This really is just a minor thing, but I'm curious because I'm not sure what it could be. Feel free to give me some suggestions as to what it might be.

Sometimes when I try to start my car, it doesn't crank. All the lights will come on on the dash and everything, it just doesn't crank. It won't crank until I move my gear shifter around, then it will start up just fine. This happens on average about once a week.

I was wondering if it could be the netural switch, or maybe a bunch of bristles are missing or something. My Dad told me that there is something with bristles that helps start the car and that the bristles just may not be hitting like they are supposed to. I wonder if it is just that some of the bristles fell out in my Maxima's old age?

Any help is appreciated.

 

From the symptoms, it sounds like it's probably the inhibitor switch (same as the neutral safety switch). Don't rule out coincidence, thought--it could also be the ignition switch.

"Bristles"? Do you mean brushes maybe? They're part of the starter. If jiggling the shifter will make it start every time, it's probably not the brushes.

 

Check the PN switch, or it could very well be your ignition switch (and it's just a coincidence that it works after messing with the shifter for a while).

 

i had that problem, then i went to autozone and bought a new ignition switch and tried to see if that helped and it did. If it didnt, i was thinking of returning it.
return policy ftw.

 

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction guys. I think based on what you all told me I know what to do.