I concor with what others have said. If it still doesn't start, then insert the ign. key, turn to start with your LEFT hand and hold it in the start position then, with your right hand, slowly move the gear shift lever forward of neutral and/or back of neutral slowly and see if the starter engages. If it does, your PNP sensor is in need of replacement.

DEWFPO
--
1998 S90 077,400 and 1995 964 154,100

You may have the classice PNP switch failure (neutral safety switch). Try rowing the gear selector back thru the range of gears about 20-30 times. See if it starts then.

DanR 94 964 322,000 miles (88,000 on the new engine)
--
DanR

Dear Phil,

Good a.m. and may this find you well. Do the instrument cluster warning lights dim, when you turn the key to start it? If they dim, that suggests the battery is on its way out. If they remain bright, you might want to test the battery with a Volt-Ohm-Multimeter. Sometimes a single cell in a battery fails. That leaves enough power to make the instrument warning lights glow brightly, but not enough to move the starter.

You might try jiggling the ignition key. If that key has been on a large, heavy bunch of keys, it might have damaged the ignition switch. Sometimes, jiggling the key can complete the connection.

At the risk of laboring the obvious, if you do not know - on the basis of a detailed receipt for the work - when the timing belt was last changed, you should change it at once. A timing belt breakage on a 960 engine means a $2-3,000 repair bill. When the belt breaks, the valves usually hit the pistons, bending valve stems and ruining valve guides. For more information, see the FAQs, under SITE FEATURES.

Hope this helps.

Yours faithfully,

spook