TR2/3/3A Intermittent ignition switch problem

[Crankshaft]

I drove my car last Saturday and had several occasions to shut off and restart throughout the day with not a sign of a problem. Got back into the car Sunday morning and there was no sign of life when I turned the key. Did not touch the car until yesterday when I went into the garage to see what kind of problem might be causing the difficulty. As I might have figured, the switch and all else has been working fine since. I've not been able to find any loose connections etc. My question, is the switch something that I can get inside of to clean or service in some other way?
I'm usually reluctant to take the car out not knowing if and when the same monster might attack again.
Any suggestions?

 

[TR3driver]

Just a thought : Did you try the headlights when nothing worked from the key?

Not sure if they are all the same, but my ignition switch was held together with two rivets. Pretty easy to drill them out, clean and lube the switch, then reassemble using two small bolts & nuts (10-32 IIRC, but might have been smaller). The bolts I had were kind of long, so I cut them to length with a Dremel & cutoff wheel after installation.

 

[Jerry]

I have new inserts to the ignition switch and both behave just like yours. But, in my case if you keep switching back and forth, it eventually starts. I think the new insert is too loose in the original case. One of mine is in a TR3 and the other is in an old mini.

 

[Crankshaft]

Thanks guys. I will probably pull the switch out and give it a shot. I might get a new switch as a back-up just in case (if you know what I mean).

Thanks again

 

[TFB]

Thanks guys. I will probably pull the switch out and give it a shot. I might get a new switch as a back-up just in case (if you know what I mean).

Thanks again

You could also use a short piece of wire with alligator clips as a backup since the terminals are big and exposed on the back of the switch.
Tom

 

[trrdster2000]

OR! Keep that same alligator clip wire and run it from the plus side of the battery to the plus side of the coil. I keep one in the Roadster at all times, it has the screw in terminals of brass on the switch and it will oxidize once in a while and start to skip like crazy. Not a lot of fun on the side of the road wire brushing the wire ends.

Wayne

 

[CJD]

The original switch is held by a nut that has solder dabbed on it. You can heat the solder, remove the nut, and the switch guts come out. Easy at that point to clean and reassemble. The nut is an adjustment for the contacts, so it doesn't screw down tightly...

If you have to remove the rivets, they can be replaced with screws.

 

[Crankshaft]

These "hot wire" ideas remind me of my teen years and my older brothers' cars.

Thanks,

 

[charleyf]

These "hot wire" ideas remind me of my teen years and my older brothers' cars.

Thanks,

Or as one Lady told me of her TR3 in her teen years. " I could use a foil gum wrapper to hot wire the car."
Charley

 

[TR3driver]

You could also use a short piece of wire with alligator clips as a backup since the terminals are big and exposed on the back of the switch.
Tom

If you run it up to the tail light terminal on the light switch, the light switch will double as an ignition switch. I've been known to drive for several weeks that way, until I could find the key (or make a new one).