Trouble lately shifting out of Park - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

mws0019 · 02-17-2009, 06:31 PM

I have been having a problem lately shifting my park from park when I first start my car only after it has been off for awhile like over night. I tried using the override button and it didnt work. After the car warms up for a min or two it allows me to shift with no problems. The brake lightsw work just fine and from reading other forums I am thing BTSI (solenoid). Am I on the right track?

Where do I go from here. I am a poor medical student and would like to fix this myself if it is not an extremely complicated fix. Can anyone offer any help or suggestions on what I should do to confirm the problem.

Thanks,
Mike

***toyomoho*** · 02-17-2009, 06:41 PM

The override button should overide the solenoid.

mws0019 · 02-17-2009, 07:16 PM

hmm....well I held the button in with a screw driver and I still could not press the shift button in to move out of the park position. I will try again tomorrow morning and do it exactly as the car manual says with the car off and see if it works that way.

What else could be my problem?

The car is a 99' with 130k miles

Thanks for any help

***toyomoho*** · 02-17-2009, 10:53 PM

Something could have broken.

You may be able to remove the oval center piece around the gear shifter column. It is held in with integrel plastic clips molded to the center piece. One removed you can look closer at the override button.

***new echo owner*** · 02-17-2009, 11:20 PM

Did you spill something in the console previously? Softdrink can be very sticky and won't allow you to move the shifter.

N.E.o.

mws0019 · 02-19-2009, 05:13 PM

Finally had some time today to take a closer look. It turns out that the Override switch was stuck itself and it actually does work. So with the override switch now working does this confirm my original diagnosis for the solenoid?

***toyomoho*** · 02-19-2009, 05:48 PM

The solenoid uses the brake light switch, detemine if the brakes lights work. And the Cig lighter.

***new echo owner*** · 02-19-2009, 08:32 PM

There is still the shift lock ECU, it is also located in the same general area as the solenoid.

N.E.O.

jdequip · 03-16-2009, 01:46 PM

I have a 97 Avalon that just started the same thing. Haven't torn into it yet. Thought I would see if anyone else had the same problem and fixed it. Any Luck???????

csyork · 12-08-2009, 09:09 PM

I replaced the solenoid once a couple years ago after a coke was spilled down the center console.

I am having intermittent problems again shifting out of park. I'm thinking brake switch. When I cannot shift I also see there's no brake light. I'm not sure how to diagnose the brake switch.

csaxon · 12-09-2009, 11:44 AM

Park neutral switch may need adjustment or it's sticking from the drop in temperatures. The cable itself may have stretched and needs adjustment.

craig01b · 12-16-2009, 11:14 AM

Ours had the same problem....my son drinks triple cream, triple sugar in his coffee...guess what I found in the mechanisms when I tore it apart. Cleaned it all up, works fine afterwards.

C