van does not even attempt to start....

[footprintsinconc]

for almost 6 years or longer, i have had the issue that at rare but important occasions, i go to start the van and when i turn the key nothing happens...just dead silence, engine does not turn over. after a few minutes of trying, switching from park to neutral to park to neutral.....it finally just starts.

so lately, it is be coming a more frequent issue, like once every two months.....but last night, it did that for like 15 minutes...maybe 10minutes. i even pushed the van forward and back and nothing. just kept on turning it off and then trying to start, and it finally started...nothing i did was an indication that, oh this must be it.

any ideas? thanks!!!

[paintdrying]

6 years? Try to start it in neutral next time. Sounds like it could be your neutral safety switch. It could also be your ignition switch.

[Jasen]

That's the firs place's I would look as well.

[kramerhd]

I agree with neutral switch.

also crawl under and check your cable to starter, for green corrosion and rust.

What did you do to get it started after this issue?

[footprintsinconc]

like i said, i have tried shifting into neutral and still nothing and all the time when it started up agian, it was back when it was in park....did not start in neutral....the reason why i pushed the car back and forth before putting it back in park to hopefully engage the switch to start and it did nothing. just all of a sudden starts working.

i will check the starter cable and will have to identify which is the part/neutral switch to test it. how do i test it if the switch is working or not?