My car wont read when its in park or neutral so it wont start how can I fix this or can it even be fixed?

Tiny
AA-MK92
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 DODGE DURANGO
This has been going on for awhile now and ive gotten it started plenty of times I just had to keep trying to start it and shift it through all the gears and eventually it works, but now my mom took the car out of town and it wont start at all and shes been tryin for about 2-3 hrs now and thats the longest its taken.
Sunday, September 16th, 2012 AT 6:21 PM

13 Replies

Tiny
KHLOW2008
  • MECHANIC
  • 41,814 POSTS
Most probably the Park and Neutral switch is bad. If you can't get it started by wiggling the gear shift, you would need to manually apply battery voltage to the starter solenoid to get it started.
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Sunday, September 16th, 2012 AT 6:56 PM
Tiny
AA-MK92
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Well can it be fixed by reseting everything with the computer
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Sunday, September 16th, 2012 AT 7:01 PM
Tiny
KHLOW2008
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No, it is not the computers fault.
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Sunday, September 16th, 2012 AT 8:13 PM
Tiny
CADIEMAN
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Do the reverse lights work when your in reverse?
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Sunday, September 16th, 2012 AT 9:05 PM
Tiny
AA-MK92
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Yea im pretty sure they work
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Tuesday, September 18th, 2012 AT 2:36 AM
Tiny
KHLOW2008
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When you are able to start, does the P or N indicator show?
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Tuesday, September 18th, 2012 AT 8:17 AM
Tiny
AA-MK92
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Yeaa it shows, thats the only time when I can start it but foor some reason it doesnt show all the time so I cant start it
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Tuesday, September 18th, 2012 AT 6:17 PM
Tiny
KHLOW2008
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Park and Neutral Position switch or it connection is bad.
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Tuesday, September 18th, 2012 AT 6:23 PM
Tiny
AA-MK92
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Could it be fixed without taking it to a shop?
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Tuesday, September 18th, 2012 AT 10:28 PM
Tiny
KHLOW2008
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The range sensor switch is inside the transmission and requires the valve body to be removed. Are you able to do that?

Which engine do you have?
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Wednesday, September 19th, 2012 AT 1:02 PM
Tiny
AA-MK92
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
I have a v8 engine and I have friends that could do it for me
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Wednesday, September 19th, 2012 AT 4:09 PM
Tiny
KHLOW2008
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An electrical fault would most probably trigger trouble codes so I would suggest getting a scan done first, which are provided free by most parts stores. Let me know the EXACT trouble code if any are found.
Trouble codes would help us to identify the circuit that is faulty and eliminate unnecessary work.
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Wednesday, September 19th, 2012 AT 8:47 PM
Tiny
CADIEMAN
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If the reverse lights work when u shift in and out of rev. Then the switch is operating. Check the voltage to the starter. When u have the key in start position. If the voltage is good at the starter. The starter maybe bad. Take a hammer and tap the starter whyll the key is held in start position. Just my 2 cents gl.
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Wednesday, September 19th, 2012 AT 10:38 PM

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