Greetings to all, I have a 94'xjs 2+2 (6 cyl) that I have owned since 1998 & has been so trouble free, I can't believe I'm needing to ask this! Never been stranded until today. It ran great until stopping at a store. Came back out, turn the key and Nothing! Battery is fully charged, tried jump start to no avail, no clicks from starter solenoid or any of the normal sounds when starting. Like a dead short somewhere. Got it going by putting it into neutral with key on, then turning key off & on. Back at home tried to re-start it, but even the neutral trick wouldn't work. Suspecting ignition interlock for transmission. Pulled the console and found a plastic solenoid to the rear of the shift lever (Jaguar OAC 10736) and a metal switch (2 wire Jaguar/Lucas part # DBC 11071) that has a 2 wire feed hooked to the linkage. Suspecting one of these to be the source of the problem. Have read about people not being able to shift, which is not my issue. This is more like something in the shifter mechanism, preventing the stater solenoid to engage. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance,
Chuck

 

Please see attached. Trying to find out which of these two suspects might be causing my no-start problem...
(Hoping that its not something located on or inside the transmission itself)

 

To perhaps better describe the above no-start issue, it is exactly the same as if you are trying to start the car in gear (dead silence when you turn the key). This is why I suspect the ignition/shift interlock. The brake/park ignition/ interlock seems to be working (as it will allow me to turn key and also allow me to shift gears & turn key in neutral).
If however I am overlooking any other relays or solenoids in the ignition sequence that should be examined, please advise!
Thanks again for taking a closer look and any suggestions you may have.
Chuck

 

You can take the gearbox inhibitor switches out of the circuit at the relay placed in engine bay, RH side along the inner wing at the rear.

The relay coil ground side is connected through the inhibotor swiches, so by providing a new ground (intermidiate of course...) you will be able to see if your problems is in this circuit.

I did this a year ago. Is it then fixed now, you may ask ? Not really, but the car starts every time !

 

 

Greetings again and no luck with locating a similar looking relay in the engine bay? Perhaps mine is configured differently being a 1994 with 6 Cyl motor.
Actually the problem seems to be worse, in that I used to be able to shift from park to neutral to start it, now I cannot shift out of park and there is dead
silence when you turn the key. Any additional help or direction would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks again!

 

The brake switch on the brake pedal completes the ground that activates the Park interlock solenoid, which is the silver unit at the head of the shifter closest to Park. Pushing on the brake pedal, you are supposed to hear the solenoid pull. If you remove the two tiny screws at the head and foot of the shift overlay, you'll see the mechanism that locks the lever in Park. There is a hole under the overlay on the forward end that accepts a rod (use a spare key to insert down in) which will move the lock pin (spring loaded) away from the lever allowing you to move lever away from Park position. This will at least get you to move the lever where you want it. I believe there are three or four sets of microswitches in there. One at the top in the Park position, one at Reverse for the reverse lights, one at neutral to allow starting in neutral and one at the bottom and not sure what that one is for. My Park interlock was intermittent so I used lock wire to tie it out of the lock position for good. I now do not need to use the brake prior to shifting from Park, although it is habit anyway so no safety issue. So once you are able to move the lever, you should be able to start it in any position except R and any D positions. If you can't, your upper most microswitch may not be electrically allowing it. I may have reversed the microswitfch operations in my above description in that there may be switches in the D and R positions that will not allow a start rather than the allowing it certain start positions. You'll be able to see better once you remove the plastic overlay. You can also remove the black plastic surround to see even better. Hope that's a start. (oops!). The plugged in module unit you show, I believe is the interlock module. It control the actions related to the shift lever through the microswitches , brake pedal etc. That is what could be intermittent in your case.

 

1``

 

Thanks so much for the detailed reply!
I may not have time to dive into this before we leave on a short vacation, but I will post up my findings and results as time allows.
Thanks again for weighing in on this issue.
Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

 

rear mounted microswitch


Forward mounted micro switch


Park / Neutral interlock control module ?




Parking interlock solenoid

 

Sorry about the size of the photos, but wanted to post up some findings after digging a bit deeper.
There are 2 micro-switches under the bezel, one located forward and one to the rear.
They seem to work in conjunction with each other based on position of the shift lever. Presumably sending the Park / Neutral info to the control mod. and / or solenoid, as well as turning on reverse back up lamps.
Putting foot on brake activated back up lamps and presuming same brake switch links to the parking interlock, so presuming this to be good for now.
My vehicle still will NOT turn over when manually overriding the park solenoid to get shift lever in neutral position. (however it has intermittently started this way prior to today). Taking the micro switches out of the loop did not help, nor did putting a jumper lead between the send/return.
The parking interlock solenoid can be moved manually, so I don't suspect it to be locked up. Could however still be an internal electrical issue inside of it. Or, perhaps it is the Control Module itself that has failed?
Any insight on these additional findings would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance!

 

I wired mine in the "pulled"position so it will never lock but kept the solenoid installed. I can always cut the safety wire if needed. Took safety wires and pulled back on the lock lever and then just wired tightly to the solenoid bracket. Lever now always moves when I want it to regardless of the brake switch. I have not gone so far as to see if its the solenoid or the module or the brake signal. It was intermittent and I didn't want to have to unscrew the overlay to stick the key down in there every time it wouldn't come out of Park.

Did you find anything obvious? can you put in neutral and while starting with key, manipulate both micro switches

It might not be the shift lever start logic at all actually. Could be the starter solenoid or primary wires to the start solenoid on the starter

 

The car can only be shifted (w/key in on position) while manually overriding the parking lock mechanism.
It did start once in neutral (last week after this problem began), but has not started in park or neutral since.
Tried moving the micro-switches by hand, in various combinations, while in park and in neutral and no cranking.
However with key on, in neutral and manually manipulating the rear micro, you can hear something electronic
activating up inside the driver side dash.

I suppose it would now make sense to try to look at the starter circuit itself. Although, I'm not yet entirely ruling out the
parking interlock control module yet. Leaving tomorrow for about 10 days, so won't have time until mid July
to explore some more and report back.

Thanks again for your help so far!
CN

 

Just a quick update to this thread before I leave on vacation.
I was able to order the Control Module through a local parts store with some specialty supply connections.
The module is $54. and at that price, worth swapping out to see if that is the solution (fingers crossed).
Should be in stock by the time I return. Will update this thread with findings and results.
A safe and happy 4th of July to all!

 

ISSUE RESOLVED !
Thanks for all the help on this one, it was puzzling to be sure! It didn't help that it took 3 weeks to get a N.O.S. part delivered, but finally it is installed and operating back to normal. Part arrived at 10a.m. yesterday and we were able to enter our local car show as originally planned, by noon!

The resolution took all of about 15-20 minutes to install the shift interlock control module (DAC 10736), the working one is dated 1995 and thankfully it was fully functioning when installed. The minute I put foot on the brake, you can hear (and see) the piston solenoid release the park lock mechanism.
Also, power to the starter and it turns over and starts instantly! Under the hood, I cleaned contacts and re-seated the starter relay, which also may have helped complete the circuit. All in all, the it was under $60. USD. and worth the wait !

Special thanks to "Carsnplanes" for his detailed support to my prior posts, it led me in the right direction, that's for sure!

Thanks for reading and message me if I can be of any help on a similar problem.
CN

 

This is the source of the "No Start" in Park or in Neutral problem. A failed ignition interlock control module, located under the center console to the left rear of shift mechanism.

 

Hey, glad you got it sorted out! I have a feeling my issue was the module also but only in the fact that it wouldn't pull the interlock solenoid intermittently. Not the same as your issue where it would prevent it from starting the car.
Cheers!