intermittent no start conndition

[barrytuneup]

:help: hi. i have an 04 MM that on ocassion will not start. The MM is flawless with only 6500 miles, garage kept, and the engine compartment is super clean(battery terminals, alt, etc). Once out of 20 or 30 times i will insert the key to start it and nothing happens, not a sound, there is actually nothing. But i jiggle the gearshift lever and then i turn the key and it starts as if nothing was wrong. There is no telling when this condition will happen. And then its ok for another 20-30 starts. Long story short (this has been going on for 3 months). i brought it to my local Ford dealer(no Mercury dealer in my area) about 2 months ago and left it there for 3 days. They told me they fixed it by "reprogramming the ecm and rerouting some cable wire and it should be fine". It was ok until i started it on start number 30, and the same thing. But by jiggling the gear shift and then turning the key, its o.k. again. I called the dealer and told them to note in my service record that the problem was not fixed. They said bring it back again. I work 2 jobs and i can't waste time leavibg it there. The last time it would't start was this am, while getting gas, i couldn't leave the pumps!!. I did the jiggle and it started up.(it was embarrassing) I want to bring it in to the dealer but i need some of you experts to reply to this as to what it could be(neutral safety switch?), Then ill print this and bring to dealer.They claim they never saw this problem in the Crown vic or gr Marquis before, which is hard to believe. Anyone have this problem?, and if so what was done to fix it?Much thanks to anyonewho canhelp. Other then that:help: the car is great. This is what makes people buy imports-the dealer cant't fix the darn problem. thanks

[BAD MERC]

Next time it does it - check to see if the security indicator on top of the dash is on solid (okay) or rapidly flashing (sentry key issue).

[barrytuneup]

the security indicator is on solid(the dealer thought that was the problem until they saw the security light was working as it should.

[Bluerauder]

But i jiggle the gearshift lever and then i turn the key and it starts as if nothing was wrong.
Could be that you are not fully engaging the shifter into the "Park" position. This occasionally happens to me too and I just hit the shifter and I can hear it "click" into Park. Then, it'll start. Would also happen on my '94 Thunderbird.

BTW - Welcome to the MM.Net :welcome:

[jgc61sr2002]

Possibly a linkage adjustment. Not fully ingaging in Park.

[David Morton]

Yup. Sounds like the old "Felt like park" syndrome. It happens from Ford going nuts over the "jumped out of park into reverse" thing we had a few years ago. So the nub of the problem is in the adjustment of the gearshift lever.

Do you feel the detent you have to ramp over to get to reverse? Well if the shifter is fully put in park and the adjustment nut is loosened, a proper adjustment is to move the shift lever on the transmission to a little bit past the reverse side of the "valley", partly up that ramp to reverse. This insures a little bit of pressure from the detent pushing the shifter handle towards park and will fix the "felt like park" syndrome.

That ought to do it. Don't try this unless you know exactly what I'm describing.

[RF Overlord]

^^^what they said^^^

[cyclopsram]

Will it start in neutral...??? If so, I agree with the linkage adjust scenario.. RAM

[David Morton]

Come to think of it, I have had the same thing happen to me. And I pushed the shifter handle forward, the lock clicks and she starts up fine. Next time this happens, see if you cam pull the shifter back into reverse, without pushing the relase button on the side. If you can this is most definitely the problem.

I didn't adjust mine I just make sure I get it fully into park. I kinda do the jiggling before I ever take out the key when I'm sutting down.