2001 Escort zx2 ignition switch shorting out inside switch assembly.

What do you mean by "shorting out"? Are fuses blowing? Can I assume the squealing is more than a belt squeal? What about the starter not disengaging?

I would suspect first the starter is not disengaging. It will kick out in reverse and drive due to the neutral safety switch. If I'm right, you can prove it by starting the engine, then removing the starter relay. Actually, if you have the round unit on the inner fender next to the battery, just unplug the small red wire. If the noise stops, you're hearing the starter.

There has been a lot of trouble with the ignition switches. They have a cheap plastic wheel inside with ramps that plastic pins ride on. When a ramp pushes a pin up it pushes open one of four switches to turn it off. Two things can happen to those pins. The switch contacts can overheat and melt the pins, then a pin could be too short to push a switch off, or it can melt in the off position and hold a spring-loaded switch from turning on.

If you can see arcing inside the switch assembly, it sounds like it's time to replace it.

Don't know anything about donating, but thank you. I wouldn't jump on the starter just yet because it might be okay. It won't stay engaged on its own. It has to be a stuck relay or a switch problem. I suspect the switch because the starter must be turning off when the ignition switch is moved to the "off" position. That eliminates the relay.

Can't attest to the durability issue either. My information comes from watching a former student handle the problem on his car. He showed me the melted plastic pins. At first it would crank but not start, and later it wouldn't even crank. Two of those four pins were melted.

I just looked up your switch on rockauto. Com and almost filled my pants! This does not look like the switch I remembered, and they want over $200.00 for the whole assembly. I guess I would entertain a notion to take yours apart to see if there is something that can be fixed. Next, since I haven't heard of a big problem with these, you might consider finding one at a salvage yard. Either way it looks like you'll end up with a different key. I can't tell from the photo if you can take just the switch off and put it on your existing lock cylinder.