OK, I am really stumped here.

Here are the details.

Few days ago car wouldnt start. After an hour and messing around with the key fob locking and unlocking the car, moving the shift level back and forth with nothing happening. I get out of the car and happend to lock and unlock three times. Get in the car and it started.

Then the car worked perfectly for the next two days, starting all the time while I made my sales calls.

Today I go the movies with my bride and come out the and the car won't start. Doesn't need a jump. Then the tow truck driver shows up and he takes the cover off the (starter solinoid I think) and jumps it to the battery and the car starts. He says he has rebuilt starter's and knows that you can bypass the ignition this way.

So I drive the car home and then I try to start the car again and nothing. All lights, power everything, but no juice to the starter.

Anyone have any ideas on the culprit or do I have to take it to the shop?

Help in Oregon,

Ray

 

Oh BTW, I read that you should turn the key to on and move the gear selector lever back and forth several times. Then try to start the car. Why does this work? What does it tell me? What item is getting ready to fail?

Ray

 

That usually means the PNP switch is going bad.
The PNP switch tells the ECU that the car is in park and allows it to start.

 

What about the alarm rely? Could this also be part of the problem or I am just reading too many posts?

Also someone said it should start in nuetral which it doens't. Does that also point to the PNP?

 

Possibly best way to tell is to use a test light on the small wire on the starter when it will not start. If you have no power when you try to start look at the PNP. If you have power and it will not start then I would look at the starter.

 

OK car has been good for a long time. Now it is starting this all over again. Before I spend good money on a PNP switch, here is something else.

When the car wouldn't start, I was told to run the gear selector back and forth many times and sometimes this clears the code. Today, the car wouldn't start, but...
I heard clicking sounds coming from the center console and I could feel that on the gear selector ****. This clicking sound was only when I had the key all the way to start and of course no start but this noise/vibration on the gear selector.

Now after awhile I got so frustrated that I called for the tow. Wanted the guy to jump the car from the starter to the battery and bypass the PNP. Worked once before.

So while we (wife and I) were waiting, she takes the key our the ignition, and several minutes later I reinsert key. She pushed on the gear selector **** at base real hard and I turn the key....car starts.

Is there anything related here, or is it really the PNP going bad.

Ray in Oregon

 

I still think PNP.

 

yup... I vote PNP switch as well. And moving the gear selector back and forth doesn't clear any codes- all it does is make the PNP contacts close eventually. By doing that, you eventually find a spot on the PNP that isn't worn out. It's much like smacking a misbehaving TV- you're not fixing the problem, you're just making some electrical part make contact again. Eventually, slapping the TV doesn't work anymore, and eventually, moving the shifter back and forth doesn't work anymore, either.

 

Jeez! Tech nailed it in his first post, then he explained to you how to verify the fault in his 2nd post....

 

OK guys. It finally stopped raining so I could check the small wire (green). It has power and the car won't start.

Once I jumped from that connection on the starter to the battery and car starts. Now that doesn't work either.

what other test can I do on the starter to confirm that is the issue?

Thanks

 

You pretty much confirmed it is the starter.
If there is power at the small green wire and the starter does not come on it is bad.

 

so would you buy a bosch rebuilt from FCP Groton, or would you rebuild it? My Haines manual seems to indicate that there are brushes like the old days.

 

I would by a rebuilt Bosch.