2003 AC 2wd won't start after new battery install

Agree with Bryan

May or may not help....

 

Thank you so much for that diagram. I will check it out as soon as I can get it into the garage to work on it. That cold front has moved through our area and its too cold to be lying on the ground underneath the truck to troubleshoot it right now.

 

Well, I am mostly well again. aught the flu the Friday after New Years and then we got a snowstorm in Middle TN.

I have been doing some reading and asking my dad some questions on the truck. Since I can start the truck in neutral and there is an issue of it going into park and still rolling, I looked into the shifter slop thread. I am going to order that bushing the @shifty` talks about in this thread https://www.tundras.com/posts/3754935
My dad said that he had problems shifting out of park the last few times he drove it, and it seems like I am having problems getting it back into park after shifting it anywhere else. I am leaning less on the neutral safety switch being the problem and the bushing being the culprit. Since, I have ruled out the electrical issues being the problem on it not starting in Park, this seems like the next easiest piece to try and fix the issue of no start, since it will start with the key, no problem, in neutral.

Thanks for all of the help and hopefully I will get to it this weekend.

 

Update to what I have found so far. As you may have seen, I have had some similar issues to more recent posts that I have commented on and wanted to update what I have found on my original post.

1. I pulled the cover off of the steering column to inspect the bushing, it was in perfect shape, so no issue there. I have 2 spares now just in case it does eventually crumble.
2. I checked the linkage on the side of the transmission next. Like everything underneath this truck, except the frame, there is a lot of rust. I loosened and then retightened the linkage attachment bolt from the cable and moved the selector manually, it was stiff but after adjusting the location, transmission would finally shift up into Park and truck would no longer roll. It would still not start in Park, only Neutral still.
3. I checked the neutral safety switch next yesterday and after hitting the bolt with some PB Blaster to loosen it up, I adjusted the unit as far as I could to get the line on the switch lined up with the transmission mark while in neutral. It still isn't completely lined up, ran out of travel. Might need to remove it completely and clean up the area of rust next or replace it completely, eventually.

But I can now start it either in Park or Neutral most of the time. It won't start all of the time but if it doesn't, I can move the gear selector up and down the tree a couple times and will start eventually. So, it's not working perfectly yet, but it is close. At least I can now start it and worry about other issues that need to be taken care of. I am so glad that it was nothing electrical.

Next project will be to get the timing belt/ water pump changed, get the oil changed, and go about resurfacing the differential cover and getting the leak stopped on it per the thread about using Por-15. I'm not sure how bad it is leaking yet and I will have to check how full it is. I am going to call the dealership that my dad used for maintenance on the truck and double check that the timing belt hadn't been changed. Probably need it anyway as if it had been changed and never driven, it is way past the 9-year recommendation of replacement anyway. might as well start fresh. I did find out that the lower ball joints were replaced when the frame was replaced so I don't have to worry about those for a while.