'60 ignition switch problem?

[TbirdJohn1]

I had problems starting my car today and have a question I hope someone can provide direction on. First I will explain the symptoms and then what ask the question(s). The explanation is long, but it might help to know what I have done already.

The last time I started the car the ignition switch worked fine, which it always has. Today, I tried to start the car and with the key in the START position nothing happens. The starter relay does not click and it is just silence. With the switch in ACC or ON, everything else works - the radio, lights, turn signals and the Gen and Oil lights illuminate.

Following the troubleshooting directions in the shop manual I jumpered from the battery terminal of the relay to the relay ignition switch terminal. The starter engaged and the engine cranked like it should. As an experiment, with the ignition switch in the ON position I jumpered the terminal again and the engine cranked and started. I immediately removed the jumper to disengage the starter and the engine continued to run as normal. Turning the ignition switch to OFF stopped the engine as usual.

According to the troubleshooting directions, the next step is to jumper from the battery terminal on the lighting switch to the starter relay terminal on the ignition switch. This will check the function of the wire from the ignition switch to the starter relay.

THIS IS WHERE I NEED SOME HELP. I pulled the ignition switch out of the back of the panel and there are 7 wire connectors attached to it. Some of the connectors have two wires so there is a total of 10 wires. None of the wires on the back of the ignition switch match the color of the wire at the starter relay. So,
- can anyone tell me which wire on the back of the ignition switch is the starter relay wire?
and/or
- does anyone have an ignition switch wiring diagram with colors and functions identified?
- has anyone run across an ignition switch where just part of the function fails like this?

Unfortunately the shop manual troubleshooting schematic does not indicate the wire color, which is why I am stuck where I am.

Finally, since it is the obvious question: Everything I am dealing with is original. Original ignition switch and original wiring harness. So, nothing is a replacement or spliced wire that would explain the color mismatches. I know this because the car has been in the family since new and I have had it since 1969, so I know the work/replacement history for it.

Thanks in advance for any info, insight or direction you can provide, John

[TbirdJohn1]

I should add to the above post that I strongly suspect the problem is the wire from the ignition switch to the starter relay based on the poor condition of that wire at the relay (I hadn't looked at that wire in a long time and it is cracked and deteriorated).

Therefore, I want to run a temporary wire from the switch to the relay to see if that works and if it does then run a dedicated wire to the relay bypassing the original wire, if it is bad. I want to try this first because just getting a new ignition switch won't solve the problem if it is the wire. But, I don't know which terminal on the switch to use.

[partsetal]

For the wiring diagram you need go to 'Old Car Manual Project' and in the site index you will find a section for wiring diagrams. The 60 thunderbird is there.

[TbirdJohn1]

Thanks for the reply. I went to the site you mentions (wow, lots of info) and to the Index but did not find a specific wiring manual tab. I searched by 1960 Thunderbird but, found a wiring manual section, but it was for a span of Ford years and seemed to only for windows? But, it also looked like I needed to download an App?

So, I suspect I am close but couldn't find what I think you are referring to. At the risk of sounding computer ignorant (which I don't think I am) is it possible for you to give me a little more direction once I am in the site?

Thanks, John

[TbirdJohn1]

After sending the above message I went back to the site and clicked around and I think I found it! At least I found a one page wiring diagram for the 1960 Thunderbird which certainly has a lot of wires and connections on it that look like they go to all the right places (they sure put a lot of lines on that one page).
I printed and saved it and then tried to find it again, but couldn't. At least I have it now on my computer and in my hand.

Thanks a lot - This is a lot more detail than I had in the shop manual and I hope should help pin down problem.

John

[redstangbob]

http://www.oldcarmanualproject.com/tOCM ... 65-204.jpg

this is the page I found. good luck, Bob C

[TbirdJohn1]

Yes, that is the one I ran across, too, although I couldn't find it again. Fortunately I saved it and printed it before I "lost" it.
It looks like what I need (I hope). It is way more detail than I started with.

That is a pretty good site. Lots of interesting things on it.

Thanks,
John

[cauerbach60SB]

John,

What ended up being the issue? My 1960 Squarebird started doing the exact same thing today.

Chris