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This is a short case study of a 2012 Kia Sedona minivan with 141,000 miles that randomly won't crank or start. When it does start, the starter cranks normally and the engine instantly comes to life. But sometimes for no obvious reason the starter does nothing when the ignition key is turned to start.
To find the fix for this problem you'll have to read the article because there can be various causes. By a process of elimination and what turned out to be some unnecessary repairs, I finally found and (hopefully) fixed it once and for all.
The first time the no crank no start problem occurred, the vehicle was in the garage and had not been driven since the day before. The engine was cold and the weather was around 40 degrees F. When the key was turned to ON, the instrument panel lights came on as usual indicating the starting system had voltage (not a dead battery). Everything seemed normal, but when the key was twisted to the START position, nothing! No click, no hum, no buzz, no sound at all from the starter.
Thinking there might be a problem with the Park-Neutral Safety Switch (which prevents the engine from being started in any gear other than Park or Neutral), I moved the shift lever on the console from Park to Neutral and tried again. This time the engine cranked and started normally. This seemed to indicate a problem with the Park-Neutral Safety Switch, which is located on top of the transaxle just under where the battery tray and battery are in the engine compartment.
Was the no crank just a one-time freaky thing? Maybe. But a few days later it happened again, this time after stopping for gas on a road trip. I turned the key to start and nothing. Same as before. So once again I moved the gear shift lever from Park to Neutral and tried again. This time it didn't even crank in Neutral!
Oh great. Now what? I'm stranded in a busy gas station with a van that won't start and is blocking the pumps.
I removed the key from the ignition, put it back in and tried again. Nothing. I tried again and this time it started normally in Park. So I assumed it must be a problem with a worn Park-Neutral Safety Switch making intermittent contact.
I always like to research things online so I was surprised to find quite a few posts about others having the same kind of no crank no start issues with their older high mileage Kia Sedona minivans. Sometimes the cause was a bad Park-Neutral Safety Switch, sometimes it was a bad Starter Relay or Worn Ignition Switch, or a bad Starter Solenoid or Starter motor.
I found posts blaming a bad relay inside the IPS module (Intelligent Power Switch as Kia calls it, which is the anti-theft module buried under the knee bolster near the steering column). Sometimes banging on the lower panel under and left of the steering column jarred the IPS module enough to allow the engine to crank and start. Crazy as this sounds, this trick apparently works if the problem is a bad IPS module.
And I found posts complaining that they were unable to figure out what was causing their no crank no start problem.
Back to my story. Since I had luck getting the engine to crank by moving the gear shift lever from Park to Neutral (and back and forth several times), I figured it must be a bad P-N switch.
The P-N switch is fairly easy replace and costs about $45. It can be purchased online, at most auto parts stores or your local Kia dealer.
To replace the P-N switch, you should disconnect and remove the battery and battery tray to make access easier.
WARNING: Before you remove the battery, set the parking brake and block the wheels so the van won't roll if it is not parked on level ground. Turn the key on and move the gear shift to Neutral, then disconnect the battery. If you disconnect the battery before moving the gear shift to Neutral, the gear shift won't move and will be locked in Park.
Unplug the electrical connector on the P-N switch, disconnect the shift cable from the arm on the P-N switch, then the shaft bolt on the P-N switch and two mounting bolts. Pull up on the P-N switch to slide it up and off the transaxle input shaft.
The shift arm on the P-N switch has a small hole that is used to correctly position the new switch when you install it. Align the hole in the switch arm with a small hole in the transaxle housing. You can do this visually or by inserting a nail, pin or rod into the holes. This should correctly position the P-N switch in the Neutral position.
Reconnect the shift cable, install the large nut on the transaxle input shaft and the two mounting bolts on the P-N switch. The holes in the P-N switch for the two mounting bolts are oblong to allow a little room for adjusting the position of the P-N switch. Position the P-N switch so the two bolts are about midway in their respective holes, then tighten the bolts
Reconnect the electrical wiring harness to the P-N switch, then reinstall the battery tray and battery. Make sure the both battery terminals and cables are clean and tight, and that the ground battery cable has a clean and tight connection to the inner fender panel.
The engine should now crank and start normally assuming the only problem was a bad P-N switch.
