1999 chrysler town and country starting problems

have a 1999 town and country that wont start from time to time. some times it starts right up and starts right up for months.
some times starts and then go to start it again it just won’t start . dosent even make a sound. all the lights and radio etc. working, and its been to numerous times to the repair shop.
each time at the repair shop it starts right up and when they put it on the diagnostic computer , the diagnostics says nothing is wrong.

it’s a brand new battery, and when we took the battery to the auto parts store they checked it and said the battery is charging and then discharging in a cycle.
just got back from the chrysler dealer repair and they put the diagnostic computure on it and it says nothing is wrong.

can anyone pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee help.
i live in tucson, az and when the temp is 105F outside and i buy ice and frozen things is when the town and country decides it dosent wanta start

thanks in advance for any and all help

geno

So when you turn the key to the ‘start’ position, there’s not even a ‘click’ from under the hood but the lights on the dash stay on?
If so, it sounds to me like the starter or the solenoid that’s mounted on top of the starter. It could be the ignition switch as well - perhaps the start position is bad. Or wiring going from it to the starter relay.
Do you know enough about cars to identify the starter on your engine?

If it is indeed the starter or related, whomever is serving you at that dealership doesn’t know a thing about cars. That computer will not show them anything in that case.

try putting the shift lever into neutral and try it when doesn’t want to start. you may have a going bad neutral safety switch. also this van has a relay in the starter circuit. it could also be on its way out.

Yes very good point.

Agree with Marc, first check the neutral safety switch. This is a safety feature that prevents the engine from starting if the transmission is not in “Park.” Next time it won’t start, shift out of Park into neutral, then back into Park, and try again to start the engine. If it starts, the neutral safety switch is going bad and needs to be replaced.

The neutral safety switch is a possibility. My own 99 Voyager had similar symptoms. My 79 Toyota truck, too. In both cases I took out the starter - Aisin brand. The solenoid is mounted on the side. Two copper contacts are in there. There is a metal disc on the end of shaft. When you turn the key to Start, the plunger slides along its axis and bridges the two copper contacts. A combination of wear on the copper contacts, dust preventing the plunger from moving all the way, the general perversity of matter, etc. etc. sometimes keeps the the disc from getting far enough to contact both copper contacts solidly. So, no starter action.

Once or twice I replaced the copper contacts on the Toyota. I went to do it to the Plymouth but the local auto electric shop was closed, so I couldn’t get new contacts. I just cleaned them up and bent them a little so they were closer to the metal disc. It worked fine for the several more years I had the van.

It’s easier to install a rebuilt starter, but this worked for me at a cost of more time and less money.