Can't shift out of P - help

[techies]

Hey all, I've got a problem that started the other day. Earlier this week I started to experience a problem when trying to shift out of P (yes, I was pressing the brakes lol). The button on the shift knob doesn't go in at all - meaning I can't change gears. I have to press that "over ride" button to allow the button on the sifter to go in, and then change gears.

Once out of P I can move freely about but once I put it back into park, I have to press that over ride button to get out again.

It's as if it doesn't sense me stepping on the brake pedal at all, however, my brake lights DO work....

Anyone know what can be causing this? How can I go about troubleshooting/fixing this?


Thanks!

PS I've got a 1991

[troy]

You may need to order a new shifter and\or a shifter assembly and plate. Most likely it's something wrong with the shifter, not with the trans.

Hopefully

[techies]

Hey Troy thanks for the response. I actually figured it out though, man I feel so stupid!! It was a fuse lol, forget what it's called, might have been Shift Lock ECU maybe. Anyway, I found this

http://www.autoshop101.com/forms/h18.pdf

and had the bright idea of checking the fuses LOL.

thanks

[ratboycom]

heh, too bad i didnt see this earlier i just finished Auto Transmissions in my T-ten class, could have helped ya

[Xenon]

Sometimes when you park the car on a hill and put it on P the gear holds the car and that puts a lot of pressure on the gear.. It used to happen to my father's 93 Lancer and I used to put some power into it and take it out, it is really scary though because it made a crazy bang when it got out every time..

Just a tip

[Limnos]

Originally posted by Xenon
Sometimes when you park the car on a hill and put it on P the gear holds the car and that puts a lot of pressure on the gear.. It used to happen to my father's 93 Lancer and I used to put some power into it and take it out, it is really scary though because it made a crazy bang when it got out every time..

Just a tip

And a tip for the tip: If you park on a hill with an automatic, keep your foot on the brake after you stop. Put the car in park while keeping your foot on the brake. Then put on the handbrake, then take your foot off the brake. Using the handbrake and setting things up like this will stop the car from rolling up against the gear. I once encountered a RV that couldn't get out of park no matter what because it had rolled up against the gear on a hill. We had to put the bumper of one vehicle up against the RV to push it a few inches back uphill before they could get it out of park.