A few questions for you?

When you turn over the key do any of the dash lights come on?

If the lights come on in the dash that would indicate the ignition is prob not the cause.

If you turn over the key and the starter does not run I would looks towards the nuetral safety switch or the starter.

Are you able to shift the car into nuetral? You need to ensure that you are in nuetral by pushing the car one way or another, just because the gear selector indicates nuetral or park doesnt mean that is the gear you are in. Your shift linkage may have come apart and the car very well could be stuck in gear, thus the safety switch is engaged.

If you can move the car freely you can rule out a bad linkage and the car being stuck in gear. That leaves the starter, there is a simple way to test the starter as well. Take a pair of rubber handled pliers and locate the starter motor and solenoid. What your going to do is bridge the terminals on the starter motor with the ignition turn to the on position. This will allow power to go directly from the battery to the starter. If it runs your starter is good and you either have a wiring problem somewhere between the ignition and the coil or a bad solenoid.

If you try this make sure you have a buddy in the car holding the brake, and have the parking brake on. Dont be scared of the sparks either. I had a similar problem with my 66 250S and used this method to diagnose what the problem was. I had my wife sit in the drivers seat...I told her to give it gas after I got the car started...little did I know the car was stuck in reverse(hence why It wouldnt start, N safety switch engaged), so me being under the car behind the front tires wasnt the best thing. Just as I crawled out from under the car...the makeshift tire chocks gave way and the car flew across the parking lot in reverse! I almost won a Darwin Award...Be careful!


-Curt

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'66 250S (SOLD)
'72 250C (SOLD)
'92 190E 2.3 (SOLD)
'02 C320 Wagon (SOLD)
'04 S40 (SOLD)
'99 535i (Euro Spec)