Dear Jim,

Recently, my 1993 Ford Taurus began having starting problems. The battery seems fine (full power to the lights, A/C, etc.), but the engine often won't respond at all when I turn the key. I figured this was because of a bad starter, so I tried banging on it a little bit, like you mentioned in "Nuts and Bolts" a while back. That didn't work, so I got the starter replaced, but the problem is still there. The engine just won't fire up sometimes. I'll try again later, and the car mysteriously starts. Is this a problem in the ignition?

-- Chuck Holden

First of all, bro, it was good thinking to knock on the starter. That trick has helped many a stranded motorist get back on the road until they can have that bad starter replaced. In your case, it didn't work.

That's because you didn't have a bad starter to begin with, which you now know, because having the new one installed still hasn't fixed the problem. It's most likely not due to trouble in the ignition switch either, but you're much closer.

The starter does get its power from the ignition, but in between there's something called the neutral safety switch. Its job is to make sure your car will not start while you have it in gear. Obviously, starting in gear would be very dangerous, so this switch automatically opens (breaks) the circuit unless the transmission is in a safe position -- either "park" or "neutral."

I'm betting that your neutral safety switch isn't working right, and it's not closing that ignition circuit when it's supposed to. As a result, your starter is getting no power and you're left sitting there. Instead of banging on the new starter, try jiggling the gear-shifter a little bit and see if that works. If it does, there you go -- bad neutral safety switch. Have it checked out in any case.

One more thing: It sounds like your battery is probably fine, but remember that most of the time starting problems do come from a weak battery. We always think about the wintertime being hard on batteries, because the engine oil thickens so much, but there's another side to the buffalo nickel: The summer heat can be just as bad, especially with all the power drain from air-conditioners. Have your battery checked to make sure it's delivering all the amperage it should during these hotter days.

Buffalo Jim, owner of Allstate Auto & Marine Repair in Las Vegas, writes a weekly column. Send your automotive questions to him at buffalojim@lasvegasniftynickel.com. If Jim picks your question to answer in Nuts & Bolts, you'll also be the proud recipient of a deck of official Buffalo Jim playing cards, presented in a classy, tin box bearing his hairy image.