TLS
04-02-2011, 06:17 PM
Went to work today.
Backed in my spot as usual.
Set parking brake and put the transmission up in PARK. Usually this is where my doors all unlock (how I have it set). I had to manually unlock my drivers door to get out. Didn't think of it then as I was in a hurry. Thought there might have been a glitch.
Get all finished work and tried to remote start it while walking up to the car....NO GO with that! (not unusual, as the remote start is kind of glitchy)
So I unlocked it, got in, inserted key, turn it....NOTHING. No click, nothing. Radio is on, HVAC is on, headlights only slightly dim when trying to crank.
So I pop both the hood and trunk and wiggle EVERY battery terminal and connector I can see (it's dark). Still....NO CRANK.
I think back to shutting it off, and wonder if it really isn't in PARK. Cant move shifter OUT of PARK, even with key in and turned. (which is weird) I play with the shifter, wiggling it, pushing if forward, side to side, pushing the button. NOTHING works.
Then I do the walk of shame.....back into work to ask a buddy for a jump start. Figure, if that doesn't do it, I'll get a ride home and leave it there.
Go to hook up cables, and get a pretty good spark on my negative engine compartment post. Get in, and try to start it, and it starts up like there was nothing wrong with it !?!
While driving home, I notice that while I'm in DRIVE, I can push the shifter forward (it seems loose) and next to the shifter shows N, and I'm still in drive. Something is screwy with the shifter. I didn't want to fiddle with it until I got home.
There is definitely a detent missing between P-R-N-D, push it up to PARK, and it still reads REVERSE! Push it harder, and it eventually goes into PARK and the door locks open.
So, this was my problem. You obviously cant start the car without it being in PARK, but you cant move the shifter if it isn't started!
Long story short, make SURE your in PARK or you'll be stranded.
I still don't know what the jump start did to allow it to start though? Maybe being in "LIMBO" for 8 hours drained the battery a little??? I don't know.
The car was in for the rear main seal replacement a few days ago, and was probably only started 8 times since getting it back from that. Wonder if something in the shifter mechanism was knocked out of whack when they did that?
Backed in my spot as usual.
Set parking brake and put the transmission up in PARK. Usually this is where my doors all unlock (how I have it set). I had to manually unlock my drivers door to get out. Didn't think of it then as I was in a hurry. Thought there might have been a glitch.
Get all finished work and tried to remote start it while walking up to the car....NO GO with that! (not unusual, as the remote start is kind of glitchy)
So I unlocked it, got in, inserted key, turn it....NOTHING. No click, nothing. Radio is on, HVAC is on, headlights only slightly dim when trying to crank.
So I pop both the hood and trunk and wiggle EVERY battery terminal and connector I can see (it's dark). Still....NO CRANK.
I think back to shutting it off, and wonder if it really isn't in PARK. Cant move shifter OUT of PARK, even with key in and turned. (which is weird) I play with the shifter, wiggling it, pushing if forward, side to side, pushing the button. NOTHING works.
Then I do the walk of shame.....back into work to ask a buddy for a jump start. Figure, if that doesn't do it, I'll get a ride home and leave it there.
Go to hook up cables, and get a pretty good spark on my negative engine compartment post. Get in, and try to start it, and it starts up like there was nothing wrong with it !?!
While driving home, I notice that while I'm in DRIVE, I can push the shifter forward (it seems loose) and next to the shifter shows N, and I'm still in drive. Something is screwy with the shifter. I didn't want to fiddle with it until I got home.
There is definitely a detent missing between P-R-N-D, push it up to PARK, and it still reads REVERSE! Push it harder, and it eventually goes into PARK and the door locks open.
So, this was my problem. You obviously cant start the car without it being in PARK, but you cant move the shifter if it isn't started!
Long story short, make SURE your in PARK or you'll be stranded.
I still don't know what the jump start did to allow it to start though? Maybe being in "LIMBO" for 8 hours drained the battery a little??? I don't know.
The car was in for the rear main seal replacement a few days ago, and was probably only started 8 times since getting it back from that. Wonder if something in the shifter mechanism was knocked out of whack when they did that?