1987 Camry starter noise with car running in park or neutral

Hello

My 1987 Automatic Transmission Camry sometimes makes a grinding noise when I start it. If so I just turn the key back and try again. This happens about once a month.

This past weekend, I noticed a grinding noise coming from the starter ring gear area when I would put the car in Neutral or Park. This is when I would be coming to a stop and turning the car off. Taking it back to drive the noise went away.

About a year ago the car was stolen and they jammed the ignition lock cylinder. It still works with the key, or pretty much any key you can put in it. At times I can remove the key and the car is still running. So the lock ignition cylinder is obviously damaged.

What I am thinking is that maybe the ignition key / switch is not releasing all the way as it is damaged and the starter is a bit engaged and that is causing the grinding noise when I put it in Neutral or Park while it is running. But why neutral and park?

Any ideas?

Thanks

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Automatic transmission cars have a switch that is connected to the transmission gear selector. The switch is closed when the gear selector is in neutral or park and open in any other gear. This is so that you can't start the car accidentally in gear.

It is a normal safety feature that has been on cars and trucks with automatic transmission for decades.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff

Jeff

Thanks for the reply.

So if we forget about the original problem.

The car starts fine, I drive it around. I pull into my driveway and come to a stop. I put the car in Park and hear a grinding noise in the starter area.

I move the shifter into Neutral are the grinding noise is there too. I put it in park and it goes away.

How do the switches that detect if it is in park or neutral contribute to the grinding while the car is running?

This happened a few times ( not all the time) over the weekend. Yesterday and today no problem.

Reply to
Tube Audio

When the shift is in park or neutral the switch is closed. When it is in gear, it is open. The started shouldn't engage when the switch is in gear.

Regardless of what the problem is, you will be replacing the starter and/or flywheel if the problem isn't fixed.

The first thing to do is fix the ignition switch, because it is faulty. If the problem persists, then go from there.

Reply to
Jeff

The car will only start in Park or Neutral. If the starter engages when you make either of these two selections, then I'd have to suspect the ignition switch is stuck in the START position. There is supposed tyo be a spring thaqt prevents this from happening, but if you have lots of shit on your key ring, then the spring might be broken and the ignition can turn to START as you are driving.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

There is an easy work-around here.

Assuming the ignition lock set was mucked up during the theft, and the problem is just now becoming apparent, then all he has to do is rotate the key out of the START position when getting ready to park the car.

I'd be putting the Ignition Key on a separate ring so that the 10 pounds of other keys is not hanging on the Ignition Lock Set, and changing the position from ON to START.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

Noises are difficult to diagnose without hearing them first-hand. The people who are giving you advice regarding the park/neutral safety switch are assuming that the noise is being caused by the starter engaging.. If that is the case, then the ignition switch is bad and stuck in the start position. Get it fixed ASAP before you ruin the ring gear and have to remove the transmission to replace the ring gear.

If the noise is not being caused by the starter engaging, check the motor and transmission mounts for interference with a moving part like an accessory drive belt.

Reply to
Ray O

If the noise is NOT caused by the starter motor engaging, then it would happen in gear selections other than P and N. Since the noise ONLY happens in P and N, my money is on the Ignition Switch being stuck in START. I really think the keys swinging around is moving the ignition switch to START while the OP is driving the car, but how or when the switch is moving brings us to the same point at the end of the day.

If am correct, then the OP merely needs to move the switch out of START before selecting P or N. Of course, other operators of the car may not know to do this, so repairs to the ignition switch are in order ...

Remember Ray, he told us that the car had been stolen or it was attempted to be stolen, and the crooks worked the Ignition Switch over with a slide hammer or equivelent tool.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

From the original post....

------------------------------------------------------ About a year ago the car was stolen and they jammed the ignition lock cylinder. It still works with the key, or pretty much any key you can put in it. At times I can remove the key and the car is still running. So the lock ignition cylinder is obviously damaged.

-------------------------------------------------------------- Seems to me, it would be a good idea to replace the ignition switch.

Reply to
Scott in Florida

Not necessarily if a motor or transmisison mount is broken.

Since the noise ONLY happens

I think the ignition switch is a more likely cause of the problem, which is why I listed it first. When I make suggestions on things to check, I usually try to list them in the order of likelihood, like the factory manual does. ;-)

Reply to
Ray O

Yup, which is why I listed it first in things to check ;-)

Reply to
Ray O

I also think the ignition switch is the problem, which is why I only suggested that possibile trouble spot.

The only bearing the Neutral Safety Switch has on the issue is that the OP must shift through points where the NSS becomes active when the Ignition Switch is also set to START.

Fix the ignition switch and the problem will go away.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

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