Hey,

Ok when I bought this car a month ago I took it to AAA to have it checked out. One of the problems they found was sometimes the gear/brake switch would not flip over... meaning someitmes when I would push the cars brake pedal down it would not go into Drive, etc...

They said they fixed it and I really hadnt expereince any problems besides sometimes it is harder than usuall to move in gears...

Today I went to Quick Trip to fill up on gas... turned off the car but left the head lights on. Put 20 dollars in the tank and then payed went back to the car and it would not start up. Tried it about 5 times and it would click and then give a little sound but nothing near the starting up sound... I asked another person there to try and jump it with me we hooked it all up and tried to start it about 6 times and nothingsame click and the "ccuughh" sound...

So after that I got in my car and was getting ready to call a towing company and I felt the brake and it was REALLY STIFF... I pushed it in hard and then it got loose again and gave the car another shoot and bam it started up...

My questions are these:
1) Why wouldnt it start up? It something wrong with the gear/brake switch? If not what could have caused that?
2) Is that givingme any signs of any other parts going out?
3) By mea trying about 10 + times tryiong to start the car and just getting that click and the ccuugghh sound did that harm the car?
4) Did trying to jump the car when the battery was fine harm the car?

Thankyou

 

wow.....thats sum weird/wild stuff....sorry i can't help

 

The clicking noise could be one of two things: the alternator or the starter. Did you notice your lights dimming or the radio going off while the car was running?? If so the alternator isn't properly charging the battery and may need to be replaced. I recently had the same problem while I was headed to work at the start of evening rush hour. As I pulled up to a red light my radio turned off and came back on and my headlights dimmed. This was the third time that this had happened that day and I assumed I had driven through a puddle and gotten something wet (it had been raining a lot that day). Well the car cut off right in the middle of the street and i couldn't move it because there was so much traffic. I turned on the hazzard lights which worked for about 2 minutes before they were to dim to see. Worst of all this happened around a blind corner that people were flying through despite the constant rain and foggy conditions. After getting it to the dealership they replaced my alternator and the starter for $25. Thank goodness for that extended warranty!! i asked why they replaced the starter and was told they upgraded the alternator but usually when one goes the other is sure to follow.

 

Hey,

No... It does not seem to be the battery or alternator. Everything was fine and when I got in the car alll lights turned on and radio was running properly...

Im pretty sure it was taht switch thing, anyone know about that or anything else that could have caused it?

Also did I do any damge to the car trying to jump it if the battery was fine and what about trying to start it if it all was fine?

 

is your car auto or manual?

 

The car is automatic...

Ok for some reason I just got this weird memory but I dont think its true... I just woke up so I think Im thinking things, but what I just thought of was that I turned off the car and took out the keys without putting the car in park? Is that possible and wouldnt the car have began to move?

 

Now that we firgured out it is an automatic . . . .
I'd say your problem might be with the shift selector switch. The same problem AAA said they fixed.

 

I think Im going to get an extended warranty - who is yours through?

Does anoyne know what could have caused this and did I do any damge to it by trying to jump it if the alternator and battery were fine?

 

Exactly thats what Im thinking... the delaership said they fixed it, so even though my 30 day warranty is over I am going to call them up and telll them that needs to be fixed...
--- How much is it to fix that?

Also do you think any more damage was caused to the car by trying to jump it if the battery and alt. were fine? What about trying to start it 10 times when the selcetor switch was the problem, did tyhat cause any harm?

 

There may have been some stress exerted on the transmission since your were trying to start the car while the tranny was in gear and not in neutral.
Besides that nothing should have been harmed.
You could try changing the switch yourself i don't think its difficult. Just pry the cover off the gear box and a couple of wires should lead you to the culprit. Don't break anything . . . . i don't want to be responsible for anything.

 

You think the transmission is ok though?
Because if it was still in gear then that means the brake was on but the transmission was still in gear even though I had it in park?

You think any long term or short term damage was caused to the car, again we tried to start the car like that about 10-12 times?

Also would you say an extended warranty is wise decision?
---Is it ok to drive though? I gotta get to work today?

 

If there was any harm done the car will tell you over time. Nothing else you can do about that but wait.
Since you just bought the car and can only "assume" on the mechanical history of the car according to whatever the seller told you, an extended warranty would be a good idea. Atleast for one year so you can get routinely used parts replaced.
Rest is up to you.

 

Thanks prince

Is it ok to drive?

Also http://click4warranty.com/supremeplus.asp on that extended warranty plan I dont really understand the transmission part of the coverage... Is that saying it covers the transmission if it goes bad?

And what do you think the chances are that any damge occured to the transmission by me trying to start it while it was in gear? And was any damage caused by trying to jump the car?

 

if you have an alarm, check your ANTI-THFT fuse, that was the problem with mine. i dont think it will start with it out or blown, so yeah, check that...

 

Sorry, I have no experiance based on what your wrote. If you hit a wall, you should get your starter checked out.

 

Is it ok to drive?

Also http://click4warranty.com/supremeplus.asp on that extended warranty plan I dont really understand the transmission part of the coverage... Is that saying it covers the transmission if it goes bad?

And what do you think the chances are that any damge occured to the transmission by me trying to start it while it was in gear? And was any damage caused by trying to jump the car?

 

Please help...

I am taking it into a mechanic today since the dealers are not willinf to take fault.

Does what happened sound like a gear switch problem to you? Anything else it could be that I should ask them to check?

Does this sound like a big problem, because Im kind of weary as to where I should dirve the car if it ever does this again, or am I overthinking this situation and whatever it is should be an easy fix?

 

please can anyone help

 

Def sounds like your shift selector switch, I beive it is similar to a "neutral safety switch" which won't let the car start unless it is in park or neautral. Other then that i can't think of anything else that would make it behave like that [other then a starter] but the starter has nothing to do with you having to push the brake down to get it started.

 

You can turn off your car in drive, and it won't start in drive. I've tried it....ummmm on purpose..heh And sometimes it's best to sleep on it, your brain thinks about things in yer sleep that need working on. No harm will be done if you try to start your car in drive, it's designed not to do so.

Your brakes will get hard if your car has been off for awhile, since the power braking cylinder doesn't get actuated till the car gets started. The brakes will good for about two soft/power-assisted pumps after the engine is off. For instance, if your car dies on the freeway, you have a few pumps to get it off the road safely...other than that, you gotta put all your weight on the brake pedal to stop normally (well maybe half my weight...im 6'2" 245 lbs heh).

 

I've had problems starting the car because it didn't register that I had the brake down. In fact I was searching for how-to's on getting the brake pedal switch looked over.

However, what you described happened to me exactly on Jan 8,05. I mentioned the date as I noticed your posting date.

I have a 97 with 102k miles. I got to the point of calling AAA and the guy came out and realized that my starter was dead/dieing. He crossed the solenoid and got the car started. I have since replaced the stater motor (an easy change out).

Have you also had problems in the past shifting the car from Park?

 

You don't need to put your foot on the brakes to start an Automatic. It more likely the switch that recognizes that the car is in park or neurtral to start.