2007 XK with 54,000 miles

Car died in the middle of December. Symptoms were the same as low/dead battery. Bought a new battery and it still would not crank. Battery tested good. Changed the brake switch. Still no crank. Tried to remove starter to check. That top bolt will not come out unless I remove the engine mount. So tested it is place. It worked. Also checked the two 8mm bolts that hold the shift linkage on left side of transmission.
Put the battery back in the car and pressed the "Start" button and it started! Planned to go for a drive. No luck.
Shifter will not come out of park. I am getting several warning messages , "Apply foot and Park Brake". Parking brake will not set.
Cats System Fault
Cruise Not Available
Park Brake Fault

Disconnected battery and touched both cable together (Hard Reset).

Still getting warning messages and still won't come out of "Park"

But on the bright side, it starts now.

Any ideas?

 

Coincidentally, those are messages consistent with an inadequate battey.

 

Found the problem. Fuse #8 in the footwell fuse box was the culprit. In trying to diagnose the failure to crank I pulled every fuse to check for a blown fuse. When trying to put that tiny fuse back in place I dropped it behind the panel. No problem, I have lots of spare fuses. Grabbed one out the box and put it in.
Car was throwing code P0504 "Brake Switch A/B Correlation" Of all places, a Toyota Forum said it could be caused by a blown fuse. It even said a failure to shift out of park was a symptom of a blown fuse. Also the Cruise control warning is another symptom.
When I went to remove fuse #8, I noticed that it was a little deeper than the adjoining fuses. Went back to my box of fuses and found one with longer "legs". Put in the fuse box and now the fuse was the same height as the other fuses. Car started right up and warning messages were gone. Shifted out of park. But I can't drive it yet because my wife's car is in the way. Hopefully tomorrow.

Now if I can just figure out how to add "Resolved" to the Thread Title.

 

Tap the small black triangle with the exclamation point at the top right corner of your post to open a dialogue box with a Moderator and ask him to mark your post "Resolved".

 

Nicely done @Craniac !
Except… I’d be moving “the wife’s car”.
And what’s a “Toyota Forum”?