1990 M30 failure to start

[nwebster]

Hi,

my daughter's 1990 M30 failed to start only 30 min after I had started the car. The engine did not crank and the starter did not appear to turn and I couldn't detect a click on the starter solenoid. The starter relay is okay so I can rule out the theft relay, but there is no voltage getting to the starter solenoid. Tapping the starter gently with a mallet did not free the starter so I don't think it's a stuck motor. I checked the manual and a likely culprit could be the inhibitor switch. I looked for the leads connecting to the inhibitor switch on the side of the transmission. The manual shows leads coming from the switch. However I could not find the connector to test the switch. I can find the other end of the cable as it exits the wire harness just behind the battery then connects through a B/W cable down to the starter solenoid. Do inhibitor switches go bad? What's the best approach to replacing it? My daughter is going nuts not having a car!

Any ideas?

Thanks, Nick

[goody90q45]

Welcome to NICO Nick. I don't know much about the M30 but take a good look at the battery connections. Are they both fitting very tight and unable to rotate by hand? A bad battery connection can cause the exact symptoms you're describing. Also check the cables for corrosion from the battery to the solenoid. Also didn't see you mention how new your battery is and whether you checked it. Good luck.