>1997 Lincoln Town Car>Starts by hand cranking the starter>Key ignition doesn't workSo my car has power and can start if I bypass the ignition system but I don't feel like getting on the floor every single time to do that. What causes a no crank and no start with the ignition system?
First thing to come to mind would be a bad ignition switch
>>28223683Bad PATS (passive anti theft) module? Not sure if Panthers that old had it yet.
>>28223690This, ignition switches go bad on those.
>>28223693Yeah mine has it.
>>28223690>>28223695The switch? Hope so I'm hoping it's not the wires which I won't be able to do by myself. It's hard enough I have to use rusty old tools that were made to fix 60s and 70s American vehicles.
>>28223733>I'm hoping it's not the wiresWhy, everything you need to fix wires until doomsday costs like $30 all together
>>28223683>hand cranking the starterwait what how did you do this
>>28223809I use this here and put the tip into a hole that is located on the starter and twist it around as it cranks and sparks and then turns on. You also have to have the key in the running position in the ignition.
>>28223791Because tracing wires and replacing said wires is hard for me to do by myself.
>>28223817you learn something new every day . do all starters have this... kinda funny
>>28223821I don't know but all I can say is my Lincoln is identifying itself as a Ford Model T which is UNACCEPTABLE
>>28223690This.
Update, so the Ignition cylinder is locked now. Which I think that narrows it down to the well the cylinder but I was told that it could be the starter solenoid as well.
>>28223683Follow the ignition wires from the keyswitch. Pull them out, put a rocker switch on the dash for run/off, ass a momentary switch to the starter wire. It's how I had my old Nova wired up.
>>28226201The ignition switch and the lock cylinder are two separate items. picrel is the ignition switch
>>28226292Oh I see alright.
i'm dealing with a similar problem on a 2000 ford taurus. initially, the steering wheel was locked and i couldn't turn the ignition. broke that free and the ignition still wouldn't turn. finally managed to free it by taking a punch and hitting the lock cylinder release button while turning the key (luckily otherwise it would have required some drilling since you can't remove the lock cylinder unless the key is in run position). during this process a piece broke off the end of the lock cylinder and i had to replace it. now the fucking starter won't engage. at first glance it's not related to the new lock cylinder. for reference before all this i tried hand cranking the starter in a similar fashion to OP while the key was in the ignition but not in the run position and the starter did engage but absolutely refused to start even after many cranks(possibly anti-theft?), now it isn't engaging at all. i wonder if it could be a weather related thing because this all happened as soon as it got really cold, like perhaps the starter is froze? it seems like the starter is getting power because when you turn the ignition all the way forward you can hear a small click like a relay is activating. thinking of throwing a new starter at it.
>>28223695>>28226292This.It's a module on the column about a foot down from the key cylinder, activated by a rod.They separate and cause all kinds of issues.Shit design, was part of a fireball recall in the 90's.Might be a "tamper proof" torx or like a 5 or 6mm (maybe even a 5.5mm, its been awhile), id just pick up the $6 bit kit from harbor freight before you start tearing shit apart.
God damnit, some of my tools got stolen. I will have to take the car to a shop and just figure out what it is and then just leave the car in a parking lot until I get what I need.
>>28223683how the fuck do you hand crank a starter? Do you have some kind of crank hooked up to it like on a Model T? I've never heard of someone crank starting a modern vehicle
>>28231198he's probably just jumping the B terminal to the M terminal to bypass the ignition
>>28223690idk about cars that new but usually to me that'd be either the ignition switch or the starter solenoid on the fender apron, I don't know if a 90s car still has those.
>>28223683If you were me, and I was you, I would check relays and fuses first then ignition switch
>>28223683I wire in a pushbutton switch discreetly concealed making the vehicle harder to steal. Ignition switches as mentioned commonly wear out (that means the ELECTRICAL switch not the lock/key etc fro those who don't know). https://www.amazon.com/Ignition-Switch-Compatible-Lincoln-PC-901743/dp/B0CJ9Q84N2https://lincolnforums.com/forums/forums/lincoln-town-car-forum-1981-2011.19/>>28223818Do some reading. I use a 12v buzzer soldered to test leads for wires I cannot span by hand.
>>28223817You do this but you're afraid of replacing wires by yourself?? bruh you need some self-confidence you already got this