Thank you VERY much for your detailed reply. It's been starting fine since
then, but the past couple days I detected the smell of gasoline when I come
to a stop after a highway drive, so a tune-up and thorough checkup is in
order. I'm sure I'll be replacing the ignition switch, too; it's not that
expensive a part. Thanks again.




> I should think so. One of the problems that affect electrical contacts
> is that they slowly become carbonized (or is it oxidized?) from the
> spark that occurs when they first join to complete a circuit,
> particularly where grease has been applied--just think of what happens
> to your iron skillet when you pour fry oil out of it and some runs down
> the side, then gets completely burned on the next time you use it if you
> forget to wipe it off thoroughly. The initial spark of connecting
> contacts is hot and does the same thing over a long period. I'm pretty
> sure that the last ignition switch I saw was greased (not Honda), as
> would be expected.
>
> Depending on how you turn and release the key, more or less spark can
> result. More spark, and for longer, results in quicker
> carbonization/oxidation and/or contact damage. The
> carbonization/oxidation eventually builds up to the point where
> sufficient electrical contact to power the circuit can no longer be
> made--the resistance is too great. However, there can easily be a period
> of time leading up to permanent failure when the contact can still be
> made sufficiently to operate the circuit, despite intermittent failure.
> For example, when the contact jiggles a little--the parts of the contact
> which are dirtier sometimes make contact, resulting in failure, while
> when the cleaner portions connect the circuit works (in this case, the
> engine runs).
>
> Hope that made sense--I'm no electrical engineer and may have the
> terminology wrong, but I've seen and worked with lots of electrical
> contacts.