Ignition switch wiring question...

[cafiem]

A question for all the budding auto electricians out there:

On the ignition switch on the colulm there is two seperate plugs, one that does the acc/ign on side of things ( 4 or 5 pins ) and then there is one that does the start function ( 2 pins ).
Anyway my questions are:

What does the thick purple wire on the acc/ign side do? I have tried and no matter what position the key is in it does not circuit with any of the other terminals or to earth.
The starter solenoid wire is also purple so I'm not sure if it has something to do with that?
It would make sense if it connected power to one side of the other ( starter solenoid ) switch .

Also:
The 2 pin starter switch...Is it just a matter of connecting power to one side and the starter solenoid wire to the other side?

I should mention that the bloke that messed ( nicest word I could think of ) with the under dash wires must have had no idea because there are wire joined everywhere and most of them dont really go anywhere.

I would like to sort the mess out if I could as I am not able to slip down the road to a workshop. I have a wiring diagram and it helps a bit but I dont really know much more than the real basics.

thanks for any help,
Cameron.

[cafiem]

Anyone please?

[Taily]

It's not the inhibitor switch (auto) input into the ignition switch? From memory one or two of them are purple.

[agr071]

The thick purple, as mentioned, goes from ignition switch to inhibitor switch (if it's a manual this plug is just joined together), then down to your starter.
The other thing to remember is if the last owner was a tinkerer, he may have loosened the holding screws of the electrical part of ignition switch.
These need to be loosened and slide the switch UP the steering column.

Hope this helps as i can't see the car.

[cafiem]

Thank both of you, that explains it.
Is the sort of seperate two pins closest to the steering wheel end of the terminals the terminals for the starter? Does that make sense?