Ok, after replacing my steering column, I'm trying to get the ignition setup up so I can use a key instead of hot wiring it.

I found a 4 position switch (acc,off,run,start) and tried wiring it up but am having difficulty. They way I intrepret things, in"start" it needs to energize a wire to run the starter. On my switch, that terminal is energized until it is in the "start" position. So when I turn the key to run, the starter kicks in and stays on. If I turn it to start, the starter goes off.

Did I misinterpret something on the schematic, or do I need a different type of switch?

that is what i would have thought as well, you should not have to turn through start to shut the engine off

Well, it doesn't shut the engine off when I move to start, it just disengages the starter motor. In run mode, the engine is running and the starter is cranking.

that is what i was trying to say, if i understand correctly, the way it wired now to shut off the engine (which runs w/o starter running in the start position) you have to turn the key through a postion on the switch (run) that causes the starter to turn/run, which would be bad if you are trying to shut the car off, or maybe i am confused, i would say new switch

I'm either misunderstanding what you are saying, or we're saying different things. I don't have a problem starting or turning off the engine, I just have a problem having it run without the starter cranking constantly.

I guess my main question is this: Do some vehicles engage the starter by removing power from a starter relay? I would think that would fail in an unsafe mode. I don't see the point in having a switch operate this way because the key won't stay in the "start" position.

wreckless wrote:

I'm either misunderstanding what you are saying, or we're saying different things. I don't have a problem starting or turning off the engine, I just have a problem having it run without the starter cranking constantly. I guess my main question is this: Do some vehicles engage the starter by removing power from a starter relay? I would think that would fail in an unsafe mode. I don't see the point in having a switch operate this way because the key won't stay in the "start" position.

Sounds like you just need to switch your wires, so that the wire running the starter is the wire that is currently hooked up to the "Run" position, and the current "run" wire should be moved to the "start" position. Doesn't that make sense?

And no, i don't know any vehicles that start by removing power from the starter relay.

yeah that is what i was getting at

try what chuck said and if it works or not let us know.

It won't work, because both terminals are hot in the run position.
Then one goes dead when in the start position. Which makes no sense to me why they would do it that way. I'll look at it again though.

check your starter solenoid.

it sounds like a simple problem. let me think about it and get back to you. my scrambler has a YJ column and a lot of other "NON-CJ" parts, so at one time i had nearly the entire CJ wiring harness and schematic memorized...