Very common problem with the switch under the shift console. Replace both the wiper and the contacts, they aren't designed to last 30 years: http://www.gowesty.com/search-results.php?search_phrase=automatic+transmission+switch  

Replace the lights in there with LEDs while you are at it: http://www.gowesty.com/product-details.php?v=&id=23493 The blue light works well for me.

Stuart

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Marc Perdue
Sent: Wednesday, September 21, 2016 6:29 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Van not starting, auto tranny, gear selector position dependent

Hi all,

My van just started being finicky about starting, but it's not a starter issue, I'm pretty sure. I'd turn the key, nothing. I'd turn it again, and it would start fine. Later, I'd turn the key, nothing, take it out of Park and put it back into Park and it would start. Today that didn't work, but it would start if I put it in Neutral. Then even later it was fussy about that and I finally got it to start by holding the key in the starting position and changing the transmission selector from something else into Neutral. This strikes me as being a problem with a switch in the gear selector housing. Am I right about this? If so, what's the part that I need to fix this?

Thanks,
Marc Perdue