I have a 2000 Mercury villager which has around 73k miles. Once in a while the van developes a symptom. When I turn the ignition the engine doesn’t crank at all. But after some time if I try again it works fine. I recently got the battery replaced. I also got the starter and alternator checked and everything is fine. It happened 3 times in the last 6 months. Any body got any idea what might be the problem?
When it acts up again, try starting it in neutral. If that works, your neutral safety switch is the culprit. If that’s not it, I’d suspect your ignition switch, or possibly the solenoid on the starter.