Mtngato

18 months ago, we came back from vacation, went to get a pizza (started just fine), and in the pizzeria parking lot the 2002 TL S wouldn't turn over -- just a click. Had it towed home and replaced the starter; no improvement. Replaced the battery cables and terminals; no improvement. Got a new battery, and it worked again.
About 6 months later, the problem re-occurred. Sometimes it would start if we jiggled the shifter, sometimes not. When it started, it did so very quickly; when it didn't, it just clicked. Radio and lights worked. Replaced the battery again, and it worked again. Had the alternator tested and it was fine.
Now it's happening again. For a few days it would start in neutral but not in Park. Left town for 2 weeks and now it's totally dead. Battery shows 100% charge.
Other than pushing the thing over a cliff, do you have any suggestions????

my.daily'tl'

Check everything electrical related to starting the car. I had a wierd problem where i thought i had a dead alternator - battery dying very quickly but i cleaned up all the connections and my fuse box to alternator battery wasnt carrying current properly. go through, check EVERYTHING and check the grounds too.

01tl4tl

if it starts in nuetral but not in park.. its likely a failed `nuetral safety switch`

battery 100% what does that mean,,just volts or load tested and is fine
even brand new batteries can be defective

any extra electrical installed? radio changed etc?
leaving the dome light on? stranger things have occured

01tl4tl

someone recently had a loose wire under the main fuse box iirc
that was freaking the car out!!

Mtngato

No additional electrical installed (factory radio, etc.) and dome light not left on. "Battery at 100%" meant that the battery charger shows a full charge. Again, each time this has happened it started as an intermittent problem where it would either start with full cranking or none at all: just a click. Symptoms like that seem usually to indicate a poor connection or something else that either works or not, rather than something that's gradually getting weaker. But why changing the cables or the battery works for about 6 months is most puzzling ... and frustrating!

sbuswell

ignition switch could be the problem.

01tl4tl

yeah thats my thought too..99s had a recall and the rest of us just have to deal with it on our own if it happens
not too bad a diy and under 50 bucks for the part

battery chargers hahahahahahaha,,they get the battery to a percentage of charge-
so the alternator can take it from there to actual full
but its not 100% full~ coming off the machine
take it to a parts store for free load testing- that simulates load of starter on battery

totaledTL

From your description I think I would focus on any switches/contacts/etc. associated with the shift selector & go from there. Spilled anything around that area such as Coke that may have gummed up or eaten into switch contacts? Did you remove any covers & inspect that area?

01tl4tl

good call totalled!!

the ol `Spilled a soda in the shifter and it went underneath and shorted out the various microswitches under it!!`
havnt heard that one in a while but had it on my own car!!

Brilliant Sir!!

fsttyms1

What year is the car?

totaledTL

Thank you
Occasionally I have an idea that at least sounds plausible to me. Would be interested to know what the resolution was OP?

01tl4tl

02 TL-S according to first post

wassa matta kris,,gettin old like me and need glasses?

totaledTL

Lol, it's closing in. We know about those things right-

rcb2000

if you have 12.75 volts at the battery before it is started and then have over 13.5 volts at the battery while it's running then yes your electrical system is working properly. But using the idiot gauge on a charger isn't doing anything other than making you look like an idiot.


Seems odd that replacing the battery always seems to fix the problem why's that? maybe the charging system isn't up to snuff, your battery cables are corroided internally where you can not see it? have you looked at the resistance of the cables? have you used a volt meter to check the electrical system?

Try this measure the battery voltage at the battery with the key off, write it down so you will remember what it is, start the car and then turn it back off once it is started, don't allow the alternator to put a surface charge on the battery, Check the battery voltage again, these values should be within .25 of a volt otherwise you have a sulfated battery.

If you do not have over 13.5 volts while the engine is running then you are not charging the battery and have a charging system issue.

Mtngato

At various times when this has happened, we've done things (clean ther terminals, snug the contacts, replace the cables) that got the car started, but then it would fail again soon after. It seems strange that when we could get it to start (by doing the above or wiggling the shifter handle), it starts vigorously, unlike when a battery is going bad. And once it starts, it runs like a train. But eventually the "tweaking" methods stopped working.

The past two times this happened, the battery initially seemed to be healthy. After we were able to get it started a few times by fiddling around with other stuff (as above), eventually it died again and the battery tested bad. Replacing the battery "fixed" the problem, but only for a few months.

The last time this happened, my husband purchased a meter that keeps track of the voltage when the car is running; it has routinely been reading over 14. We can't perform the diagnostic recommended ("start the car and then turn it back off once it is started") because we CAN'T START THE CAR, even by trying to jump it.

Some other things we've read make it sound like a possible cause may be the main relay, but we're having trouble finding it (again, this is a 2002 TL Type S). At one point we wondered about the interlock that prevents the car from starting when it's in gear, but a mechanic friend says he's never heard of that failing.

Mtngato

Forgot to mention that we had the alternator tested, and were told it was functioning perfectly.

01tl4tl

you tech never heard of a Nuetral Safety Switch failure? wow, he needs to get out more~

to use that feature, remove the cover from panel just righjt of the shifter
Insert the car key- no kidding, push brake pedal and push key straight down into release
Shift to N
remove key from thing and insert in ignition

the part has a few functions- it wont let the car try to start in any gear except P or N
that prevents damage you dont want to think about!

was any liquid recently spilt in that area of the shifter or drink console?

01tl4tl

the relays are easy to find under the hood and everything is labeled on the cover

the `main fuse` is a metal strip at front of relays, passenger corner of engine compartment,,if you had zero power thats where you start

the relays are grey or other color squares about 1" in size
you can swap same color relays to test them for function

rcb2000

you are looking at an ignition switch or nautral saftey switch problem then most likely. When you turn the key on does it power up the radio and all of the electricall items on the car?

Mtngato

Yes, everything comes on when the key is turned. Lights, remote locks, navigation system, etc. all work.

totaledTL

Why not just go ahead & replace the neutral safety switch & see if it's cured? Maybe it's cracked and just intermittent. Esp. given all the other things you've tried. Is it expensive?

freebieman

yea its $120, at least for a 1999 tl

freebieman

Mtngato, did you ever solve the problem? If so, what was it?

jdbarclay2

I have a 2001 Acura MDX; I worked on the fan belt, after that i jot with the start, not turning the enging fully; this was to make the fan belt to slip into position fully. After this I decided to give the engine a full turn for a start; the starter won't turn. All I hear is gagagagagaga. I took the batter for test and it is fully charged. I jumped it but all it did was the same sound. Any suggestion?

Yousef

Unsolved?

3.2TLc

^^^ What is the exact problem and have ya tried anything so far ?

01tl4tl

Yousef -are you trying to gain post count? heck of a thread revival, but note the latest question was in the wrong section- we are TL -everybody gets a section!
it was also a users first post and only post several months ago
Must have figured out what they jammed and fixed it- never to be seen on azinr again