Chrysler Repair: 1994 lebaron wont start, vertical shaft, safety park

Question
i own a 1995 chysler lebaron convertable lx. i was going in reverse and when i shifted down to drive it moved really smooth with no resistance and the car went into neutral, but stayed on. i put it in park turned it off, then tried to turn it back on but it wouldnt start. it makes that ding noise when i turn the key and the dash lights come on, but when i keep turning nothing happens. any info would be great. thanks.

Answer
Hi Ruben,
It sounds to me as if your gear shift cable has become disconnected from the transmission's shaft which changes the gear settings and also has to be in either park or neutral for the starter motor to operate. Probably the trans shaft is sitting there in reverse, and so that is why it won't let you operate the starter and why it felt really smooth.
So take a look under the hood on the driver's side end of the powertrain where the trans is located. Have a helper move the shift lever in the cabin to see if the cable that is supposed to be attached to it and runs to the vertical shaft on the side of the trans that faces the front of the car is moving in and out, and whether it is firmly attached to that vertical shaft and causing it to move. If not, then examine to see if it has just come loose from the vertical shaft or if it isn't moving at all which would indicate it has come loose from the shifter in the cabin or is broken.
Once you get that cable and vertical lever moving when the cabin shifter is moved back and forth you then need to adjust the position of the interconnection. That is done by putting the lever in Park, then loosen the clamp and rotate the vertical shaft so that it is rotated as far as it can go in that same motion direction until it is fully stopped at the end of its rotation, which is the Park positon of the vertical shaft.
That should return the "safety park/neutral starter only electrical switch" in the trans to its proper poisition so the starter will work again. If the cable is detached at the lever in the cabin it may be broken and needs to be replaced.
Roland
P.S. This is really not a major issue with the transmission, just a mechanical issue of the shift cable interconnection between the cabin and the trans shaft. So don't let anyone tell you it a problem inside the trans itself that requires a 'rebuild' or anyother trumped up high cost repair.