XJ40 intermittent non starting g/box inhibitor switch

[falcemob]

I have just got an XJ40 which I want for a few parts. The guy I bought it from said it wouldn't start due to what he believed to be an inhibitor switch fault. After struggling to get it on my trailer, when I got it home I put a new battery on it and it started first time.
I put it on my drive turned it off, tried it again and it wouldn't start. After wiggling the gear lever in park it started again but now it wont. Everything lights up and if i wiggle the e
lever about I can hear a couple of switches or solenoids clicking but it wont turn over.
Does anyone know where or what I should be looking for? It would be nice to be able to move it around without pushing it or using a winch.
Thanks for any help or advice

[Trooper2]

It may need a shift cable adjustment, perhaps it won't start every time because it thinks it's in Reverse when it's actually in Park. Try starting it in Neutral and see what happens. It could also be that the Park/Neutral safety switch on the transmission side of the shift cable is failing.

[falcemob]

It wont start in neutral either.

[Trooper2]

Is the gear selection indicator lining up properly with the PRND321 on the shift gate as it should? If not, it may need a shift cable adjustment.

My knowledge of Jaguar transmissions only goes back to the X300 with the ZF5HP24 transmission, but if your XJ40 has a ZF transmission then this may help. The Park/Neutral safety switch is integral to the rotary switch where the shift cable connects to the gear selector shaft on the right side of the transmission, if the Park/Neutral safety switch has gone bad then you would need to replace the rotary switch.

Edited by Trooper2 on Sunday 23 December 15:47

[falcemob]

Not sure about any of the above but you can hear the solenoid or switch clicking when it goes to neutral or park. I have however found a way of starting it. I stuck a screwdriver across the starter solenoid and main starter cable terminals and it starts, sometimes afterwards it will start on the key but is still very intermittent. I'm not too worried as long as I can start it to move it until I break it up.

Edited by falcemob on Sunday 23 December 16:07