Well today was going great, easy day at work, no issues today at all. Until lunch time, well I'm glad I keep some tools in my truck at all times. I shut off my truck grab lunch and come back out, and the truck won't crank I'm thinkin to myself not another starter. I've been threw 3 in 3 months, I jump the starter and she fires up (thank god for screwdrivers), well I check the fuses they all check out fine. Nowmy options, could it be the wire of death? Nope corrected that before anything. Ignition switch, possible because when I turn the key the starter don't kick but everything on the dash works and so does the radio. Nutueral safty switch, very good possiblity. Now its gettin cars out of the bay to pull my truck in. What a messed up day this is turning into. I hope both are easy to fix, has anyone replaced either of the switchs before??

 

It could be worse. Maybe you couldn't get it started at all, and you were late for work ect.
Sounds like you know what to look for.

 

Yea I know what to look for now its just the matter of getting it workin again. How big of a pain it is to replace those two switches

 

The neutral safety switch is easy. If it does not start again try to switch it to neutral and try starting it. Try starting it while moving in and out of park and neutral ect. See if that helps.

If it is the ignition switch it is more involved but not bad. Just get security tox bits.

 

glad you narrowed yours down to those 2 possiblitlies. mine seized last october and now the new one is acting up again

 

dude i stalled out going down the semi route with my dak bout cause a semi in the *** thank god for good coast on my dakota intake butterflys clogged good to here that u got her home

 

Well couldn't pull her into the bay today hadda finish up with the bossmans so I figured when I got home I would open up my manual for the truck. Well there are 2 ignition switchs in the truck the key and the electronics, but the key works fine, just gotta pull out the multimeter tomorrow and test some electronics. But that is not the most interesting information I found out. Well according to the manual, the "Nuteral Safety Switch" is only on automatics and not on standards (which is what I have) for vehicles with Standard Transmissions there is what's known as a "Clutch Postion Switch" and its built into the clutch pedal push rod on the firewall. But that's not the best part, the switch is not offered at any parts store. I had to of looked threw over 50 websites looking for it, no one offers it. If that is what's wrong looks like its either I'm replacing the pedal which is good or installing a push button somewhere to start the truck or calling a dealership and paying 300x's the price. Either way, the truck got me to my tattoo artist today after work, got some new ink, now its time to track down the issue with the ignition tomorrow. If its the ignition switch I will change it, if its the clutch postion switch, I'm gonna do the cheap and lazy way out plus while I got the truck in the air take a hammer and screw driver to some piece of the exhaust and help her breath alittle better. A full night ahead of me tomorrow, don't worry I will give an update as soon as I know what's wrong.

 

Well, I was able to get it into the shop (while I was off the clock and the bossman left. Well the ignition switch was in fact good, but the bad news the Clutch Position Switch was shot, it would work if I pumped it a few dozen times. Well since I wasn't able to find the switch anywhere I looked (even went as far to call the dealer no luck, said they never heard of one going and hung up on me). So I did it the easy way and installed a push button to the starter, was easy as heck, one wire to a open circuit on the fuse box that only turned on when the key is turned (used the number 15) to the switch then to the signal post on the starter. But here's the best part, I will never buy another Cherry Bomb Catalytic Converter again, will never recommend one to anyone either (unless they are cheap and only gonna be used to punch them out). I cut the Cat in front because I figured something was wrong, I couldn't be more right. The entire front of the cat was either melted or on it's way, that's how crappy these things are. I'm surprised any of the exhaust gases were going out of the pipe to be honest. But I punched it out, did the Spark Plug Anti Fouler trick, and no CEL light (uber excited) and the one thing I am really surprised at is the tone of the exhaust did not get much louder. But it will keep me legal for right now and to me that's all that matters.

 

My Dak came without a cat (bought it used) and I never put one back in...just had a shop plumb in a tail pipe and muffler. No idiot lights have come on, no O2 sensor problems...runs sweet, gets good mpg. But it smells like an old gas tractor when it's running.

 

Well no sooner I took off the cat, fired it up the CEL went almost right afterwords, so I took the old cat punched it out and did the fouler trick, it's for all vehicles produced from 1996 and newer. Sucks I know but hey now I can pass emissions lol.