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How to Start a Car with a Bad Ignition Switch?

If you are in the middle of it such a problem that the ignition switch is bad and you need to run your car to bring your car to a service or to the place that you need to go immediately. So you can find yourself asking the question of how to start a car with a bad ignition switch. We will try to explain some sort of things to give an answer to these questions. And also we will give additional fixes and tips about the bad ignition switch that your car has.

What is ignition switch?

How to Start a Car with a Bad Ignition Switch? Wiring color diagram.
Ignition switch wiring color codes. Image Source: Etechnog.com.

Beautiful, we need to understand the working principle of the ignition switch over your car. As you understand, once you turn your key to the ignition position, the starter motor will start your car. To start your motor, it is directly connected to the negative side of your car battery. And also, the starter motor is connected to the ignition switch system, which is disconnected when you turn your key counterclockwise. Once you turn your key to the ignition position and rotate it clockwise, the negative cable is connected to the positive battery cable that goes to the positive side of the battery. A monstrous connection takes place once you turn your ignition key, and the electrical connection is completed to let the electrical current flow through the starter motor. This starter motor starts and cranks your engine.

Bad ignition switch

So, there can be problems with the ignition switch system. If you want to rotate your ignition key to the ignition position on your ignition switch mechanism, starting the motor will not work.

The most common problem that leads to the bad ignitions is the moisture inside the switch application. Also, bad cable connections can cause a bad ignition switch problem. And we need to state that diagnosing the trouble and shopping the problems with the ignition switch applications is not an easy thing. If you are not familiar with car electronics or car electrics, you need to bring your car to a service or car electric technicians.

How to start the car with a bad ignition switch?

There are several ways that you can apply, and we will try to explain the different ways.

Bump starting

This is the first way that comes to mind. With bump starting your car, you can easily crank your engine in a manual way. You need to have two of your friends and one person that stays inside the driving coach. The first step is to attach your gear to the second if you are driving a manual car. Press the clutch pedal and ask your friends to push the vehicle to a specific speed around 10 km/h or 20 km/h. To reach these speeds, you can directly release your clutch pedal, press the gas pedal while turning your ignition key. It is something hard to achieve and you need to try several times. And if you know a specific person who knows how to do it, who is probably an experienced driver, you need to ask them to do it.

Turn ignition key counterclockwise

It may sound strange, but in some circumstances, turning your ignition key counterclockwise can directly start your engine. If you are lucky enough, this may solve your problem.

Try several times to crank your engine

Trying to crank your engine several times without any hesitation may solve your problem. If there is a problem with the general electrical systems of your car, this cannot help with this problem.

Hot wiring

This is another way to start your engine if there is a problem with the ignition switch. But if there’s a problem with the battery of your car or the starter motor, this way will not work. You just need to take the cover on the ignition switch plastic cover by applying a screwdriver. You just need to apply the screwdriver to the clip that attaches the cover to the plastic places. Once you remove the plastic cover on or under the steering wheel, you can see the old ignition switch system. And you need to take the ignition switch mechanism from its place. You will see a bunch of cables that come from different regions of your car, and these cables have different colors and different quotes. You just need to directly connect the BATT cable and the ST cable to directly crank your engine. These are the general quotes of the ignition switch system. Colors of the cables may change according to the model and the brand of your car.

Using jumper cables

Also, you can use jumper cables if you have a dead battery. You just need to connect all the jumper cables to the negative pole of your battery and the negative pole of your friend’s vehicle’s battery. And also, you need to connect the positive side to the friends of your battery and your battery. Once you are sure that the electrical connection is full, you just need to start your car in a classical way. But also, if there is a problem with the ignition switch mechanism or the cable connections between the battery and the ignition switch, this method will not work properly.

Conclusion on how to start a car with a bad ignition switch

These are the general ways that you can apply if you have a bad ignition switch and you need to run your car. But if these ways do not work and you couldn’t start your bad ignition switch or your car, you just need to tow your car to an electrical service or the brand service of your car immediately. If you have additional comments and questions about how to start a car with a bad ignition switch, you can leave them below without any doubt. Pick the other related topics about the car electrics that are available on this website.

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Uğur Uygun

Hello everyone, I am Uğur. I am a mechanical engineer who has experience in different R&D departments of HVAC companies. With my best friend, I decided to build this website to share out knowledge and experience. And also, I am interested in automotive. So, I am writing about automotive and automotive-related articles here. Sharing my knowledge and experiences on these topics is a very big pleasure for me. I am willing to answer all of the questions people have about these topics.

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