Hello,
Thank you in advance for any advice you can offer.
My car: 07 S40 T5 AWD, Manual trans.
Quebec, Canada car... so the display is french.

Car will not crank, and displays the following symptoms:

All dash lights normal in position 1 and 2.

When turn to 3 (crank), get the following message:

démarreur en position 1 ou 2

Translated, this is: Starter in position 1 or 2.


When I return the key to 0, there are rapid clicks between position 1 and 0.


Do you have any thoughts?
Andrew
Ontario, Canada

 

Several possibilities:

1. Starter safety switch. Is there a message to indicate if you have the clutch pushed in or not? Will the car start without the clutch pushed in?
2. Low battery or corroded battery connections. What is your battery voltage? Do you hear clicking noises when placing the key to 3?
3. Bad ignition switch. I've replaced mine on my 2005. Symptoms were simple enough. When moving the key to 3 nothing happened (that I remember). Just acted like as if I'd never turned the key. Does yours do anything other than the dash board message? Clicking, lights dimming, anything?

 

Thank you Hudini.

1. No error message besides the one indicated. I haven't tried starting without clutch engaged, but will check.
2. Battery is newish, and connections are cleaned and checked. Reading 12.4V.
3. This is what I am wondering about. The rapid clicking is actually emanating from behind the ignition switch (rapid clicking when moving from 0 to 1 or vice-versa). Moving the key to 2 generates a momentary hum from behind the dash and the message "Starter in position 1 or 2" came up on the data screen.

Moving the key to 3 generated a single click from perhaps the starter solenoid though can't be sure.

I pushed the car in gear to see if perhaps the starter was jammed engaged... either it is not, or it is not releasing.

Does anyone know what the error message means? Searching here and on the web hasn't turned up anything. The rapid clicking is the strangest symptom.

Cheers

 

Rapid clicking from the starter solenoid is low voltage from the battery. Of course this is out in the engine compartment. From the actual switch? Sounds like you may be zeroing in on your problem. The switch is rather expensive at, IIRC, $175. One thing I seem to remember, when moving from position 2 to 3 the old switch was somewhat stiff. The new one was smooth and easy. Has your switch changed feel lately?