How to test a car ignition switch with a multimeter
A faulty ignition switch can prevent your car from starting or failing to shut off properly. This stops electrical signals from reaching components like the starter relay, leaving you stranded or unable to kill the engine.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Turning the key forward and applying power to a wire under the dash to start itDid this help you?
- 2Disconnecting the battery to stall the engineDid this help you?
- 3manually pressing the relay connector or jumping the starter terminals with a wireDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“A couple months ago my 2005 jeep liberty 3.8l wouldn't start.”source ↗
“Today I got to work and when I went to shut it off it didn't.”source ↗
“Now when I turn the key and push my starter button it just turns the starter. Sounds like no spark.”source ↗
“My 2009 Kia Borrego is currently not starting. I pulled the starter relay and jumped the terminals with a wire and the starter cranks. I pulled the housing from the starter relay and tried to start the car, and the relay does not click. If I press the connector in the relay with the housing removed the starter turns over. Is there a good way to test the ignition switch or push button part of it to test if it is working properly? I have a multimeter.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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