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XJ won't start unless pushing shift knob

XJ_NorCal

NAXJA Forum User
Location
Patterson, CA
1998 Jeep Cherokee Sport
113K miles
I6 4.0 litre
Automatic Transmission
NP231 Transfer Case


Occasionally my jeep won't turn over. I'll turn the key in the ignition and nothing happens. It's almost as if the battery is dead. To get the jeep to start I have to push the automatic shift knob up (towards the engine) with one hand and turn the key with the other. Works every time but is annoying. Any ideas what could be causing this? I'm thinking (hoping) it's an easy fix.
 
Sounds like a theft deterrent system.

Call it a feature.

And go confuse a parking valet.
 
The Neutral Safety Switch (NSS) probably needs adjusting, cleaning, or both.
 
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