I just put in a new starter because my car decided to stop starting. Shortly before, I had been driving at night and suddenly all the electrical widgets in the car went out and there was a strange noise.

After that - car wouldn't start on it's own - push started fine though.

So the new starter went in - and everything returned to normal for a while, but then it did the same thing on a start this weekend. I listened to the sound and I think it may be that the starter is staying on. It is consistent with what is wired to be off when the car is in the III position on the key.

So I think something in my ignition switch is bad, and I need a new one, though I'm not completely sure what I need, and if it's something I can replace myself. I seem to remember my old car having some antitheft features around the ignition -

it's a '90 740 intercooled manual turbo wagon.

Don't know if this helps, buy my 93 940 had a starter that failed. It was probably just the solenoid failing to engage, but all I could get is a complete rebuild.

About 2 weeks after installing, my wife started the car, and it sounded like she had turned the igition back to the start position for a moment, after it had started. Afterwards, though, the engine sounded really wierd, which she noticed too. I popped the hood, and saw a small amount of smoke wafting up from the driver's side of the engine. I told her to shut it off, and when she did, you could hear the starter cranking as if it was in start position, even though the keys were out of the ignition!

I'm fairly convinced this was a starter solenoid sticking, and not the ignition, because there had never been a symptom like this before the new starter went in. In all subsequent testing the problem never re-occurred. The next day though, I noticed solder splashes directly under where the starter was on that day, so I don't feel too good about the long-term prospects for this starter. I"m going to have to go back and get another rebuilt from the same place, I guess.

--
David Armstrong - '86 240(350k km?), '93 940T(270k km), '89 240(parts source for others) near Toronto

Well I just replaced the starter, so I'm hoping that isn't the problem. And when miy starter stays on, the rest of the car is off too except the things that are on when in position III with the key, so it points strongly to an ignition switch problem. Anyone know how difficult it is to replace the ignition switch where these contacts are?