1990 ford bronco key turns but will not press ignition switch?

Answer 1

I am not 100% sure of what you are asking. But, I'll take a stab.

I recently had a problem on my 1988 Full Size Bronco where I could turn the key to start but it wouldnt turn over. The lights came on and the fuel pump spun up but nothing from the engine.

There are several things on this Bronco that could have been the problem. My problem turned out to be the Park Neutral Saftey Switch. This is an easy fix but getting the part was a pain. Ford used the PNSS for the electrically activated transfer case on all Broncos in 1988 (or at least a lot of 'em). This PNSS switch has 6 leads. The switch for the manual transfer case has four. My Bronco has a manual transfer case but it has the 6 lead PNSS. It turns out that the extra two wires are not used.

The PNSS may be found on the transmission on the drivers side. When you shift to drive or reverse etc you will see the connector which is actuating this switch. Of course, uou'll need to make sure the vehicle won't move if you have some one actuate the shift lever while you look underneath. (I don't want you to get squashed!)

I suppose you could take it off and clean it. It is likely sealed with silicon which you could replace after cleaning it.

In addition to this part, there is an actuator on top of the steering column that is moved by the key when turned. This actuator is connected to a switch on top of the steering column which you can't see until you let the column down.

This actuator sometimes breaks. I suppose the switch it is connected to could also go bad. You can see the actuator move when you turn the key if it is not broken. You look at the gap between the dash and the steering wheel and it will be right on top.

There is a starter relay under the hood on the passenger side by the battery. Some folks call this a solenoid. There is a large cable from the positive battery terminal on the front and a large cable going to the starter on the back. There are usually two other smaller posts but usually only one has a connection. At least mine has only one and it is on top.

The starter relay can go bad. You can test it by ttaking a wire from the positive terminal of your battery to the top post on the relay. If the motor turns over then you can say that the relay and starter are likely not At Fault.

Hope some of this helps. Good luck.