Starter 1991 xj6 Starts fine but starter stays ingaged in park and neutral.Starter seloniod? I recently replaced the battery and no starter prob for about a minute then it engaged.

ck neutral safety switch

Powssible that there is always power to the inhibitor switch. It is the switch that only allows current to flow thru it when in park or neutral. Could be power is always present at the switch when it is in park or neutral. Check the ignition switch first and see if it is powering the start circuit all the time.

needs shimmed or the bendix is bad in the starter and not allowing to release. most likely just needs shimmed if it's a new starter, however you can get a bad starter (new or rebuilt)

Not sure what you are jumping, but a mechanic would check for power at the key switch and the neutral safety switch.

To clarify - the engine cranks then starts.
If it won't crank in any gear, I would check the neutral safety switch first.
You can also jumper the starter solenoid to make sure the starter will crank the engine manually without the circuit from the key switch.

You need to replace and adjust your transmission range sensor switch. (also known as neutral safety switch) It is located under the air cleaner ducting on the top of the transmission under the lever where the shifter cable attaches.

The starter drive may be staying engaged. Don't start or drive it until you have it checked-out, as it could also ruin the matching teeth on the flywheel. Replacing this would require removing either the transmission or motor.

check to make sure that the ignition is not still in the crank posistion not returing to run .

If shifting into neutral works you may have a damaged parking safety switch. Some vehicles have one for neutral and one for park.

Be sure to check your battery and starting system too. A weak battery or worn starter solenoid are also likely causes.

Good luck and be careful!

what happens if you pull the shift lever into gear to cut off the neutral-park safety switch? This cuts pwer from the key to the starter solenoid. If that fixes it, replace the igniton switch.