93 maxima wont start. battery gremlins

[youngmoney]

ok i went out to start my car after not starting it for 2 days and it wouldnt start. it seemed like the battery was dead so i went to autozone and got it charged. thats when the trouble started. i put the battery back in and tried to start it and it still wouldnt start. then i noticed one of the metal rings that goes around the battery terminal was cracked in half. so like an idiot i just tried to push the "ring" (idk the technical term) back together and tried to start it a couple more times. then the ignition became mushy and now i cant even get my keys out of the car. im worried that i seriously messed something up. ANY help would be greatly appreciated

[loystock]

Did you inadvertently moved to shifter out of PARK? You cannot remove the key if shifter is in gear. If the battery has been fully charged, it should read 12.5VDC or more. If not, your battery is weak and needs replacement. Not a good idea to keep a weak battery as it will stress the alternator.

You can buy a battery connector(or lead) from Autozone.

[youngmoney]

Did you inadvertently moved to shifter out of PARK? You cannot remove the key if shifter is in gear. If the battery has been fully charged, it should read 12.5VDC or more. If not, your battery is weak and needs replacement. Not a good idea to keep a weak battery as it will stress the alternator.

You can buy a battery connector(or lead) from Autozone.

i did try to start the car in a different gear but i put it back in park. so idk why the keys wont come out and why the ignition feels mushy. the people at autozone said my battery was fine. i hope its just the battery lead, but idk why that would effect the ignition.

[loystock]

It's not a good idea attempting to start in gear. Though remote, a defective Park/Neutral Safety switch could allow the engine to start and the car could lunge. For the same reason, you cannot take out the key when it is in gear. Safety interlocks are there for a reason.

Try to turn Ignition Switch to ON, move into various gears then back to PARK. It should release the lock so you can safely take out the key. Do not force the key out

[MinisterofDOOM]

You can force the shifter to release regardless of ignition switch position using the little red button on the front of the shift knob shaft. Press down on it and it will release the shifter (you still need to use the thumb button). Put the car in park or neutral and you should be able to get your keys back. The car will not start unless it is in park or neutral.

[youngmoney]

never mind i figured it out. the cracked battery connector caused all of this tomfoolery. thanks for the help anyway...