Our '95 X300 won't start. Caught briefly & died, now no power. Tried jumping it but turning the key only elicits a clicking sound in the engine compartment.

Plan to have it towed to the garage on Monday morning but I can't get it out of park.

Can anyone help?

Thanks in advance, Rhett

 

Battery is to low, that "clicking" is the starter trying to engage. Charge the battery or take it out and have it tested and bench charged you should be fine.

 

It seems as though power isn't getting from the battery to the starter, at least not enough. The clicking sound you hear is most likely the starter solenoid engaging, but without enough power to turn the starter motor.

Check the battery ground strap in the boot/trunk and check that your jumper leads are very firmly connected.

Being stuck in gear is caused by the shifter lock solenoid not operating, possibly also due to no power. To disengage the gear shift manually, unscrew the black plastic Torx head screw on the top of the ski slope beside the J gate shifter assembly. A large flat blade screwdriver will do the job. Then put a thin screwdriver/biro/similar down into the hole and you can manually depress the locking tab that hold the shifter in park. You can then move the gear shift.

Unless I'm mistaken, RWD automatics shouldn't be towed for more than about 12 miles and only at low speeds, unless they are being towed on the front wheels, with the rear raised. But maybe it won't come to this.

So, maybe just low battery power, or a faulty starter solenoid or starter motor. Sometimes a starter motor can stick and a gentle tap or two with a suitable bar/hammer on the casing can unstick it, but be gentle!! Just a few light taps!!

 

The battery was very low. I borrowed a car charger and a few hours on a slow charge got me started. I drove the car for about an hour and it started the next morning.

The guys at the shop checked the battery health (good) and ran the car on full load and it passed but the main mechanic noticed a battery disconnect switch in between the negative battery post and the ground. The previous owner would store the car for long periods of time, so this probably made sense to have. He says he's seen all kinds of odd issues with batteries not fully charging off the alternator with those devices and since I drive the car almost every day and don't need it, he removed it.

The car has started flawlessly since but it's only been a day or so. Obviously, if it drains again, we'll know there's more to the mystery.

Anyway, thanks for all your help!

-Rhett

 

The idle drain on the battery is enough to run your battery dead if you do not drive semi regularly. My older battery after 10 days sitting I notice a weak start vs when I've been driving every couple of days.

 

Glad you got sorted Rhett and thanks for the update. Letting us know how you got on will no doubt help someone else at some time in the future. It's all part of the pool of collective knowledge. Glad it was such a simple fix!