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Alright I have a weird issue with my car, it’s only done this twice so far but it doesnt crank or make any click at all when I turn the key. The last time it happened was at a gas station. I didnt get any gas but just went in to grab something really quick.
After about 5 minutes I came out and tried starting the car but ya…. no crank. Called my dad because I had no idea what to do so he came over. In the end the way we got it started was we put the car in neutral and pushed it backwards, and (while it was rolling) quickly put it in ‘park’.
And after that it started right up. I was thinking a mechanical (not electrical…) problem with the starter?? Any ideas what it could be? :unsure:
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possibly a loose earth on the engine block – I had this happen and it takes 2 seconds to eliminate (jumper cable from battery -ve to metal on the engine itself)
Possibly if it’s an auto (i assume it is) there could be a safety switch to stop you from starting it in gear that’s giving problems
What model is it and a few more details would help more knowledgeable folk assist you
What car are we on? make,model,year and engine.
how many miles? its not good to roll the car and
jam it in park.’96 Nissan Altima 2.4l 4-cyl. it has a little over 220k miles, and yes ’tis automatic. If it is a bad ground then would that routine with jumper cables fix it?
see if this link helps.You may have a problem
with your neutral safety switch.http://www.justanswer.com/car/0di68-difficulty-starting-car-need-manipulate-gear-shift-start.html
will do! i havent checked anything but just a little while ago i drove for awhile and went to an a.t.m. real quick. got back in the car and it did the exact same no crank thing that it did at the gas station!…
all i did this time though was put her in neutral and without rolling i turned the key and right away it started. i’m REALLY thinking it is the neutral safety switch now lol :cheer:
Thanks Collegeman. I learned something new from you today. This could be a really expensive repair if it was taken to certain types of mechanics.
[quote=”drthrift035″ post=51749]Thanks Collegeman. I learned something new from you today. This could be a really expensive repair if it was taken to certain types of mechanics.[/quote]
Happy to help. 🙂
It does sound like you might be onto something with the neutral safety switch, especially if you’ve ruled out the battery or a connection problem. On some vehicles it’s actually part of the PRNDL switch. Sometimes they just need a little adjusting and you don’t need to replace the switch. Also, those switches are adjustable so keep that in mind when you’re doing your installation. Normally, you would adjust it while it’s in park but you also need to make sure all the other gears register on the dash before you can say your adjustment is complete.
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