Only starts with Shift in Neutral
 

My Montero 2002 Limited only starts when the I shift the stick to Neutral:confused:. It will not start when in Park. Always did...
Any assistance will be appreciated.:)

From a 2003 Mitsubishi Montero Service Manual:

23Ad-2 SYMPTOM PROCEDURES
.
SYMPTOM PROCEDURES <AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION>
INSPECTION PROCEDURE 1: Engine does not Crank
.
COMMENT
If the engine does not crank when the selector lever
is in "P" or "N" position, the cause is probably a mal-
function of transmission range switch system, trans-
mission control cable assembly, engine system,
torque converter or oil pump.
.
TROUBLESHOOTING HINTS (The most likely
causes for this case:)
• Malfunction of the transmission range switch
• Malfunction of the transmission control cable
assembly
• Malfunction of the engine system
• Malfunction of the torque converter
• Malfunction of the oil pump
• Malfunction of the PCM (Powertrain Control Module)

More than likely it is one of the first two. In my case, showed up as an intermittent problem. However realized that by giving the shifter a little nudge towards the front console when it was already in P, would allow the car to start in Park. Allowed me to determine immediately that the transmission range switch was faulty. Didn't bother touching it at the time as was still under warranty. Switch was replaced by dealership, though took some convincing on my part as the problem would never present itself when taken to the shop.

Hope this helps

Thank you very much :) Yes mine is also intermittent so i believe it will most probably be the switch.
By the way.. there is a slight vibration that i can feel every time the transmission changes gear. It only happens on acceleration and not when down shifting. Some one mentions it could be a seating (rubber) that is worn?? Any ideas?

Hmmm...is this vibration felt only through the gear lever or in just in general like a harsh gear change? For the former, I would just trace the shift linkage down from the gear lever to the transmission, and look for loose joints/points of attachment, and tighten as I go along. Most of the time that should take care of it. The latter is a different ball game altogether and could be any number of things. I would recommend taking a look at the Manual if you have it, specifically VOL 2>AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION>AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION DIAGNOSIS>SYMPTOM CHART. If you don't let me know and I can send you a private message with a link from which you can download it.

Vibration
 

I believe it will be the latter. It is not really harsh just a general vibration that can be felt when the tranny goes for a higher gear. I would appreciate the PM. Thank you very much.:cool:

Montero Transmission inhibitor switch
 

The transmission Inhibitor switch is a known problem on the montero
Mine has done 190K miles is a work vehicle and pulls a heavy trailer its sill going strong,
My shifter stiffened up and would not select correctly this is how i fixed the problem:
Downloaded the V5a51 Transmission manual from the web for free !
refering to the manual removed (but did not unplug) the inhibitor switch and manual control lever from the selector shaft,
At that point lubricated the shaft where it entered the gearbox with WD40
allowed it to soak in then moved the selector shaft through the full range multiple times then repeated again,This freed up the sticky shaft.
Then i carefully took apart the Inhibitor switch (6 crosshead screws and a clip, watch out for the 3 contacts and 3 springs which should be on the metal part of the switch when the 2 halves are separated)
Cleaned up and lubricated all parts (used a fine abrasive on all of the electrical contact parts to remove the Tarnishing) then reassembled the switch.
Refitted all parts and set up as per manual, works great !
Note Aamco wanted $500 just to look at it and dealer wanted $140 just for the switch
Cost me an Hour of my time small amount of WD40 some grease and a small piece of fine wet and dry paper probably less than $1.00

Awesome find
 

This just happened to me after driving salted NYS roads. Looks like time and corrosion finally got the best of it. Although I still can't start the vehicle in P, only able to crank it over in N.