Ever since I bought my car it has had times where it would crank but not start. After a year of trying to walk others through there no start problems I decided to something about mine.
I detirmined if I pushed my key upward while cranking, it would fire and run. I pulled my switch and inserted two pieces of tape at the "top" of the upsidedown "T" in the switch. It has started first time every time thus far.
Its only been two days now, I'll keep you all updated.
I believe Dbear had a thread. If anyone could post a link it'd be appreciated.

I've read others saying that they have used tape or something to get rid of the play in the ignition switch. When my ignition switch started doing this, I replaced it. I opened up the old one and saw that the contacts for the start position had arced and burned.

By taking out the play, this makes the contacts move a little bit more and make a connection past the bad section. What will probably happen eventually is that this small section of contact will also arc and burn. But how long it will take is something I have no way of predicting.

In my case, I cleaned the contacts and put the old switch back in the car. I used it for about 9 months and then I decided to put the new switch back in. I figured that since I had bought the new one, why have it sitting on the shelf.

How did yours look from the outside? Mine didnt look like it had gotten hot or anything. I have seen switches from other vehicles that melted pretty good from bad contacts.

Everything looked perfectly normal from the outside. Arcing, which is another word for sparking, happens anytime you connect 2 wires (or contacts) that are live. Being inside a switch, you just don't see it, but it still happens and it is normal. I think my using the word arcing is making you think of a short circuit situation. But any sparking is going to cause a black crust that doesn't conduct electricity. You clean it off and you're back in business.

If you get ambitious and decide to take your ignition switch apart, there is a spring inside that puts pressure on the contacts. Open it carefully so the spring doesn't go flying.

There isn't a single thread. I've mentioned it a few times in "no start" threads. Here's one of the longer ones: http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...ml#post7075437. My posts are 13 and 18. It looks like the link to the picture is broken. This should work: http://s397.photobucket.com/albums/p...Ignition-1.jpg

Incidentally, when I first had this problem, I replaced the ignition switch early on. But that didn't solve it. It took me quite a while to get back to it as the culprit.

Thank you Dbear. I havent had the problem return yet.
So a new switch didnt solve the issue, and it might be a worn lock mechanism? I was talking to a former locksmith friend of mine, and he said it was common to bend the corners of the "T" to reduce slop.

asand--

No, the switch didn't solve it. I had to f*** around with it for quite a while after that to figure it out.

I've had it return a couple of times (in 3 or 4 years). Usually I find out that the tape slid off. FWIW, when I have the problem (even originally) I'm always able to get the car to start, but it may take 10 or 15 tries.

I'd be leery about bending the T. IIRC, it didn't look very sturdy.

No doubt, looks like pot metal. If I have to do it again, Ill try pop can aluminum and glue of some sort.

christ, get a used or new one and call it day.

Did you not read the part about a new switch not fixing the problem?

I think its more likely that the slop between lock and switch causes the arcing and eventual meltdown. By shimming the switch, a person might save the switch before this happens.