Problems with 2002 Jeep GC?

Question

A while back when my husband would try to start the car it wouldn't start. It wouldn't even try to start. The guages would jump a couple times and electrical things inside the car would not work either. He then threw the car into neutral and the car would start. Any idea what it could be please help

If it's the neutral safety switch why would the guages be jumping? Do you happen to know where the NSS is on a 2002 Jeep GC? I am pretty sure it's on the drivers side transmission but otherthan that I can't seem to find anything.

Answer 1

100% I had the same thing happen.

Check and see if you have the factory battery, I know this is way out in the boonies but the factory battery had issues and was doing this to our jeep, it even would stall.

Take your battery out and have it checked, I say out because this will also give time for the PCM to reset. I thought for sure I had bigger problems when I seen this, however after the Jeep was towed to the dealer they replaced the battery, and it went away.

I guess thee factory batterys had some sort of "core shift" and caused the pos and neg inside the battery to fuse.

Good luck

Answer 2

If I were you the first thing I would do is make sure your battery is in good shape. A low battery can screw with a car like that. Also check the electrical system to make sure it's not shorting out anywhere (make sure there isn't a constant drain on the system. If it's neither of thoseit may be a computer problem. If it were a shifter position switch or something like that the electrical would probably still work. Take it to the dealership to diagnose it. It may show some trouble codes.


Go to Checker/AutoZone/PepBoys and look at a Haynes type manual. Usually they'll let you look through them. If not call the dealership and they can tell you.

Answer 3

If it's an auto transmission it has a neutral start switch which prevents the car from starting if it's in anything other than park or neutral. If it will start in neutral but not in park then the switch is just a bit out of adjustment. Sometimes a bit of play in the shifter will cause this and jiggling the shifter while it's in park will make the switch. The dealer can adjust the switch without much trouble.