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Oh no! 1993 Autotragic with cable to ignition switch

John V outside agitator

John V outside agitator

Active member
Joined
Mar 25, 2005
Location
Sleezattle, WA, USA
(that should be to ignition switch)

Key will not go to 0 position, so can't turn off the car..
It got a new IPD ignition switch 4-6 months ago...the Brand X one but never seen a switch you can't turn off..
And yeah we're stomping on the brake pedal and sticking it in PARK...

Now I've looked at this thread
http://forums.turbobricks.com/showthread.php?t=235343
And there are references to hacking, slicing shooting the "you gotta press on brakes" BS and dsomething about the key to shift interlock cable..
But its not clear what I do if i want to animalize thisd POS thing>

Cleanflametrap and Kjets On a Plane seemed to be familiar with the neutering of all that BS,
I've been shining a searchlight with Kjets On a Plane onto the clouds, except there aren't any and its not dark you..

How do I get the cable to the switch out of my life? And the stomp on brakes thing, too, all both can do is cause grief.

(whimpering and snivelling) why why why did they invent autotragics AND add all these silly things on to them?
 
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It may just be out of adjustment on the linkage that goes from the shifter lever under the tunnel to the shift lever on the transmission itself. The shift lever has to go all the way forward towards the center stack in order to release all the tension on the interlock cable. You have to step on the brake pedal to get the shifter out of park because there is a solenoid activated by the brake light switch that allows the shifter to come out of park. That solenoid does not prevent you from putting the shifter in the park position.
 
intention switch

At first I thought "talk to text typo" but then when I saw who posted, the word suddenly became more meaningful than ignition switch, as each of the four positions does represent a separate intention for the use of the vehicle. Don't tell me this was entirely an accident.

Yes good to see you here, and, other than having seen drawings, I have zilch experience with the one-year contraption in the '93. Would tend to agree the linkage bushing failure represents the bulk of the reasons this safety mechanism frustrates.
 
When I manual swapped my '93, I just had to disconnect that cable, and it retracted automatically (small tiny pun?) and freed the ignition switch, then I just tucked it down underneath the carpet. When pulled out (against the spring somewhere upstream) it partially locks the ignition.
 
apachechef said:
have several 1993's, just pop the shifter cover off, and defeating the cable for that problem is easy to figure out
Click to expand...

Cover is off, cable is detached and whole cable pushed back.

Key still won't turn off...:grrr:

Not so easy to figure out without some clearer idea of how the OTHER end of the cable works...:oops: There's some spring effect if I pull on the cable inner part..

I have to get this thing going as its wifey's car..:please:
 
cleanflametrap said:
At first I thought "talk to text typo" but then when I saw who posted, the word suddenly became more meaningful than ignition switch, as each of the four positions does represent a separate intention for the use of the vehicle. Don't tell me this was entirely an accident.

Yes good to see you here, and, other than having seen drawings, I have zilch experience with the one-year contraption in the '93. Would tend to agree the linkage bushing failure represents the bulk of the reasons this safety mechanism frustrates.
Click to expand...


Can't edit the title...
Would still like to disable the "must stomp on brake pedal" thing while I have things apart..

MOAR Ideaz is needed.
 
THANKS, AUDI 5000!!!

Confused old folks mixing up the pedals is why all that stuff got tossed onto cars in such a hurry.

I never as much as had to even peak up at the ignition switch to ponder what the cable was doing on mine, just seemed like once I'd unhooked the cable things just worked normally.
 
JohnMc said:
THANKS, AUDI 5000!!!

Confused old folks mixing up the pedals is why all that stuff got tossed onto cars in such a hurry.

I never as much as had to even peak up at the ignition switch to ponder what the cable was doing on mine, just seemed like once I'd unhooked the cable things just worked normally.
Click to expand...

Any known working likes to factory manuals? I mean worse comes to worse eventually looking at a manual can be done..ya know, as a last resort..
 
JohnMc said:
THANKS, AUDI 5000!!!

Confused old folks mixing up the pedals is why all that stuff got tossed onto cars in such a hurry.

I never as much as had to even peak up at the ignition switch to ponder what the cable was doing on mine, just seemed like once I'd unhooked the cable things just worked normally.
Click to expand...

my two 1993 auto to manual swaps were just like this too. seems JohnV's system has "actively failed" while ours were disabled from working condition.

IIRC, the solenoid is in the shifter mech housing, I'll check the parts pile for an old one

JV, look deep into the right side to see solenoid I think

sure the key removal thing isnt just the standard steering crank lock?
 
