SGT.C Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Repaired 96 Legacy Wagon early in summer: Timing belt, W.pump,Tstat, pulleys, hoses. Started car...still run hot...thinking air bubble, drained coolant but only got about 2qts out. Took Tstat off and got a lot of thick, black, nasty stuff out. Put Tstat back on, car ran in driveway for an hour with good temp...Wife got sick, ended up in hospital, car sat for about 2 1/2mos. Last week i tried to start....no turnover, no click. Jumped battery with truck and ran for half hour. Tried to drive around, but shift button stuck and shifter won't move. Used screwdriver on override lever, but still stuck. Shifter in N (very hard to move shifter), tires won't move. Turned car off and got nothing when restarting, tried jumping, no luck. New battery, no luck. Anybody got any ideas? I've tried doing some research and come up with either 1: Brake light switch (or something) is bad...2: Alternator/starter.....or 3: Tranmission itself is seized up. Appreciate any help I can get. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocei77 Posted November 20, 2011 Share Posted November 20, 2011 Seems like regardless of shift lever, the car is not in neutral, so it will not start. I'd pull the trim piece around lever and spray a LITTLE PB on the linkages. Then keep working it until it loosens up. It has to go into real neutral or park, then you can start with the other issues. Flush the cooling system ,especially the radiator and burp. O. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGT.C Posted November 20, 2011 Author Share Posted November 20, 2011 "Seems like regardless of shift lever, the car is not in neutral, so it will not start. I'd pull the trim piece around lever and spray a LITTLE PB on the linkages. Then keep working it until it loosens up. It has to go into real neutral or park, then you can start with the other issues. Flush the cooling system ,especially the radiator and burp." Even with the shift lever in park, there's nothing happening when I turn the key. Isn't it odd that it started up when I jumped it the first time? Ran well too, even with me revving the engine, but as soon as I tried to shift into gear....nada. I flushed the cooling system after getting all the black garbage out...should I do it again?? Thanks for the help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ocei77 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 One flush is good for now. Someone else will hopefully chime in on this, but when you used the driver to move it, something is not straight. I'd try putting it into what appears to be reverse and try to start. O. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bstone Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Neutral Safety Switch? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jarl Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 Can you hear a "click" when pressing the button on the shifter? Just in case: try not to force things until you figure out what's going on. You don't want to break anything... yet Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WoodsWagon Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 The shift cable may have seized up. If you force it, it will shear. The cable is under the car and runs down the passenger side of the transmission. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 (edited) Took Tstat off and got a lot of thick, black, nasty stuff out. Hm, that does not sound good. I've heard of it getting grey and muddy looking when the exhaust blows into the coolant in the head gasket failure. I have the problem with the shifter 'seizing up' on all my soobs. I have to spray the mechanism from underneath with Kroil and metal protector a few times a year to keep them free. If it 'siezes up', DO NOT FORCE IT. You will stretch the cable and then usually it will not start in park, and may even give grief about starting in neutral. If that happens, it probably needs the cable adjusted so that the positions shown on the shifter match up with the positions the transmission and switch are seeing. If it siezes up, penetrating oil, then let it sit for a while, then gently try to get it out of park. Usually it will start to move a little bit but then sieze up again. So then more oil and just keep working it. Eventually it will free up. Then add the metal protector and keep going from P to 1 a few times to work it all in. Edited November 21, 2011 by porcupine73 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGT.C Posted November 21, 2011 Author Share Posted November 21, 2011 thanks for all the help..... I'm not hearing a click when I push in on the switch, but like I said I can't get the switch to push in period. The black stuff had me a little worried, but after flushing the system and the fact that it did run for a little while, I'm hoping the head gasket is ok. One problem at a time fellas I'm going to try to get it up on a jack high enough for me to get under to the shift cable and I'll try some Kroil and metal protectant....Any telltale signs of the cable itself being bad? Other than it being broken I mean. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
