I had a problem starting my 745 Turbo yesterday - turn the key, panel lights come on, electrical hum and a click. I jumped it from my trusty '86 744 and it eventually started, but I am pretty sure the battery was not drained; the starter is acting weird. I got the battery checked at my local garage and it is fine, the charging system is fine, etc.

Looking at the FAQ on this subject I see that these cars aren't supposed to start in Neutral. There is a Neutral Safety Switch (or something like that). I am concerned about the electrical connections in the shifter console because a number of electrical things needed replacing when I first got the car in April - both seat heater switches, the blue light that illuminates the heater switches, the tiny light that lights up the PRND21 indicator - all were out and needed to be replaced. Something fishy is going on down there. I also wonder if this might be causing the system not to register the difference between being in Park or Neutral and in R or D as there is no idle compensation for being under load (no compensation with a/c either, though it never stalls).

My local Volvo dealer is pretty trustworthy and I have resorted to consulting with them about some things in the past (diagnosing why my electric locks didn't work, converting my a/c to R-134) - sooo I am wondering if I should just bite the bullet and let the experts figure this one out. When it comes to wiring diagrams, etc., I don't even know how to read them.

Anyone have any constructive suggestions? Thanks for the help!!!
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Darius in Albany NY '86 744 GLE (172K); '91 745T (161K)