Still Having Shiftlock Problem

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peytonkristen

peytonkristen

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Joined
Apr 9, 2007
Threads
96
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367
Location
Arkansas
Help! I'm still stuck in Park...... not really, thanks to the manual override in my 97 LC but that is really a pain. I have no burnt-out tail lights, the brake lights are all working properly and the brake switch appears fine. Has anyone else had this problem??? :confused:

SC
 
peytonkristen said:
Help! I'm still stuck in Park...... not really, thanks to the manual override in my 97 LC but that is really a pain. I have no burnt-out tail lights, the brake lights are all working properly and the brake switch appears fine. Has anyone else had this problem??? :confused:

SC
Click to expand...

Yes, mine was a faulty shift-lock solenoid (located underneath the shift column). I swapped in a new one and it was good for awhile till I did some other things ( :rolleyes: ) and really screwed it up....

Now I use a carpenter's pencil to shift in and out.

:)
 
I just went and checked my LC. Do this: Key in, turn to on. Make sure any and all noises are off and it is as quiet as possible. Put your hand on the shifter as if you are going to shift it. Press in the button. It won't go in but just a little and you should here a relay click sound up under the dash around the ignition area. Release. Then with your hand still on shifter and all is quiet, press slowly and gently on the brake. You should "feel" a very small click in the shifter, and you should hear it ever so faintly. I had to do this a number of times before I felt it and could distinguish the sound. It is very faint compared to other cars I have owned. Then when you push in the shifter button, it will go in all the way, and you will hear that click near the ignition again. That is how it is supposed to work. Hope this might help you a little.
 
Jeremy
I went through your seqeunce of steps and I get the click under the dash when the shifter is pushed. But then when I depress the brake pedal I don't hear or feel any click. There is a click every time the shifter button is pushed but never anything from the brake pedal. So what does that indicate? It sounds to me like one of switches or sensors is not working but this is all new to me. What to do now? :confused: Thanks!

Scott
 
It's likely due to an open circuit. Do your brake lights work? Dur! see 1st post! Check the brake fuse, then check the grounds to your brake lights. I had a rusted out wire in the rear (they jammed like 4 wires into one spade plug and water and salt ate the wire up until it broke). Lastly, check your cruise control... does it work? (not just the indicator light) Get out on a hiway and try to set your cruise control. If it doesn't work, it's likely a bad ground somewhere. I had this happen last year coming home from River Shiver. The first indication was the inoperable cruise control. They are on the same circuit.
HTH

Ooops should have read 1st post better... My bad
 
Last edited:
Sounds like it is time to get a wiring diagram if you don't already have one, and start tracing and checking wires. Get a factory service manual, not some cheap Chilton's etc.
 
My bet is on the shift lock solenoid, as beno suggests. You'll need to pull the cover off the shifter mechanism to do further troubleshooting. Page 106 of the 1997 EWD FSM shows the circuitry. The fact that the brake lights work indicates power to the brake light circuit is OK and the switch is OK. The fact that pushing on the shifter button energizes the key interlock solenoid (the click under the dash that you hear) indicates that at least a portion of the shift lock ECU and shift lock control switch are OK. There's not much left to blame except the shift lock solenoid.

I can't tell from the FSM if the shift lock solenoid can be replaced separately from the shift lock ECU. I say this because the manual doesn't indicate any connector code for the pair of wires running between these two units. It would make the most sense for these to be separately replaceable parts, but in this case the FSM usually shows the connector pinouts and it doesn't in this case. If you are in fact able disconnect the solenoid from the ECU, then measure the resistance between the two wires running to the solenoid. If it's an open circuit (infinite ohms), then the solenoid is definitely bad.
 
Try pulling the shifter handle and adjusting the height of the "shift button mechanism".

Once the handle is removed, the mechanism is a threaded piece the connects, through the handle, to the shift interlock button.

I had the same symptom, with the solenoids working, and this solved my problem.
 
TrickyT said:
I can't tell from the FSM if the shift lock solenoid can be replaced separately from the shift lock ECU.
Click to expand...

Yes, it can be replaced separately. Part # 85431-20050.
PC180002.webp
 
beno said:
Yes, it can be replaced separately. Part # 85431-20050.
Click to expand...

Excellent. Hook an ohmmeter across the two pins of the white connector shown in beno's photo and see if there's measurable resistance. You could also hook +12v to one terminal and ground the other and that should energize the solenoid. If doing the later, polarity will probably matter; if the solenoid doesn't move with it hooked up one way, reverse the leads and try again.
 
I didn't see it mentioned so I'll post it here.
my 91 had an intermittently bad brake reservoir cap. When it wasn't working the BRAKE light is on to some degree of illumination, and my shift lock wouldn't work properly. When the cap is working and the BRAKE light is off, the shift lock works as it is supposed to..

