Q: My dash lights and gages won't cut on the car starts now but won't go into gear

asked by on November 15, 2016

No dash lights gages not moving and car won't go into gear

My car has 165674 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Hello.

From what you describe it would appear that your vehicle may be experiencing more than one issue. If your dash lights and gauges are not functioning then the first thing I would do is check the vehicle’s fuses. It may be possible that the fuse for the gauges has burned out and needs to be replaced. The fuse for the gauges is usually located in the interior fuse box. The interior fuse box is behind a kick panel in the driver side foot compartment. If the fuse is good then there may be the possibility of electrical issues, such as bad wiring or a faulty cluster. This may or may not be related to the issue shifting into gear. A transmission that will not shift into gear can commonly be caused by a faulty stoplight switch, or a bad shift interlock solenoid or switch. The stoplight switch is located at the base of the brake pedal, and activates the brake lights when the brakes are applied. It is wired into the transmission in a manner that prevents the transmission from shifting into gear if the brake pedal is not being stepped on. If this switch fails or has an issue, prevent the transmission from shifting into gear, along with disabling the brake lights. This shift interlock solenoid is another component that controls shifting, and can cause similar symptoms if it, or one of the transmissions various switches or solenoids has an issue. I would start by checking the fuses and moving from there. I would recommend having a professional technician, such as one from YourMechanic, come to your location to diagnose the cause of your (malfunctioning gauges)[https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/electrical-components-are-not-working-inspection] and (shifting issues)[https://www.yourmechanic.com/services/car-does-not-shift-from-park-to-drive-inspection].

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