I am currently dealing with a very frustrating starting problem with my 300D. This is the symptom: I turn the key in the ignition and sometimes it will start and sometimes it won’t. If it doesn’t start I proceed to turn the key between the off position and the start position. Eventually it starts, sometimes after doing this once, sometimes after 10 attempts.
At the beginning of this problem, I knew nothing about automotive electrical systems, so I thought it was the starter and replaced it with a remanufactured Autolite starter from Kragen/Checker Auto Parts (I know this was probably a bad idea). Well, the problem continued and since I already dropped off my (probably) good Bosch starter for a core refund, it’s too late to go back.
So, I decided I was going to learn more about my car. I bought a digital multimeter and a 300D electrical schematic from a Haynes manual. I tested the purple wire coming out of the ignition switch (this goes to the neutral safety switch. By-the-way, the neutral safety switch was replaced a couple of years ago by the original owner). Sometimes electricity flowed through and sometimes it didn’t. So I replaced the ignition switch with a new one. The problem persisted.
I put the meter on the downstream side of the ignition switch and about 10 volts of current flowed through it. Is this normal? I put the meter on the starter relay wire at the starter connection and it says about 10 volts—sometimes it starts with 10 volts and other times it doesn’t.
Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks a lot!
--ERIK in San Diego