Hey, Why Won't My Car Shift Out Of "Park"?

The provided image demonstrates the angle of the customer's driveway, contributing to the difficulty of moving the shifter from "Park" due to the pressure exerted on the parking pawl.

When the customer dropped off their vehicle, they expressed concern about having difficulty taking it out of the "Park" position, but only when parked at home. They didn't experience the issue when parked at work.

During the test drive, the technician didn't notice anything unusual about the customer's concern. During the vehicle health inspection, the technician found nothing concerning either.

The technician had the service advisor contact the customer to gather more information. The customer mentioned that their driveway at home has a very steep incline where they park the car.

Based on this information, the technician suggests explaining to the customer how the parking pawl in the vehicle works. They would like to educate the customer that experiencing difficulty moving the shifter from "Park" in this situation is normal.

The technician recommends the customer apply the emergency brake before putting the vehicle into "Park" to solve the issue.

The provided image shows the faulty brake light switch and its location, confirming that the switch is responsible for the brake lights remaining on.

When the customer brought in their vehicle, they complained that the battery would die every morning when they tried to start the car. However, they could jump-start the vehicle, which would work fine throughout the day.

Additionally, they mentioned that the cruise control was not functioning properly. Interestingly, their son noticed that the brake lights stayed on when he came home later. Plus, the taillights seemed to work fine.

The technician didn't spot some of the customer's concerns during the test drive. However, they verified that the cruise control was indeed not working.

As part of the vehicle health inspection, the technician examined the battery and found it in good condition. They also checked the starting and charging system, which showed no issues. However, they discovered that the brake lights were constantly illuminated.

Upon receiving authorization for additional diagnostic work, the technician accessed the malfunctioning brake light switch under the dashboard. By disconnecting the brake light switch, they could turn off the brake lights.

Using an ohm meter, they determined that the brake light switch was faulty and not releasing the contacts as it should. It will be necessary to replace the brake light switch.

The image demonstrates the damaged shift cable, which causes the transmission to be in a different gear than what the shifter indicates. This resulted in a broken shifter mechanism.

When the customer dropped off their vehicle, they mentioned a problem with shifting it into "Park." They noticed that sometimes they had to forcefully slam the shifter into "Park" for the transmission to engage properly.

They also mentioned that transitioning from park to drive seemed fine. Still, when going from drive to reverse, they had to go slightly beyond the reverse indicator to engage, almost reaching the park position.

During the test drive, the technician confirmed that the notches on the transmission and the shifter were not always aligned correctly. During the vehicle health inspection, the technician found no specific issues related to the customer's concern.

After authorization for additional diagnostics, the technician had an assistant sit in the vehicle. They raised the vehicle on a hoist and had the assistant shift from park to drive while observing the end of the shift cable at the transmission.

They then had the assistant shift into reverse, and that's when the technician noticed that the end of the shift cable was damaged, preventing the cable from fully engaging the reverse gear. The technician determined that the shift cable needed to be replaced.

The provided image shows the broken and missing release button on the shifter. As a result, the gear shift stuck.

When the customer brought their vehicle in, they mentioned that the button on the shifter was stuck, causing the shifter to move freely between reverse, drive, and neutral.

They were concerned about this because it could lead to accidentally shifting into reverse while driving. In an attempt to fix the issue, the customer used a screwdriver and accidentally popped out the end of the button. Now, the shifter is only able to move between neutral and drive.

The technician confirmed that the shifter button was missing during the test drive. They discovered that if you reach through the hole where the button used to be and push down on the rod, you can put the vehicle into park.

During the vehicle health inspection, the technician determined the shifter assembly was broken. To address the issue, the technician disassembled the center console to gain access to the shifter assembly.

It was discovered that the shifter release button is a part of the entire assembly and cannot be replaced separately. Therefore, the entire shifter assembly will need to be replaced.

The provided image shows the location of the failed shift interlock solenoid with the center console removed. This issue caused a locked shifter.

When the customer brought their vehicle in, they mentioned having trouble getting it out of the "Park" position. They had to use a small screwdriver in the slot next to the shifter to release it. The vehicle seemed to drive fine, but when they put it back into "Park," they couldn't get it out without using the screwdriver they kept in the cup holder.

During the test drive, the technician confirmed that the shift interlock, which prevents shifting out of "Park" without certain conditions being met, was not disengaging. They had to use a pocket screwdriver to manually release the lever on the shift interlock and move the shifter.

During the vehicle health inspection, the technician was unaware of the customer's concern and didn't notice anything unusual.

After receiving authorization for additional diagnostics, the technician used a specialized scanner specifically designed for the vehicle to check the functionality of the brake pedal switch.

By monitoring the live data, they confirmed that the brake pedal switch was working properly. The technician then disassembled the center console to access the shifter assembly.

Using a digital voltmeter, they verified that power and ground were reaching the shift interlock solenoid when the brake pedal was pressed. This confirmed that the interlock solenoid had indeed failed. The technician recommends replacing the entire shifter assembly since the interlock solenoid is an integral part.