Slips into neutral

[SandyF]

My daughter has been complaining that her 2001 Camry (4 cyl, auto, 122K) has been slipping into neutral. Usually when she comes to a stop. I've never been able to duplicate the issue but I was in the car with her driving and it happened a couple times when she hit the brakes fairly hard. She moves the shifter to Neutral and back to Drive to reengage. I tried the same with no results. She says that some days it doesn't do it at all but on the days that it does, it happens frequently. She also says it is becoming more frequent. I had her take it to a mechanic where she lives. No problems were found. She has a "Check Engine" light on but the electronic diagnosis performed identified it as a catalytic converter issue. The car's maintenance has been consistant and seems to be in excellent condition, very tight and smooth and the transmission shifts fine. Any ideas on what the shifting issue is?

[number73forlife]

I think you have an automatic and I find this to be odd that it happens in your case.

I myself drive a 1999 I4 with an automatic trans. and I have gone to race and emergency control schools that involve repeated all out braking and acceleration. I have never ever had a problem with the shifter falling out of gear or the gears disengaging. I have also had to evade the usual moron and clueless driver that are common in Cincy and have never had a problem getting myself and car out of harms way.

If you bought the car used or other people have driven the car that may have abused the car, they could have been trying to go from drive to reverse and neutral bombing the trans or other less than intelligent actions. All of these thigns could damage the transmission itself and or damage the detents that prevent the shifter and gears from disengaging.

If it was a manual and it was popping out of gear I could tell you that you had fried a gear or two because the transmission fluid was low and that the gears had warped and all that fun stuff.

Easiest way to find out will be to go to a shop that can do transmission diagnostic and inspection and let them work their magic.

[ghettosled]

your daughter, huh... my wife had a similar problem when she drove my camry. turned out when she was driving she put her purse on the parking brake handle area. when she hit the brakes, her purse slid forward and bumped the shifter into nuetral (button on the shifter handle does not need to be pressed to shift into nuetral). maybe she is having the same problem?? just a thought.