This car has intermittently refused to start ever since I bought it with 22K miles. Happens 2-3 times/year. Drive somewhere, shut off car, come back turn key, nothing happens. Dash lights up but starter won't crank. If I'm lucky I try it a few times and suddenly it starts. I've had to wait up to 5 minutes before suddenly it starts. Dealer never found any error codes. replaced exciter ring, key chip, points etc no luck. I did note the last time it did this that I could not shift the car out of park at all. I'm wondering if the problem is related to something in the car that tells it what gear I'm in and intermittently thinks I'm not in park even when I am. Is this possible? Wife is starting to refuse to drive it as fears she will be stuck somewhere, which happened frequently to her when I owned a Fiat Spider. She never forgets. Help!

 

When you attempt to start the car have you noticed if the “P” on the shifter illumination module is lit? I must assume that dealer checked that. Have you attempted to start it in “N”?

This car does not like to sit and when it does the malfunctions seem to mount. I do not have a real answer for you but it has been known that poor electrical connections seem to be the cause of many of the problems and for this reason I would suggest cleaning electrical connections. Remove the ground cable at the battery and have a full spray can of contact cleaner, CRC is available at any auto parts place. Along with that I use a small amount of dielectric grease and apply it to the contact prior to reseating or re plugging. Start under the hood and pull the fuses clean the contacts and reseat them. When you pull the relays swap them with a like relay, remember if one of the relays is the problem you just moved it to another location. At the same time check your power and grounding locations. At first I would only do the fuses and relays under the hood and see what takes place. I do not have an electrical diagram for a 2006 but I attached one for a 2003 that should be near the same.

Link http://www.jagrepair.com/images/Auto.../jagxk2003.pdf

 

I'd have thought Key Chip / Exciter Ring not pairing but your dealer has eliminated this.

The transmission selector on the 4.2 is a more complex design than the earlier 4.0. It communicates the transmission selector lever position to the TCM (Transmission Control Module using electronic code through the CAN (Controlled Area Network) bus. The transmission control switch is used to generate this electronic code.

The selector position is monitored by two multi-track slider switches, the upper track controls positions P R N D and the lower track controls positions 5 4 3 2.

Many of us are familiar with problems on the SRS (Supplementary Restraint System) from a dirty or misaligned Hall Effect sensor on the driver's seat. I wonder if there is a similar issue here with one or other of the multi-track sliders on your transmission selector not recognising the vehicle is in Park.

Graham

 

I think Rev. Sam may have had a similar issue, but also maybe a couple of other symptoms and it was lose connection at the large main fuse terminals behind the spare tire, worth checking to be sure the nuts are tight. Sam's issue actually was a bad crimp on the cable, but I think others reported lose nuts.

 

THanks for the suggestions. When the car is refusing to start it will not allow me to shift out of park, makes a beeping noise when I try to move the shifter. Someone else told me my "rotary switch" on the transmission might be bad - an $800 switch! Gets overheated at times and refuses to function until it cools off. Anyone ever heard of this?

 

The rotary switch on the side of the trans might be out of adjustment that is why I asked if the “P” was Illuminated. If the car does not see that the shifter is in “P” or “N” it will not start. Put your foot on the brake and shift to “N” and see if it starts.

 

thanks, but it wouldn't let me shift out of park even with the brake pedal depressed. Only when it suddenly started would it allow me to move the shifter out of park.

 

That you can't start the car AND can't get it out of park, I wonder about the body processor module, or more likely the electrical connection to it.

When you turn the key the fuel pump will run for a few seconds to prime the system. Does this happen when the car fails to start?

When you press the brake, do you hear a click from the shifter? I assume no, since you can't get it out of park.

When this occurs, have you noticed any problems with lights, either inside or outside? Wipers not working? Other oddities?

 

As the car is now functioning normally I cannot check these items. But I will do so the next time it fails to start. I cannot move the car out of park for any reason unless the car has started. Should I be able to start thecar in neutral?

 

Did your car suddenly start after you attempted to move the shifter?

 

No. It took a few minutes if intermittently trying to start when it suddenly started. Don't think my attempts to move the shifter into neutral were related.

 

Please let us know what you find.