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apachechef said:
my two 1993 auto to manual swaps were just like this too. seems JohnV's system has "actively failed" while ours were disabled from working condition.

IIRC, the solenoid is in the shifter mech housing, I'll check the parts pile for an old one

JV, look deep into the right side to see solenoid I think
Click to expand...

images
 
So the engine is off but won't go into the lock position or is it still running? My 245 came with all shifter safety devices broken or bypassed, don't have to press the button on top of the shifter to move out of park or any other gear. I haven't tried to start it in gear however. But the crux of this story is that the steering wheel lock still works without all the transmission stuff working, like mentioned above maybe it's a problem with the wheel lock mechanism.
 
The starter interlock is on a switch mounted to the transmission itself - so the shifter position doesn't matter.
 
VB242 said:
So the engine is off but won't go into the lock position or is it still running? My 245 came with all shifter safety devices broken or bypassed, don't have to press the button on top of the shifter to move out of park or any other gear. I haven't tried to start it in gear however. But the crux of this story is that the steering wheel lock still works without all the transmission stuff working, like mentioned above maybe it's a problem with the wheel lock mechanism.
Click to expand...

When wifey arrived home from grocery store yesterday afternoon, she couldn't tun off the car..ignition switch wont return to "0" position---and of course can't withdraw key.
I killed the car by pulling off one coil wire..
I've detached the stupid cable that goes from shifter to ignition switch at the shifter end---and broke off the dumb hard plastic forkie thing the cable terminates in, so cable is "released".
but key will still not turn to "0" position..

Right now I'm up under the dash and intend to pull the back of the ignition switch and see if that allows anything to happen...

I had replaced the back of the switch with IPDs 'aftermarket" $40 part a few months ago..I can't see how the back of the switch could jam the front part the key goes in..

If only I could find a clear description of how the cable actually works...or a drawing of it..
 
JohnMc said:
The starter interlock is on a switch mounted to the transmission itself - so the shifter position doesn't matter.
Click to expand...

Not the starter interlock but the "you must stomp on brake to move shifter from out of "Park"
That evidently is some solenoid buried deep down in the shifter assembly below everything.

Have i ever mentioned how much I hate automatics?
 
John V said:
When wifey arrived home from grocery store yesterday afternoon, she couldn't tun off the car..ignition switch wont return to "0" position---and of course can't withdraw key.
I killed the car by pulling off one coil wire..
I've detached the stupid cable that goes from shifter to ignition switch at the shifter end---and broke off the dumb hard plastic forkie thing the cable terminates in, so cable is "released".
but key will still not turn to "0" position..

Right now I'm up under the dash and intend to pull the back of the ignition switch and see if that allows anything to happen...

I had replaced the back of the switch with IPDs 'aftermarket" $40 part a few months ago..I can't see how the back of the switch could jam the front part the key goes in..

If only I could find a clear description of how the cable actually works...or a drawing of it..
Click to expand...

You should have said so initially. There's your problem. The cable won't stop you from turning off the car. It will stop you turn the switch far enough to remove the key. Those ignition switches IPD sells are pure garbage. It is made by MTC. One of my customers had a 940 ignition switch that was getting flaky and needed a new switch. I told him to buy a new switch from Volvo and I would install it for him. He insisted on saving the money and bought that MTC garbage, even after I told him if it fails for any reason, he will be paying me to install a new switch again. I would not guarantee the install of an MTC part. That piece of garbage lasted less than one day. He drove the car to work, couldn't shut it off, I explained to him over the phone how to kill it by pulling fuse #2. He disconnected the battery ground to keep from draining the battery while he was at work. He reversed the process to get home. Did the same. Did the same again to bring me the car to put in the new Volvo switch 2 days later. The internals of that switch just twisted up in to a chunk of junk. I'm betting that is what you are going to find, unfortunately.
 
John V said:
Not the starter interlock but the "you must stomp on brake to move shifter from out of "Park"
That evidently is some solenoid buried deep down in the shifter assembly below everything.

Have i ever mentioned how much I hate automatics?
Click to expand...

I know, I was just responding to the 'start in gear' comment prior to mine.

And yeah, I swapped the automatic out of my 245 about 3 months after buying it.
 
John V said:
Not the starter interlock but the "you must stomp on brake to move shifter from out of "Park"
That evidently is some solenoid buried deep down in the shifter assembly below everything.

Have i ever mentioned how much I hate automatics?
Click to expand...

If you want to get rid of all of that and still have a safe car with proper shifter detents, just get a shifter from a 1990 or older 240 and install it. You won't have the nicer looking 93 cover, however, you will eliminate all the things you don't like about your current shifter.
 
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