Help!

Trucks at home, I'm at work so I'll be working on it this evening. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I've checked the archives a bit but not found these exact issues.

Problem began about two weeks ago, within a couple of days of driving through 8-10" deep water over the roadway. Not sure thats related but worth mentioning.

When I try to start it up it sometime starts as normal and sometime I just get a clicking behind the dash, near the drivers feet. When this happens I have noticed a couple of things. First, that dash lights that come on when the ignition switch is in the on position are a lot dimmer than normal but every other light inside the rig is fine. Second, with my key in the ignition (position makes no difference for this) and foot on the brake I can't shift it out of park. Step on brake and push the gear change button and hear a click behind the dash (same area as above) but can't move the shifter.

After trying to start it a few time it will generally fire up and all will be normal.

My ideas from the archives:
Battery Terminals
Starter electrical connections
Main Ground
Starter Solenoid
Ignition switch (electrical)

1997 LWB Automatic with 3.5L engine.

Thanks!

Sounds like what my 95 does. I havent sweated it I figure its just a dead spot in the ignition.

My truck is doing something similar. When wheeling I do not turn the truck off. If around town I rock the gear selector back and forth a few times remove the key count to ten try to start the engine repeat.
I believe the problem is a sensor on the tranny going bad do not remember the name but the price was a couple hundred bucks.

~ Jon

I would also consider that water got into the starter and is affecting the brushes.
It is not uncommon for the brushes to stick.

Generally the key needs to be turned and brake depressed to release the shifter. I have eliminated the cables from the shifter interlock on mine.

Mine was doing something similar... turned out to be the battery terminals (diagnosed by checking voltage at the battery terminal and then on the other side of the terminal clamp... nearly a 5 volt differential). A couple of minutes spent using the terminal brush on the clamps and posts and everything was golden. I hope yours is fixed as easily <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/kewl.gif" alt="" />

Eric W.

When I first got mine it would do that a lot. Say once every twenty times. I replaced the terminals on the battery and it stopped. For a while. It has started doing it again, basically I try and start it a bunch of times really quick and it will astart cranking again. I'm beginning to think it will be the brushes in the starter myself.

Try whacking the battery terminals the next time it does it. My $ is on bad battery terminal connections...