I've been having an occasional issue with my XJ having a no crank no start after short drives. It's happened a few times after trips around a mile and a couple more after simply moving my car into the driveway to work on it or wash it. Every time it has happened before today I have been able to jump it or just wait it out to start it. This time I cannot get it to start at all, in park or neutral.

When I try to start it the lights come on but there is no audible click. I had the battery tested at Auto-Zone. I have pulled and cleaned the NSS, and I replaced the battery cables. Neither made any impact. I'm out of ideas on what could be the issue.

Edit: I got it to start in neutral. I was able to move the car and parked it, I attempted to start it in neutral again and nothing again. I tried again a few minutes later and it started in neutral again. It sill will not start in park. I guess I'm going to be looking at the NSS again and see what I can do from there.

 

Howdy.. Look for "nss" stuff. This takes two hands...hold the key over on start, while you jiggle the shiftier around park or neutral. If it cranks then, it's the Neutral safety switch. Mine will start and fun fine all day as long as it's warm. Parked hot it's fine in the AM. If I just re-park with my gummy nss cold, I need to push my shiftier forward a tad. I just left mine as is, not a problem for me.

 

I already pulled and cleaned my NSS. When it won't start moving the shifter has yet to make any diffrence

 

OK...my start relay is up near the battery, I'd start testing/jumping there if it were me.

 

Well I was able to get it started, only in neutral though. Even that is not always so it looks like I'll have to take a second look at my NSS and possibly bypass it. Lovely.

 

Bypassing it for testing purposes takes less than 5 minutes. I highly recommend that you do that first before hauling it off again.

 

Adding that wire does not stop it from plugging in like normal? Also, how dangerous leaving the NSS bypassed like that as a temporary fix? I have read many people warning against just bypassing it in case you start it in gear, if started in gear would it lurch forward/backward or be the same as if I started it normally and just shifted to that gear?
I'm about to start my workweek so I'm not sure what day I'll be able to get it done.

 

I only suggest it for the purpose of testing to make sure it's your NSS. I did that test and left it unplugged while I waited for the new part. Yes, it can be dangerous to the absent-minded person who somehow starts their car when the shifter is not in park. If you are worried that you might do that, then do not operate the rig with the switch bypassed.

 

So when I add in the wire I don't try to plug the NSS back in I just leave it with the wire in and unplugged?

 

Right. You won't have reverse lights though. Once I backed over my new kitten in a Jag with no safety switch. I did start in in reverse on purpose, but the kitten in the shade behind a wheel didn't have any time to move.

 

I know this is a super old comment, but I'm curious. My NSS just started acting up as you described here.
Is this something I can just drive with? Or will I eventually not be able to start it in any gear (maybe as a result of the NSS just getting worse)? Did you ever replace yours, or did you just leave it like this no problem?

 

I never ended up needing to replace it, I took it off, cleaned it up really well and coated with dielectric grease and it's been running without an issue since I did. You can drive with it, but in my case, it will just get more frequent until it won't start at all. You can find a few videos of the removal and disassembly to make it easier, it really isn't a bad job. Much better than dropping $400 on a new NSS.

 

Eventually, it will get worse and worse.
However, you do not need to replace it, only open it up and clean it. Here are some videos that helped me when I had the problem, and fixed the issue.

 

Thanks! Did the job today, seems to have fixed every, much appreciated