Michael's starter woes

["Allan Weidenheimer" <allanw@domain.elided>]

>Well, it did work!  Truck started right up!  Ran great for a few
>minutes.  So at this point, I rule out the starter as the problem,
>right?  I finally decide I have to turn it off, even though I know I
>still have to figure some stuff out before I can restart it.  Turn it
>off, then turn it back on to see if it will work.  Fires right up.  Turn
>it off/on/off/on.  Works.  

Michael:
  I have the same problem, man I wish I knew what the he!! it is.
My truck did this back in about July or August.  I jumped it
like you did, except I connected a wire to the 'S' terminal and
taped it up near the + battery post.  I drove it to the gas station and
turned it off.  When I went to leave, it started right up.  Then it
never happened again until December!  Before trying the
jump wire I cleaned bulkhead connectors, etc.  I really thought it
was the ignition switch.  But now I don't know.  I finally used the wire
I had put in previously, and once it ran a bit, the key worked from 
there on.

My solution is I now have a backup start button:  I have a small 
pushbutton inside that activates a relay (foglamp style) under the 
hood.  That relay sends power to the 'S' terminal via my previously
installed jump wire.  If it will ever stop working with the key again so
I can try to troubleshoot it, maybe I'll track the problem down.  My
solution is just to make sure if it decides to break, I can still drive 
home, 'cause I know it won't decide to break in my driveway!!

Good Luck
Allan Weidenheimer
72 1210 Pickup