Ok well lets see i have a 96 ES automatic that sat for about a year and a half. now it has two problems. one is when it's running or not the shifter is stuck in park. you can press the brake and feel the shifter button release but appears to be stuck only starts to move but just won't go.

so problem number two is when we connected the battery again it won't start. i connected it a few weeks ago and it started but now nothing. it has an aftermarket alarm (code-alarm something 450) . when you turn the key you don't get anything. this car has a remote start unit installed as well. anyway like i said it started a few weeks ago. the alarm co. i spoke with said to connect the battery while the ignition is on to reset it and that didn't work. maybe it's something other than the alarm?! i would like to bypass the thing somehow to rule it out.

I swapped the three relays near the firewall with one another (maybe more than one's bad and i should get new ones?) i was thinking since it's intermittent that maybe it has something to do with the shifter thing uno the brake/shifter release button works but maybe the (it's in park) signal or something isn't working so no start?

when you turn the key the warning lights come on and i hear maybe a relay or something under the dash then when i release the key i hear a several soft relay sounding clicks coming from near the front fuse box under the hood. that's it. oh and the anti-stop light seems to come on when i keep trying. another obsevation is sometimes the engine light blinks but that just might be normal on start up.

that's all i know. i have to travel down about 40 miles each time i look at this thing and now i feel i moved two steps back after the initial start-up. please help if you can it would be greatly appreciated.

have a nice day....kyle

 

Let me get some sleep so that I can think better. I have a few ideas all jumbled in my head right now about this and I need to get them un-jumbled with some sleep, lol.

 

Ok, here's a few things running around in my head that you can try, note that it may not work if there are larger unseen problems, but it's a start.
It could be several things but that remote start and alarm can throw kinks very easily...especially after sitting for 1.5years. The last time you tried to run the car, the relays for the alarm or remote start may have gotten stuck or if the alarm has a start kill relay, it may be set to not turn on (it's thinking that it's being stolen). Reconnect the battery, press your alarm key fob to disarm...it's simple, I know, but it can happen. Tap the alarm brain and if you can do while turning the key, try that or if it has an external starter kill relay, find it and tap it. Or better yet, bypass the alarm and remote start altogether and reconnect the ignition wires to the ignition switch. Unless the battery is just DEAD, you should still get something from the motor+relays when you try to start the car not to mention the lights. The only reason for you to not get ignition, that I can think of, is if you have an electrical obstruction from the ignition cylinder to the starter. Obviously check all your fuses..all of them, since some are ran parallel to other circuits and it doesn't take that long to do that (inside and under the hood).
The relays on the firewall..one of them anyway is fuel related, one is your ATX relay (automatic transmission relay), the other is don't remember, lol. When you turn the ignition key to the ON position, you will hear a whir from the back seat, that's your fuel pump, if you don't hear it then either you're not getting a signal to it from the relay or your relay is dead or intermitten...try tapping it, that should be one of the relays that you hear ticking and you should, its testing itself, so if you don't hear it ticking...there's one area (fuel). You could have clogged injectors, but let's start simple. Another fuel related thing but something that can be done after you get your car to run, lol...did you run the gas down? Put some fuel injector cleaner or octane booster or anything that will help the water evaporate from the tank.

Hmmmm, try this too and maybe try it first so that you don't have to bypass the alarm/remote start.
Remove the driver's side center console kick panel so you can see the shifter assembly and make sure the pressing the shifter's button actually releases the shifter rod to freely move about the shift range. The more I think about this the more it sounds to be a mechanical hang up because a shifter problem will result in the same symptoms as a remote start or alarm will give----power on, no crank. For example, if you tried to start the car in Drive, or any of the other driven gears...won't happen. Neutral and Park are the two for start up conditions.
Free up the shifter first, then start with the other stuff.



Sorry to sound backwards, but I usually on the focused item or item that sticks out which is the remote start/alarm since that is the most common with starting problems...I worked from that to the shifter in my head and that's why my troubleshooting is backwards
Try that and let me know what you get.
John

 

Hi there thanks for your reply. I tried all the various relay tapping and what not and nothing. now i do know how to easily bypass the alarm so i'm going to do that tonight. good thing you mentioned the fuel i forgot about how bad the fuel must be and don't want the injectors to gum up anymore.

i was thinkin maybe shifter related for the start but it appears to be in park cause it started a few weeks ago. although i did play with the shifter some more. i took off the console and i can physically see the shifter want to move after the button is pressed but it feels like the cable is stuck or something. does that auto-tran relay have any say on cable give?

anyway well lets see what happens when i bypass the alarm this eve. thanks for your help.
kyle

 

ok well yes so now after all alarm confusion is over i took a closer look at the shifter. the transmission cable looks as if it's in (reverse) position when disconnected it from the shifter. Should i be able to move this cable? i'm guessing the car has a sensor on the transmission because it still won't start.

i'm thinking i'm going to have to disconnect the cable at the transmission and go from there.

i had to stop looking last night but now any suggestions thus far?


thanks,

kyle

 

So...am I getting this right. The gear is on reverse?
I'll find out more info to help in this for you Kyle. I'm pretty sure the no start condition is related to the shifter however. The shifter position has to be in tune with the cable and vice versa for the car to start...I'm not sure how that would have gotten itself out of sync though and I'm sure you're scratching your head about this too. What I'm afraid of is if you fiddle with the cable, it might mess something else, lol.

 

ok i now know what's wrong with the car. the shifter in the transmission is stuck in a big way. i disconnected the cable from it and all that works. (except now i kinda have a problem getting it out of park without me helping the spring with my finger)

anyway i beat on the transmission lever with a hammer and a pipe and finally managed to get it to move just enough to start the car but this thing is stuck. i tried to spray some dubb d down there but no luck. any suggestions?

 

Wow, it seized up that much? How about liquid wrench or something that can break the corrosion or at least loosen it enough to allow some movement and then let it set for a bit. Check your tranny fluid too, just to eyeball the level and color...also smell it to make sure it doesn't have any lingering burnt smell to it.
I guess that's the effects of sitting for a year and a half eh
I'll try and think of some more stuff before you head out there or take a roll of cable with you (about 40 miles worth) and connect, lol.
If you can think of anything else that you noticed while you were out there, let me know. I know it's kind of hard to do that because of that cable.
Thought of something else...can you move the lever by hand, or is that what you did? So, you removed the cable and moved it back and forth and it moves freely, correct? I'm just trying to get a mental picture of this.

 

well i wire brushed where the lever enters the tranny and sprayed wd40 but it seems like a tight fit and nothing was getting in there. i guess when i go back i'll just keep doing that and hammering it as well with high hopes.


yes i disconnected the cable at the transmission lever and the cable slides fine. so you think if i get the fluid moving in side that might help? it looked ok on the dipstick. i was think i could have someone step on the brake (if they work) and i could try and hit the lever when the car in running just enough to get it reverse again and move the car down the driveway to mix things up a bit. just a thought.
i can't believe this thing is that bad. of course i would never let a car sit that long without moving things. wow

yeah the 40 mile thing is getting old. now i'm just plum determined cause of all the time and gas wasted....

thanks,

kyle