# 1996 town and country won't start **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [October 28, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1996-town-and-country-wont-start/87862 "2014-10-28T20:59:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Drake1461](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Drake1461](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Drake1461)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1996-town-and-country-wont-start/87862/1 "2014-10-28T20:59:24Z")
My 96 Town and Country won’t start. It turns over and fires for about 1-2 seconds max. After that it only turns over, no fire. The key sign/symptom is that the odometer and PRNL do not light up. This is very sporadic. Sometimes months and months apart. I unhook the battery in an effort to reset the computer. Sometimes it works in 1/2 hr. Sometimes several hours. So I don’t think it resets but I still do it anyway. I have replaced the computer but no help. Could it somehow be the dash cluster? ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 12:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1996-town-and-country-wont-start/87862/2 "2014-10-29T00:28:53Z")
Sounds like an intermittent bad ground somewhere (there are several). ---
**Author:** ![Cougar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cougar/32/21348_2.png) [@Cougar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cougar)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 2:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1996-town-and-country-wont-start/87862/3 "2014-10-29T02:32:15Z")
I’m not sure if the areas you mentioned are controlled by the BCM module or not but I suspect they are. I suggest you check the power to those things, or the BCM if that is the case, and verify that while the trouble is happening. The trouble could be a bad ground as @insightful mentioned but I tend to think it on the power side. The trouble may also possibly be within the ignition switch. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 3:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1996-town-and-country-wont-start/87862/4 "2014-10-29T03:08:46Z")
Possibly a problem with the Auto-Shutdown Relay and which is not unheard of. The fuel pump and engine controls receive their power through that relay. Over time the high current draw of all those combined electrics can wreak havoc on the set of contact points inside the relay. This is true of just about any circuit on any car which involves high current consumption. You really need to determine what’s missing; spark or fuel pressure. That may help to tamp down wild guessing; at least to some degree. ---
**Author:** ![shanonia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de053/32.png) [@shanonia](https://community.cartalk.com/u/shanonia)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2014, 4:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1996-town-and-country-wont-start/87862/5 "2014-10-29T04:03:43Z")
[allpar.com](http://allpar.com) is a site that specializes in Chrysler Corp. vehicles…I’d post there, too (and have, since I’ve owned a Plymouth and now a Chrysler minivan.) ---
**Author:** ![chriskp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/45deac/32.png) [@chriskp](https://community.cartalk.com/u/chriskp)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 4:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1996-town-and-country-wont-start/87862/6 "2014-11-02T04:06:17Z")
Did you check spark and injector signal ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2014, 6:02am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1996-town-and-country-wont-start/87862/7 "2014-11-02T06:02:25Z")
“It turns over and fires for about 1-2 seconds max.” This almost sounds like an unauthorized starting attempt Try the other key ---
**Author:** ![Drake1461](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Drake1461](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Drake1461)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2014, 9:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1996-town-and-country-wont-start/87862/8 "2014-11-16T21:59:14Z")
I really really like this one. I will look into it. That would explain why it comes back and runs like normal no matter what I do or don’t do. It doesn’t have a key chip but I think your suggesting a worn key with a missing tooth. I Give this the best odds. Thanks db4690 ---
**Author:** ![galant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/77aa72/32.png) [@galant](https://community.cartalk.com/u/galant)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2014, 9:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/1996-town-and-country-wont-start/87862/9 "2014-11-17T09:39:45Z")
The cluster not lighting up in this gen T&C is usually due to solder points on the back of the cluster needing re-enforcement. As mentioned, check on [allpar.com](http://allpar.com).