MIATA GUYS.. i need your help!

im posting this for yaffay, the guy with the 4x4 status miata. he has been having some trouble with his ignition switch on his car for the past few weeks. it doesn't want to start and he has to push a little plug together under his dash to crank the car. but this morning on his way to work the car just died all together out of nowhere. he can't start it even when he pushes the switch together. and when he turns the key over it unlocks the steering but none of the dash lights come on. the obvious fix it so get a new ignition switch, but they are $260.00 at auto zone. and he doesn't have the money right now.

so im trying to figure out if there is a way that i can rig it up for him so he can drive it till he has the money. i know i can put in a push button start by running a line from a switch to the starter and battery, but that only works if you can turn the key on right? how can i get all the dash lights to come on withought using the ignition switch?

and i guess more than just miata guys can help with this.. i just figured since its a miata, maybe they know something..

ill give +rep to anyone who can help..

Thanks!

grab a haynes manual with the wiring diagrams

trace it out and get you a keyed ignition switch for about 12 bucks (they sell them at oreilly's) its a on/acc and a momentary start.

figure out a way to disable the steering look and bam you have a normal key ignition like that of every pre 70 car before steering locks were the in thing

and removing the whole key mechanism from the steering column should remove the steering lock since its mechanical. it should be a real simple setup or you may have to grab a couple of relays to get the same function out of the key.




im currently running this same setup on my kawasaki street bike to get rid of all the switches on the handlebars

the steering unlocks just fine, just nothing else happens. lol. but ill see if he can get the haynes manual and ill look at it.

well the reason i say get rid of it is because you will be replacing the stock key all together to get around this bad switch problem for cheap. if you leave it you wont be able to start it with only one key and you will also have to find a place to mount the second switch

gocha..

Screwdriver across the solenoid studs.

the key has to be turned on for that to work or the car will just die again.

Shit the bed.
Is he getting power to the switch? Maybe a harness is getting pulled and unplugged.

no power to the switch. there is a little plug that he pushes together to start the car, so im thinking that something happened there. i found some cheaper switches on ebay. they are used but should work fine. but still, untill the switch gets here, he is going to have to find a way to work.

If he isn't getting power to the switch, then the switch isn't the problem....
If I didn't have to pick my son up from daycare, I would come look at it.

Check to make sure the Cam Angle Sensor didn't take a dump. That is one of the more expensive parts, at least over $150 from a parts store. If he has a 1.6 it is underneath the coil pack to the driver's right of that on the back of the block. Make sure there isn't oil pouring out of it. That is a good indicator it's out or on the way out. Had that happen to my parents one time.

ok, so i figured the problem out. i took the cover around the ignition switch off and little springs and contact plates and all kinds of stuff fell out. the plastic that held the ignition switch together was cracked to pieces and all over the place.. and the plug that he had been squeezing together to start the car had shorted out and melted together.. so i get to stay at the junk yards all day tomorrow..

and thanks for all the info!