Andrew
 
Jason YY said:
So I used search a couple of times, and finally tracked down this thread. Turns out if you can't shift, perhaps rather than using a carpenters pencil to push the button down. You should check your brake lights, and the STOP fuse. Problem solved :clap:
Click to expand...

I must follow up on this, fuse lasted for about a week. Then blew- next one insta blew. I popped a 30 p on there do I had brake lights to get home. Turn signal fuse blew as well, on the way home I considered where I may have a short that would affect the turn signal as well as the brake lights. (fingers crossed, I checked the trailer lights harness ) and the was a short.

Looks like I may have got lucky, fingers crossed have blown a fuse in a week.
 
necro thread resurrection; mine started acting up the other day again. Previously it was blown brake light bulbs, but all my lights are working. Another interesting difference between the domestic and JDM models, my HDJ81 over ride switch is a big red button right on the shifter console; not hidden by a cover or needing a pencil to actuate.
Found this check list online

Shifter Stuck in Park? What to do | Street Smart® Transmission

FAST 1-Minute Procedures for releasing a stuck shifter. Plus repair and cost information.
streetsmarttransmission.com streetsmarttransmission.com

If the brake lights are not working – you’ve found the problem. Either the brake light fuse is blown or the brake light switch is faulty. These are the most common reasons for a shifter being stuck in Park.

Note: The connection between a faulty brake light switch and the shifter being stuck in Park is that a properly functioning brake light switch sends a signal to the shift interlock solenoid when the brake pedal is depressed, which causes the interlock solenoid to release the shifter. A faulty brake light switch does not send this signal.

Brake Light Switch Replacement Cost…
Repair Shop Cost: $75 to $100
Do-it-Yourself Cost: $7.00 to $35 (Cost of switch)

2) Faulty Shift Interlock Solenoid
If you’ve verified the brake lights are working correctly then the problem is most likely a faulty shift interlock solenoid. However, before replacing the interlock solenoid, use a digital multi-meter to rule out the problem being an open circuit in the wiring. In other words, if the electrical signal that causes the solenoid to lock and unlock the shifter is not reaching the solenoid because of an open circuit in the wiring — replacing the solenoid will not help.

The shift interlock solenoid is located underneath the shifter console right alongside the shifter lever. To access the shift interlock solenoid, you must remove the center console.

READ THIS Before Replacing the Shifter Interlock Solenoid: In some instances the shift interlock solenoid can malfunction when a beverage or other sticky liquid is spilled and leaks down through the shifter console and onto the solenoid or locking mechanism.

In these instances, cleaning the solenoid and locking mechanism with Q-tips and alcohol may resolve the problem.

Shift Interlock Solenoid Replacement Cost…
Repair Shop Cost: $140 to $200+
Do-it-Yourself Cost: $35 to $75 (Cost of solenoid)

3) Open Circuit
An open circuit in the shift interlock electrical system can cause the shifter to become stuck in Park if the open circuit interrupts communications between the brake light switch or the ignition switch and the interlock solenoid.

Check for power at the shift interlock solenoid. With the ignition switch in the “ON” or “RUN” position and the brake pedal depressed, use an digital multi-meter to check for power at the solenoid. If power is present, the shifter interlock solenoid is bad.

Cost to Locate and Repair Open Electrical Circuit...
Repair Shop Cost: $80 to $100+ per hour
Do-it-Yourself Cost: $0 (Require testing using a multi-meter)

4) Malfunctioning Ignition Switch
A less common cause for a shifter being stuck in park is a badly worn or faulty ignition switch. What happens here is that the ignition switch, (even after being turned to the “ON” position), does not send a signal to the shift interlock solenoid indicating that the ignition is ON. The shift interlock mechanism will remain in the locked position until the interlock solenoid receives a signal from the ignition switch indicating that it is in the “ON” position.

Ignition Switch Replacement cost…
Repair Shop Cost: $150 to $200+
Do-it-Yourself Cost: $25 to $75 (Cost of ignition switch)

5) Transmission Parking Pawl

The Transmission Parking Pawl is the least likely cause for a shifter being stuck in Park. But, it does happen. The two main factors that point to the parking pawl as the possible culprit are;

1) the shifter lock bypass procedure described above does not release the shifter
2) you are parked on an incline and you did not set the emergency brake before shifting into Park.
 
My shifter locked up yesterday at the boat launch. Never thought id fix my truck with a pen but haha yah got out of there and made it home. Ill be looking into this after work today. Will post my resolution.
 
I had 2 blown fuses and no brake ligjts. Easy fix. Must have been related to the trailer wiring harness. Problem solved for now but ill need to inspect trailer wiring for truck and boat.
 
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