Intermittently stiff AT shifter in 2015?

[LC2015]

I have a 2015 LC with about 85k miles.

About once or twice a month I'll experience a really stiff shifter that takes way more elbow grease to move than it should. Doesn't bother me so much but the wife had to use both arms to move it.

Hard to explain but it feels like a series of rubber bands have been put onto the lever and making way more resistance when moving it.

It goes into gears and park just fine, no transmission issues to speak of.

I was thinking maybe the shifter cable got pinched or needs lube (if that's even a thing on late model vehicles), but why would it be so random? Most times it's fine.

Trying to find an association - like when it's rainy or day after, but no strong correlation yet.

Ideas? Dealer couldn't replicate, was completely fine when I brought it in for service.

 

[gaijin]

Had you been parked on an incline when you noticed the problem?

 

[LC2015]

Had you been parked on an incline when you noticed the problem?

Nope, I am nearly always parked on flat.

 

[Sinister]

I am experiencing this as well. My car has been parked, backed up, sitting in my driveway (very slight incline) a lot more than normal. Any ideas yet why the shifter is so Damn stiff now?

 

[stonepa]

Ben going on with mine since new. Dealer took a look, lubed stuff, and found no issue. Comes and goes, mostly temperature dependent.

 

[afgman786]

I've noticed it has do to with load on the transmission. When I park the 200 I put in Neutral and yank the parking brake to make sure the vehicle does not move before putting into park. Never have issues shifting into gears the next day. However, when family drives the 200 they will put in park before loading the parking brake, and shifting out of park is stiffer the following day

 

[Sinister]

It must be just weather related, it’s been warm here and the shifter is back to normal smoothness.

 

[skyak]

I had the same issue, mostly correlated with wet weather, got so bad my wife couldn’t shift it, cleaned my MAF sensor and it completely fixed the issue. If you increase your revs while trying to shift I bet it will be easier to shift. That is how I figured it was a control issue.

 

[usnick1982]

210000 miles and its wet cold winter. I drive less and it got super hard to shify after sitting for a while. It doesnt get much easier after repetitive shifting and driving. Anything i can lubrucate or replace? tran oil and filters changed 100k 200k

I had the same issue, mostly correlated with wet weather, got so bad my wife couldn’t shift it, cleaned my MAF sensor and it completely fixed the issue. If you increase your revs while trying to shift I bet it will be easier to shift. That is how I figured it was a control issue.

 

[stonepa]

210000 miles and its wet cold winter. I drive less and it got super hard to shify after sitting for a while. It doesnt get much easier after repetitive shifting and driving. Anything i can lubrucate or replace? tran oil and filters changed 100k 200k

Totally normal. Strangely.

 

[njbrain]

The Transmission Range Switch on the side of the transmission is what usually causes a stiff shifter.

 

[LC2015]

The Transmission Range Switch on the side of the transmission is what usually causes a stiff shifter.

Why does it come and go through the seasons?

 

[njbrain]

I do not know the answer to that, but perhaps it has to do with temperature of corroded materials. Or perhaps you are experiencing something else alltogether

 

[bloc]

I vaguely remember reading somewhere (not mud) that the root cause is corrosion both where the selector shaft goes through the electric switch, but also through the transmission itself.

 

[usnick1982]

I can literally make it stiff by garden hosing under the car. It goes away when driving. Never a problem in summer but in winter I have to drive lc weekly otherwise my wife can't even put it in D

 

[njbrain]

That is the classic symptom of a transmission position switch. The transmission is sealed much better and in 5 years in a dealer in northern WI I never saw a transmission cause the problem, but we replaced the switch for this on a monthly basis