freegard

I repalced a light bulb in the automatic shifter today and now the engine will not start and I had to have it towed.
It is a 1994 LS 400.
I try and I try and I try to search threads and absolutely nothing comes up
when I type neutral swich, or starter relay will turn starter; push relay with the top off will turn starter; key will not turn car over.

No signal to starter solenoid from key.

NOTHING COMES UP!!! I get on here and ask for advice and some yuck wants to lecture me about using the search threads.'The search feature on this website SUCKS!!! It is worthless.
This website is only good becasue someone will step up and be helpful.
It has to do with the wiring and switches under the bezel and around the shifter.
I had to pull out the old bulb with pliers, that blew the 7.5 amp under the dash. I replaced the fuse but the LS400 1994 will not turn over!!!

Any suggestions??

Yamae

Did you check the fuse 30A "AM2" in the FL box before your car was towed?

Kansas

Nice rant. Have you tried doing a search? ;-)

If your car was starting OK immediately before before you replaced the bulb then verify that the shifter was put back together properly and that no wires (e.g. to the shift interlock button) were damaged or connectors left unplugged.

steve2006

As Kansas suggests there is a possibility that the shift starter inhibitor switch has been damaged,misaligned or has trapped/damaged wiring.
Perhaps disconnecting the battery in future before commencing any electrical work would save you having problems with blown fuses after removing bulbs with pliers.

Page 12 of the link below shows the 12 volt supply from the 30A fuse and then to the ignition switch, 7.5A fuse, neutral switch, starter relay and finally yhe starter motor so you need to check for the voltage at each point.

freegard

Thanks guys I appreciate it.
This is what I have discovered this morning:

I started vehicle by remving cover from starter relay and turning ignition
to the run position and walking out to the engine bay and gently pushing the starter relay contacts until they make.
It starts right up, but all tnhose functions do not work and odometer readings are not there either, that is part of
background lighting for instrument cluster. All the fuses look fine.
I need to go get a voltage tester before I can do the other things suggested above.
Do these nthings point to anything specific that someone recognizes?


The instrument cluster background lights do not come on.
The fuel gage does not operate
The four warning lights on the bottom right of the instrument cluster
do not go aff after starting vehicle.

freegard

Kansas:
Thank you, yes I believe that that is where the problem is, but I cannot see how to check those wires from
the interlock to that little black box where all the wires go a few inches back from the shifter. That two wire connector is the only connector that I may have stressed, but it does not look like it is easily removed.
I tried to remove tbhe cover to that little black box, same result.

Steve: My multimeter is useless, I am going out now to get another.
Then I will follow that PDF, thank you.

It is as if there is a fusible link somewhere that is bad.

Oh, another thing: I disconnected the battery while engine was running and it kept running fine

AC, radio, wipers, headlights, seats...all work

freegard

I checked all fuses before my car was towed, I did everything I could with the limited
resources I had before my car was towed.
I do not know which fuse is AM2, On the left side of my engine bay there is the fuel pump relay,
the two icu and that is all I find. I see no fuse of that type exxcept by the battery.
Is the AM2 hidden under something that has to be removed, oir does what I posted below tell you that that is not the issue?

freegard

Yes, I know, I should never have attempted to replace a tiny light bulb without first disconnecting the battery. I should have thought of that before grabbing a burned out light bulb with a pair of pliers. THAT is where it all began. Damn!!

freegard

Yep, here is what I have: In park or neutral the vehicle's instrument cluster background lighting will not operate, and the four warning lights remain on at the lower left of the instrument cluster.
When I place the ignition switch in the on position; remove the plastic green colored cover from the starter relay switch under the hood and go out there and manually close the contacts the car starts right up.
If I then get inside the car and shift into any other gear the instruemnt background lighting snaps on and everything works and the four warning lights extinguish. As soon as I shift into park or neutral everything reverts.

So, I am not certain what I need to do. I did not mess with these switches or adjustments of them. I am not certain which switch I need to look at or what I need to do to the switch or how to remove these switches.
Is it under the car? or is it the devices I see under the shifter. If it is the devices under the shifter how in the heck do I remove them or test them?

Thank you

Suggestions please now that it has become clear that this is where the issue is.

freegard

Okay, got little black box out which turns out to be the computer shift lock control. I took it apart and removed the circuit board and noted one leaking electrolytic 16V 22 microfarad. It has leaked all over the board.
I do not know if it is the problem but I am going to remove and replace it tonight regardless.
I tested the interlock switch on my new ohm meter and it is weird. It has no resistance, and then as I depress the interlock switch (with the CSLC module harness disconnected for a true reading of the isolated switch) the meter jumps briefly to infinity (open circuit) but then back to no resistance--switch depressed or not depressed.
So I have continuity regardless of switch position.
It would seem as though this switch is not functioning correctly, but that may not be true. It may be fine because the CSLS may send a little voltage through it that when breifly disturbed creates an action.

Any knowledge on this?

freegard

I have an LS 400 1994.
I replaced the little bulb under the shift selector display and had to pull the old one out with pliers.
I did not disconnect battery and that is where it all started. I noted a spark when I grabbed the lights filaments to get it out and it blew the 7.5 a,mp starter fuse.

I replaced the starter fuse but the car will not engage the starter.

I turned the igntion to on and pulled the green colored cover off the starter relay under the hood and manually closed the contacts and the car starts right up.

If I shift it into neutral or pafrk the instrument lights go out and the warning lights come on. It remains running.

If I shift into any other gears the instrument lights snap on and the warning lights go out. It remains running.

I do not know if it is the interlock, or the park neutral switch. I did pull and stress the two wires that attach to the interlock switch.

I move the shift around but no matter what I do I cannot start it from inside the cabin.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Is there a way to bypass the neutral safety switch?
Is there a test for the interlock switch that I can perform?

Does this sound like the antitheft ECU tripped?

Everything on the vehicle still works fine including the FOB key.

PureDrifter

iTrader: (10)

please don't create multiple threads on the same topic.
merged.

Yamae

Above items are indicating that the AM2 is open.
It is located lower left corner of the FL box seeing it from the battery side. In other words, it is the closest to the + terminal of the battery.

freegard

No, AM2 is fine as is Am1 near it with alternator----unless there are fusible links under them that I cannot see.
Also the instrument lighting works when the gear shift is not in park or neutral

freegard

Okay. Only trying to be more descriptive as I learn hoping it triggers someone's
experience.