we need an auto repair advice sub-forum!
 

happy bye week, guys! :toast:

i have another interesting problem with my 06 toyota matrix...

this is apparently an intermittent problem, but when i turn the key i get nothing, like the key turns but the car seems to thinks it is not in park...

i tried shifting and tried park and neutral and nothing...

so i have it towed to the auto electric shop and the poor guy tries to get it to fail so he could be sure what needs to be fixed...

he never could get it to fail, so i go and pick it up...

we drive to dinner and back home (maybe 20 miles total) and everything's fine...

until the next day when we go out to start it, it not only won't start like before...

now i can't move the gear shift at all... :cuss: :cuss: :cuss:

Is the ignition system getting power? Dash lights and stuff coming on. Or is it that the starter does not engage ?

everything is normal (lights, horn, door window buttons, dash lights) except that when you turn the key it acts like it's not in park, nothing changes, no noise, no dimming lights, nothing...

the auto electric guy couldn't get it to do that for a full day, but as soon as we parked it in our driveway, same thing again... :banghead:

I think we should have an auto/home sub forum. Get rid of something like the tickets sub forum.

I'm not that familiar with those Toyotas but I'd be looking at the starter relay in the power distribution center under the hood or at the starter itself.

Only way to fix that is sink it in a river and report it stolen.

Years ago I had a similar issue with my accord. Turned out to be the alternator.

Add in some aids booster to a full tank of fuel

Years ago we had issues with the neutral safety switches but I have no idea if they still use them on newer cars.

three weeks ago, i would have considered that, but i just bought a K$ catalytic converter (unique to toyotas)... :(

Have you tried antifreeze ?

Brake switch~

how would i test that?

since it won't let me shift the gears now, i've been thinking it might have something to do with a brake switch, but i know a lot more about social security disability claims than i do about cars...

yes, i drank a full glass :BLVD: and it didn't seem to help...

Might try to move the gear shifter around a little and try again. Sometimes my truck will appear to be in park but I'll need to jiggle one way or the other to get it just right for the starter to work.

Good Luck.