Car is an 86.5. It has been sitting for over a year while the interior has been gutted and restored. Prior to that, it had a full transmission service by a qualified transmission shop. The tranny seals were replaced and some other items r&r'd. Also, about a year prior to sitting, it had a no start problem that involved the neutral safety switch, which was replaced at the time, with no further issues. Otherwise, the car is well maintained and there is no deferred maintenance (it is my old shark, and just about everything was done - grounds, top end refresh, full CE panel r&r, etc, etc).

Fast forward a few months after it was first put up - while working on the car, the tranny fluid took a crap all over the garage floor. We figured to get this checked out by the tranny shop once the car was put back together. That was last year. During the interior disassembly, we shifted the car from park to nuetral to remove the shift plate. It moved out of park with no problem whatsoever.

Now, we are putting everything back together. We cannot budge the shift lever out of nuetral, in either direction. I stuck the plunger in the shaft, and the plunger is pushing down and springing back up like it's supposed to, but the lever won't move at all. We pushed the car back and forth thinking that something was hanging it up and to verify it was in nuetral - it is, as the car moves freely back and forth (just a couple of feet each way). Also, there is litle fluid left in the tranny, since the previous drain out.

The question now is why won't the car start? We put the dash/pod/consol all back together; everything is plugged back in properly and the battery is fully charged. When the key is turned, the dash lights up, but the engine does not turn over - just silence - no click, no nothing. Is it because the car is in nuetral? I always thought it would start in both park and nuetral. And if this is the problem, what could be causing it not to shift? It seems a lack of fluid would not be the problem if it is just sitting there - the lever should be able to be moved whether the car is started or not? (plus, how do you fill the tranny if the car is not started and running?). Also, as said above, the nuetral safety switch was recently replaced.

All suggestions welcome. Thanks in advance.

 

Ed, can you disconnect the linkage at the trans and manually shift it into park?

Could be in neutral, but with shift selector somehow just off the trans safety switch.

Should start in neutral or park. (I just went outside and confirmed that on 86)

I had a cable bind solid in its shield, near the trans, because rubber boot was broken and sand got up inside. Cables can corrode if sitting. You might have combination.

 

Thanks Chris. We'll try that too.
Any other thoughts anyone? In order to draw traffic here and get more feedback, I can promise a 200hp gain and sub 8s based on the new interior bits and pieces, and I'll even show you all the 1/4 mile slips!

 

Did the interior restoration include the CE panel? Does it have a car alarm (immobilizer)?

 

No. The CE panel was done several years ago. The car alarm is stock.

 

Theres an issue with the gbox shift lever so I'd get that resolved and ensure its correctly in the park or neutral position then tshoot the no start.

If the lever is not fully in position the switch may believe its in gear.

Where did the gbox lose its oil from?

 

How much fluid leaked out and from where? was the surface the car was sitting ever wet?
did anything fall down the shifter to cause it to be blocked from moving?
It sounds to me like the NSS is causing the non start condition,

NOTE also there is a ground wire thats in the hatch area that will cause a no start if its been disconnected or its not making a good ground this could be,
in the tire well or
uner the right rear edge of the quarter liner
or on the area near the RR taillight, also make sure the trans shifter cable is free by remoiving the cable connection at the trans then you can manualyy shift the trans to park then try to start it block the wheels before trying this.
The trans will leak about 1 to 1/2 quarts max if it was a pan gasket or the Bowden cable housing O ring going bad,
if the reservoir was leaking the leak will be more like 5 qts

 

My 86.0 won't start in neutral either. Only park. Everything else seems to work normally though. Something wrong with a lockout in there somewhere?

 

The 86 (US) owners manual states the auto transmission should be in park.

 

Interesting additional observations - thanks guys. When the fluid leaked, it might have come out from the cap, but I am not sure. A lot came out, onto the garage floor (which is level and dry). Would the lack of fluid have anything to do with the inability to move the shift lever?

 

If you really want to start the car before getting the shift problem fixed...

In the spare tire well, front right corner, disconnect the six-terminal connector. Temporarily bridege Termal 3 (brown wire) to Terminal 4 (brown/green).

WARNING! The engine can start even if the transmission is in DRIVE or REVERSE!!

 

Thanks Wally - that seems pretty dangerous to me, altho with the car up on the liftbars, the danger is minimized.

 

I have 84, 85, and 86 autos. They all start in neutral and park. It should be in park. But for safety, if you stall approaching train tracks for instance, it needs to be able to start in neutral.

 

I have to admit Ive never read the owners manual for my car re. starting in gear position so yesterday, with this thread in mind I tried starting in every gear selector position.

The starter only engages in Park or Neutral.....when in reverse or any forward gear it performs as Ed stated as the intial problem.

I'd do the Wally suggestion and ensure the engine starts and runs fine then move onto the gbox issues.

hope that helps narrow down the no start issue.....obvious issues with the gbox leak and selector that need repair.

Now wheres that owners maual?

 

Thanks guys.