Failure to engage ignition - Parking Safety Switch?

[Ogre]

My Legacy is stranded. (automatic)
It powers on the electical system, but wont start.
I can't even shift it out of park without pushing the little black button.
Once I push the button, I can shift through all the selections and back into park and pull the key out... but I can't turn the key to start it again.

By fiddling with it, I got it to start once... so I could get it home, but now I can't start it again.

What the heck is going on here?
If this is a safety switch issue - can I bypass it?

[Ogre]

Okay, now I noticed that the gear indicated on the dash and what the position of the selector actually is in, are often different things.
If I fiddle with the shifter until the indicated gear is Neutral - can't get it into park - and I put the selector into neutral, then I can start it.

This is the most irritating automotive issue I have ever come across. Especially since I have no idea what the issue is.

Is there anyone with a 92 MANUAL Legacy that would like to trade for an Auto? I hate autos very much and thing that I'll end up dumping this car for a stick at the first taker.

[bignose]

I have a 94 legacy turbo, it does the same thing once in a while. all you have to do is fiddle the shifter up and down a bit till it clicks into park then the car will start..

does you key get stuck in it too ?

it's a bit annoying, i've found docs on the net for how to fix it.. on this site maybe.. not sure.

[Ogre]

Uh, no... the key doesn't get stuck... and fiddling with it to get it into park isn't it.

*sigh*

Read the posts again.