# Peculiar car problem **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 26, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039 "2016-08-26T18:58:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/1 "2016-08-26T18:58:16Z")
As reported by my daughter. Car started. When put in reverse transmission did not engage. Turned the car off. Tried to restart. The car lurched forward several inches and then stalled. Now it won’t even turn over. Lights and radio work. The battery was replaced 5 days ago. I am thinking she is not accurately describing events, and yet the car now will not even turn over. Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/2 "2016-08-26T19:01:57Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > As reported by my daughter. Car started. When put in reverse transmission did not engage. Turned the car off. Tried to restart. The car lurched forward several inches and then stalled. Now it won’t even turn over. Lights and radio work. The battery was replaced 5 days ago. > > I am thinking she is not accurately describing events, and yet the car now will not even turn over. Any ideas? assuming it’s an auto trans, did she put it back into Park before trying to re-start it? It won’t start unless it’s in P or N. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/3 "2016-08-26T19:06:26Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > assuming it’s an auto trans, did she put it back into Park before trying to re-start it? It won’t start unless it’s in P or N. And the brake depressed. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/4 "2016-08-26T19:13:03Z")
Just asked. She was insulted but more pertinent is the fact that our mechanic (who is great) was just a few blocks away came over and could not start it either. So we will find out fairly soon. But I am interested in more guesses. ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/5 "2016-08-26T19:15:09Z")
Why was the battery replaced? ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/6 "2016-08-26T19:15:23Z")
Could be a bad neutral safety switch. Try jiggling the shifter while the key is in the Start position. ---
**Author:** ![Oddball\_92](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/b3f665/32.png) [@Oddball\_92](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oddball_92)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/7 "2016-08-26T19:15:40Z")
Neutral safety switch might be bad. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/8 "2016-08-26T19:17:01Z")
Preliminary guess from mechanic: something funky. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/9 "2016-08-26T19:23:37Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > Preliminary guess from mechanic: something funky. The goodfoot is broken. Papa’s new bag got sucked up the tailpipe. The roof is on fire. The car is a little red corvette. It just needs to go to the car wash. It was involved a little kung fu fighting. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/10 "2016-08-26T19:27:18Z")
year/make/model of the car would be _really_ helpful here. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/11 "2016-08-26T19:31:35Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > assuming it’s an auto trans, did she put it back into Park before trying to re-start it? It won’t start unless it’s in P or N. > [@Chefguy](#): > > And the brake depressed. You need to depress the brake to shift into or out of Park. The car will start with your foot off the brake. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/12 "2016-08-26T19:35:51Z")
I once borrowed a van to move some stuff. Some part of the shifter cable/linkage broke right after I’d put the thing in reverse to back out of a spot and so I couldn’t then shift to drive to proceed out of the Walgreens parking lot. Foolishly, I turned off the engine to let everything ‘reboot.’ Of course, this prevented the van from starting at all and I had to arrange for a Sunday tow. ---
**Author:** ![dauerbach](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c2a13f/32.png) [@dauerbach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dauerbach)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/13 "2016-08-26T19:37:26Z")
Right. It is a 2003 Chevy Cavalier. Automatic transmission. Battery replaced because it died, but it was 8 years old. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 7:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/14 "2016-08-26T19:41:24Z")
> [@dauerbach](#): > > Right. It is a 2003 Chevy Cavalier. Automatic transmission. Battery replaced because it died, but it was 8 years old. could also be something messed up in the gear selector linkage or mechanism. may be in a different gear than indicated by the shifter. ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2016, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/15 "2016-08-26T22:01:36Z")
I would check the charging system/battery first being as that is one problem - could be causing the transmission problem as well - what with all the computers in cars these days. A low voltage could cause all sorts of problems. ---
**Author:** ![Willcross](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b2d939/32.png) [@Willcross](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Willcross)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2016, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/16 "2016-08-27T03:09:38Z")
It’s only an anecdote but the shifter cable also broke on my 2003 Cavalier and the mechanic said its a common problem on that car. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2016, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/17 "2016-08-27T04:02:48Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > You need to depress the brake to shift into or out of Park. The car will start with your foot off the brake. My Prius wouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![SigMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@SigMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SigMan)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2016, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/18 "2016-08-27T04:12:59Z")
Something happened to the shifter assembly where they are not lined up with the gear selection positions anymore. Explains why no reverse one time and lurching forward when starting. No starting now means no park or neutral positioning. Sounds to me the shifter rod/cable came off. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2016, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/19 "2016-08-27T05:32:12Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > My Prius wouldn’t. Car models vary of course, but I have never driven an automatic that wouldn’t start with your foot off the brake pedal. The Prius might be a special case. I do depress the brake out of habit because I have to to put the car in gear, anyway, but my car does start without the brake pedal depressed. ---
**Author:** ![mixdenny](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mixdenny/32/2962_2.png) [@mixdenny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mixdenny)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2016, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039/20 "2016-08-27T06:18:18Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Car models vary of course, but I have never driven an automatic that wouldn’t start with your foot off the brake pedal. 2011 Kia Sorento: Foot has to be on brake. 2006 Scion xB: Foot has to depress clutch. Dennis [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/peculiar-car-problem/764039.md?page=2)