything else worked that they must be ok. Just something else I can rule out.

0-TJ-O: If the parts store has an ignition switch in stock I'll try to grab one just as more more thing to try.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gazq

Good point and thanks for the suggestions. Will inspect these tomorrow. I hadn't looked at these as I made an assumption that because they would still work occasionally when everything else worked that they must be ok. Just something else I can rule out.

0-TJ-O: If the parts store has an ignition switch in stock I'll try to grab one just as more more thing to try.

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Yep and PeeBee was all over my next suggestion. Weird things going on and can't pinpoint it.. check your earths. Electrics can be painful, every person can have a different issue. Somtimes you just have to start at the start and test every point until you find the fault.

Has the alternator been checked?

Checked and cleaned the earths for the battery. Also checked the starter connections as well. I went ahead and replaced the ignition switch just as one more thing to rule out.

So in the end I had to concede defeat and take it to a professional. There is a good reason why auto sparky is separate trade.

I had failed to notice some hidden dodgy wiring done by a previous owner which included a SPEAKER CABLE CONNECTOR holding two wires together with grub screws. He also found that in the same conduit another fusible link that I was unaware of that was full of dirt and shit and barely making any contact.

I'm $120 poorer, but at least it is fixed. Talking to him he said the symptoms of my issue would have lead him to look into the ignition switch as well. So I can take some comfort I was kind of on the right path.

Thanks for the helpful suggestions guys.