Chrysler Repair: 2000 Avenger: no starter action, neutral safety switch, volt ohmmeter

Question
Yes my Dodge has some "electrical problems" I think.  I need to know if it has a reset button.  I turn the key and it is getting enough juice because my lights and everything works but it will not turn or start up.  Please help!

Answer
Hi Misty,
No there is no reset button for the starter motor or for the engine firing up. The first thing to do is listen for whether the electrical relay that activates the starter motor solenoid under the hood is being activated. That relay is in the cabin, behind the second panel located below the heater controls. I am not personally familiar with that vehicle but the manual shows that to be the location. I believe the panel opens and on the right side is a small box which should click when you turn the key to the "start" position. If it does, that would suggest either that the battery is too weak to operate the solenoid (which should make a loud click inside the engine compartment) or if the loud click also happens then it is still too weak to operate the starter motor or the starter motor itself is faulty.
If the relay doesn't click, then either the park/neutral safety switch is not closing when you have the shifter in park or neutral (try moving the shifter slightly off the detent position), or the relay is bad, or the ignition switch is bad. So unfortunately there are several possibilities, either way.
How old is the battery? It can have enough power to run the lights for a while, but not enough to operate the starter.
So take a listen and see what you find. And determine how old your battery is. If it is the original battery, then I would suspect that after 7-8 years it is shot. Write back with the results of your investigations and tell me whether you have a volt-ohmmeter and want to investigate the possibilities.
Roland