Auto Inhibitor Switch

From: Ian Powis
email: ian.powis@ehotspot.co.uk
Date: 26 Mar 2006
Time: 09:11

Message

Now that it's warm enough to venture back into the garage, I've been having a look at the S2 auto coupe I bought as a non-runner back in October last year. Before it turned cold I'd diagnosed that the fuel pump was a goner, and that the bushes around the auto selector lever had perished and needed replacing. A fuel pump from Jack sorted the first and I used various bushes I had obtained at various times on the selector mechanism. Getting the lever into the park position to activate the inhibitor switch is vital and hey presto - the car started for the first time in several years I think! I then had to replace the exhaust which was a pile of rust before running it up further. So far so good. I still though have a problem with the inhibitor system I think. If I put the lever into Park 'normally' then it won't start, but if I give it a good shove from drive, then it's OK. I'd like to understand a bit more about how this switch works. Can anyone provide any details? The switch is on the auto box case, and I presume it protrudes into the box and works from a plate shaped very like the plate under the selector. Either the switch itself is worn or the linkage needs adjustment. I've not had the car up on a ramp yet so I'm not sure how easy it is to change the inhibitor switch in situ.