Okay, so I did all of this and figured the problem was solved. It was for awhile, but a few weeks later the van again failed to crank when I tried to start it.
Well, maybe it wasn't a bad P-N Safety Switch after all.
The next least expensive item to replace that might have been causing the problem was the Starter Relay. The relay is located in the black plastic Fuse & Relay Block (fuse box) in the engine compartment. The relay costs about $20 and has four prongs on the bottom that plug into the fuse & relay block. Replacing it is as simple as pulling out the old one and plugging in the new one. You don't have to disconnect the battery or do anything else.
So I replaced the relay and hoped the repair would eliminate the random no start. It did, for awhile. Then a few days later it happened again. Damn!
Next item on the list of possible causes was the Ignition Switch. Worn or corroded contacts inside the switch can certainly be a cause of a random no start, or even loss of ignition while driving. Replacing the Ignition Switch is not a simple job as it is buried under the knee bolster panel and is attached on the backside of the Ignition Switch Assembly (which includes the key tumbler, key sensor for the anti-theft system, and the steering wheel interlock).
You don't have to replace the entire ignition switch assembly, just the small white plastic electrical part at the back of the assembly. The electrical part of the Ignition switch can be purchased online, at most auto parts stores or your local Kia dealer for around $25 to $40.
Do NOT attempt to replace the ignition switch until the battery has been disconnected. You don't want to accidentally short out any wiring while working under the dash.
I replaced the ignition switch. And just as before, the no crank no start problem reappeared after a few days.
WTF?????
Apparently the problem was not the P-N Safety Switch, the Starter Relay or the Ignition Switch. Must be the starter or starter solenoid.
The last thing I wanted to replace was the Starter. Why? Because a rebuilt starter may cost $100 to $200, while a new one sells for over $400. It's a bitch to get at, and apparently you have to buy the complete assembly (starter motor and solenoid) because the solenoid by itself is not available for the Kia Sedona, and the Kia dealer wants over $400 just for the solenoid! So the only option is to replace both as a complete assembly.
The starter is on the bottom of the engine up above the exhaust pipes. Access requires removing a heat shield and a motor mount to get it out.
NOTE:KIA also uses TWO different starters on the Sedona. The 2008 to 2011 model year Sedonas use a starter with 8 teeth on the drive gear. Kia changed to a starter with 10 teeth in late 2011 so some early 2012 models may have either starter, while later ones all use the starter with 10 teeth.
Don't assume the parts store application listings are correct because some are not. My advice is don't buy a replacement starter until you remove the old one and count the teeth. Make sure to get the right one because the 8-tooth and 10-tooth starters are NOT interchangeable. The wrong number of teeth will not engage the flywheel properly and may damage the flywheel or starter teeth or both.
By this point, I had run out of ideas and was ready to replace the starter when a strange thing happened. I experienced another random no crank no start, but this time the Check Engine light came on. Was this a possible clue as to what was going on?
I plugged in my scan tool and found a code P0706, which indicated an incorrect signal from the Park-Neutral Safety Switch.
The P0706 code displays "Transmission Range Sensor "A" Circuit Range/Performance". This means the P-N switch is not sending the correct signal to the PCM (which controls the transmission). This probably meant the P-N switch was not adjusted correctly, or something was preventing it from reading the gear position correctly, or sending the correct signal to the PCM (loose or bad wiring harness maybe?)
On the 2012 Kia Sedona, there is a steel cable that physically connects the gear shift lever on the console to the little arm on the P-N switch on the transaxle. Unlike many newer vehicles that have no physical linkage between the shift lever and transmission (the gear shift lever is just a switch that sends a position signal to the PCM), the old school Kia cable setup is prone to misadjustment and cable stretch, especially after many years and miles. If the steel cable loosens up or stretches, it may not move the P-N switch to the exact correct position when you move the gear shift lever. The position of the P-N switch is critical so even a little misadjustment may affect its operation and prevent it from completing the starter circuit in Park or Neutral.
To make a very long story short, the ultimate fix for the random no crank no start problem on this 2012 Kia Sedona was to tighten the shift cable to remove any play or slack that may have occurred as a result of the cable stretching over time.
There is an adjustment bolt on the cable linkage where it connects to the arm on the P-N switch. Loosen the adjustment bolt to relieve the clamping force on the cable, push the arm on the P-N switch toward the cable to remove any slack in the cable, then retighten the adjustment bolt on the cable to hold it in place.
