So I'm hearing that bypassing th safety switch is a smart place to start. To do this I assume I can just physically attach the two large gauge wires temporarily, perhaps even just hold them together?

I suspect a broken starter, as it makes little sense that a van without any problems would just stop working completely due to an electrical issue. 
I want to test if volts are going to the starter when the key is turned. I recon I want to be measuring between one of the spades on the starter and ground right?

Thanks!
-craig

On Mar 4, 2012, at 6:18 PM, mark drillock <mdrillock@COX.NET> wrote:

> Sorry, I missed that you were turning it all the way to start and
> hearing the pump at that point and not just from turning the key to on.
> 
> Mark
> 
> mark drillock wrote:
>> The "ignition switch" has 4 switches inside that power different things.
>> One or more can still work while one or more others have gone bad. The
>> switch that powers things to make the fuel pump run is a different
>> switch than the one that makes the starter motor crank.
>> 
>> Mark
>> 
>> Craig Cowan wrote:
>>> Further investigation shows that jumping the battery has no effect,
>>> still no crank. The spades on the neutral switch appear tight, as do
>>> the bolts off the battery terminal.
>>> 
>>> The key turned to start powers up the fuel pump, so it can't be the
>>> ignition switch right?
>>> 
>>> -craig
>>> 
>>> 
>>