Hello from the SF bay area, California

[charles000]

Hello from the SF bay area, California. I've recently become intimately familiar with a 1976 Fiat Spider, a very fun car to drive . . . when it's happy. I don't actually own the car, but I get to borrow it from time to time from a long time friend, who is just beginning to learn about the details minutia of this bit of classic machinery. I was once a serious Land Rover fanatic in past decades (had both the original 88 and 109 models - the serious safari machines of their day), so I have some familiarity with reviving and caring for classic vehicles of this era.

I came to this forum specifically to find solutions for a rather frustrating intermittent problem . . . every so often, turning the ignition switch to "start" position delivers no current to the starter motor, even though the battery is fully charged, and all the other electrical systems turn on and are fully functional. Of course, this never happens when a mechanic is looking at this - only at the most inconvenient moments does this suddenly occur, without warning.

Some have suggested a malfunctioning relay, or the starter solenoid might get stuck every so often . . .

Ah yes, the joys of these mechanical gadgets from a long past era. In any case, I'm happy to be here, hope I can unravel this latest dilemma.

[124JOE]

have the ingition tested

[Sunracer]

Have you tried flexing the wires to the back of the ign switch while you try to start it-this is a common location for a poor connection. PB

[reinaldo]

Just like you, I was also a fanatic of Land Rover before because it's pretty good when it comes to exploration task since land rover parts are really tough.

[AndyS]

I have replaced many ignition switches on older Fiats, and that is my guess is to what is wrong with the car. the internals get worn/corroded. New factory replacement switches are available and not too hard to replace.