Test the adjustment by truing to start the engine with the transmission in both Park and Neutral. If it fails to start further adjustment may be needed. Also, try starting the engine in Drive and Reverse (with your foot firmly on the brake). The engine should NOT crank if the P-N switch is correctly adjusted.
In retrospect, I probably did not need to replace the P-N switch, the Starter Relay or the Ignition Switch. In your case, it might be any one of these parts that is causing your problem, or even a combination of factors that is causing a random no crank no start in your Kia or other vehicle. Every situation is different so hopefully you have learned something from my experience and can apply it towards solving your own starting problem.
On the KIA, the P-N switch is located on top of the transaxle. It is connected to the ignition switch and starter circuit by a large multi-pin electrical connector. There is also a moveable lever on the P-N switch that is connected by a steel cable to the gear shift lever inside the passenger compartment. When you move the shift lever, it changes the position of the little arm on the P-N switch and moves the contacts inside. The position of the switch and gear shift lever also sends a signal to the Powertrain Control Module that tells it what gear the transmission is in. This signal is essential for the PCM to control gear changes in the automatic transmission while driving.
If the internal contacts inside the P-N switch are worn or corroded, it may prevent battery current from being routed to the starter circuit. Moving the gear shift lever from Park to Neutral and back and forth may allow the switch to make contact and energize the starter circuit. If the P-N switch has failed completely, the starter won't crank no matter what until the P-N switch has been replaced with a new one. If the P-N switch is loose, misadjusted or making erratic contact, it may also confuse the PCM as to which gear the transmission is in, setting a code (P0706) and turn on the Check Engine light on the dash.
When you turn the ignition switch to Start, battery voltage is routed through the Park-Neutral Safety Switch and a small relay inside the fuse box (power center) usually located in the engine compartment. The Starter Relay is a just a magnetic switch that closes to send voltage to the Solenoid on the Starter motor. When everything is working normally, voltage from the Starter Relay energizes the Starter Solenoid, which in turn completes another electrical circuit that connects the Starter motor directly to the battery. This allows a high amperage current to flow to the Starter so it has the power to crank the engine.
The solenoid, which is mounted on top of the starter, routes high amperage current from the battery to the starter motor so it can crank the engine. If the solenoid is bad, it will prevent the starter from working. A good solenoid will usually make a click sound when it is energized. A bad one will do nothing. Sometimes loose or corroded wiring connections at the solenoid will prevent the starter from working, so be sure to check, clean and tighten these connections to see if that fixes a no crank problem.
A bad starter motor won't crank the engine. It is an electrical motor with brush contacts which wear over time. The brushes can fail, as can the electrical windings on the motor armature or coils. Replacing a bad starter with a rebuilt starter can save you money, but be sure the starter was rebuilt by a reliable supplier and comes with a warranty. Cheaply rebuilt starters may not last long
Cranking an engine requires a lot of amps from the battery, so if the battery is run down, weak or has poor cable connections, not enough amps may reach the starter to crank the engine. Most batteries last about four or maybe five years. Some die sooner and some last longer, but if the engine cranks slowly or the starter solenoid just clicks when you try to start the engine, the problem is likely a low or weak battery, or loose or corroded cable connections.
This is a tricky one to diagnose. If the antenna by the ignition switch fails to recognize the ignition key when it is inserted, or the coded signal it receives from the key is not correct (wrong key or defective chip inside the key), the anti-theft module will prevent the engine from starting. On the Kia Sedona, it prevents the engine from cranking. On many other makes, it allow the engine to be cranked but it prevents the fuel pump from turning on
A no start due to an anti-theft problem usually requires taking your vehicle to a new car dealer to have it diagnosed and repaired. The cause of the problem may be wiring related, module related or key related. The fix may involve replacing or reprogramming the anti-theft module and keys. It's not a cheap fix but there is an alternative solution. It is possible to bypass the anti-theft module by rewiring around the IPS module in the Kia. You can find YouTube videos detailing how this is done.
Another option is to have somebody who really knows automotive electrical systems to install a manual start button that bypasses the anti-theft system. A start button routes power directly to the starter relay or solenoid and eliminates the need to turn the ignition key to the start position.
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