propane Posted November 21, 2011 Share Posted November 21, 2011 my understanding is that brake pedal has to be pressed to move shifter, and that requires elec from a charged up battery, and access underneath is from passenger side, we don't have the corrision u prob have, should be eating on metal cable ends .chock block the down wheels and safety w/ jack stands or big blocks of wood that wont tip should jack slip or fail. Once the shifter frees up U can move next to neutral safety switch issue that only allows current to starter if, as others have mentioned, it is in Park, (preferred,) or neutral. Got dash lights? I think the key can only be removed if in Park Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 The nuetral switch on the autos is referred to as the inhibitor switch. It's on the side of the transmission. The shift lever for the trans sticks out through the switch and can be operated by hand if th cable is disconected from the trans. Start by removing the shift cable from the selector lever and push the lever as far back( towards the rear of the car) as it will go. That will be the park position and you should be able to start the engine with it in that position. Remove the cable and soak it down with penetrating oil to help free it up. Reinstall and adjust the end at the transmission. You'll also have to check the brake light switch and the shift lock mechanism in the console to figure out why it won't release the shifter. The shift lock could just be gummed up with that soda that got spilled in the console a few days before it got parked. :-p Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
95legwagon Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 also i believe to get to the whole length of shifter cable alot has to come out to get to the bottom of the shifter..... like the exhaust, heatshields, and driveshaft. at least on my 95 legacy its like that....had a problem similar to yours but mine wouldnt go anywhere past 2. would go in 1 and 2 but that was it....turns out the parking pin spring got chewed up by the transmission and jammed the mechanism so bad i had to force it with a wrench where the cable connects to the transmission.....it was stuck in my driveway and wouldnt start and i had to go somewhere lol good luck! -jarrid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smackvt Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 (edited) The nuetral switch on the autos is referred to as the inhibitor switch. It's on the side of the transmission. The shift lever for the trans sticks out through the switch and can be operated by hand if th cable is disconected from the trans. Start by removing the shift cable from the selector lever and push the lever as far back( towards the rear of the car) as it will go. That will be the park position and you should be able to start the engine with it in that position. Remove the cable and soak it down with penetrating oil to help free it up. Reinstall and adjust the end at the transmission. You'll also have to check the brake light switch and the shift lock mechanism in the console to figure out why it won't release the shifter. The shift lock could just be gummed up with that soda that got spilled in the console a few days before it got parked. :-p Yup that's it ...best advice hands down. also if you think it's got sticky soda or coffee or Maby road soda use some armor all best plastic friendly lube ever Just spray it right inside it. Alot Edited November 22, 2011 by smackvt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnceggleston Posted November 22, 2011 Share Posted November 22, 2011 if you can't press in the thumb button on the shifter i would start there. if it does not depress you can't shift the lever. there could be a coin or something down in there. the shifter knob / button can be a little messy with grease that is in there but it is a really simple set up. but it can be re-assembled incorrectly. remove the console covers and release the lever by hand. if it shifts and drives then, it is just your solenoid / lock mechanism. several possible components, solenoid, relay, inhibitor switch, shifter button, brake safety switch ....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGT.C Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 There is power going to the interior....Dash lights, radio, interior light...all run. Headlights will come on too, but there's nothing when I turn the key. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smackvt Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 It thinks your not in park or n. or starter trigger wire is of http://http://m.youtube.com/?rdm=4otdcmnqg&reload=3#/profile?desktop_uri=%2Fuser%2FSmackvttv&help=False&channel_id=0&livestreaming_tutorial=False&ytsession=%7B%7D&start=0&user=Smackvttv&autoplay=True&gl=US Hope you figgure her out soon 🎯 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SGT.C Posted December 8, 2011 Author Share Posted December 8, 2011 I was able to get the shifter back to Park (very diffiuclt) to get the key out, but still no juice when turning the key. I've got dash lights and headlights, just no juice to the starter (from what I can tell). Anybody out there got any photo's of what the shift cable looks like??? I'm a part-time "try and figure it out if I can" mechanic that could use any help possible. Thanks again! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
porcupine73 Posted December 8, 2011 Share Posted December 8, 2011 Did you try putting it in neutral to start it? Sometimes some of my soobs won't start in park, but if you push the lever forward and hold it there while hitting the key then it works, or they will always still start in neutral, at least for me. Did you lube up the mechanism at all or try the jumper wire method? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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