Stuck in park? Try this.
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Sep 2001
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
From: reno nv
Stuck in park? Try this.
My 98 has been getting harder and harder to get out our park. There are multiple possibilities, but for the way it felt and sounded I was pretty sure it was a mechanical problem with the feature that will not allow shifting from park unless the brake is applied. This is the BTSI solenoid (brake transmission shift interlock).
Now for the catch-22. You need to remove what most people would call the console; GM calls it the I/P accessory trim plate. (You will also have to remove the console which is the part with the small storage bin). To fix it so the car will shift out of park you need to remove the trim plate. But to remove the trim plate the shifter has to be out of park in order to provide clearance.
My normal wiggling of the shifter did not work. Then I pressed down on the shift boot where one end of the solenoid is anchored. Voila, it clicked and freed the shifter. It must have been just enough to free the binding. Don't count on it as a permanent solution, but it might keep you from being stranded.
Where do you push? Between the gearshift and the indicator plate (where the indicator plate says 1 or 2). It worked for me. Good luck.
Now for the catch-22. You need to remove what most people would call the console; GM calls it the I/P accessory trim plate. (You will also have to remove the console which is the part with the small storage bin). To fix it so the car will shift out of park you need to remove the trim plate. But to remove the trim plate the shifter has to be out of park in order to provide clearance.
My normal wiggling of the shifter did not work. Then I pressed down on the shift boot where one end of the solenoid is anchored. Voila, it clicked and freed the shifter. It must have been just enough to free the binding. Don't count on it as a permanent solution, but it might keep you from being stranded.
Where do you push? Between the gearshift and the indicator plate (where the indicator plate says 1 or 2). It worked for me. Good luck.
Administrator
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 368,389
Likes: 24,795
From: In a parallel universe. Currently own 2014 Stingray Coupe.
C7 of the Year - Modified Finalist 2021
MO Events Coordinator
St. Jude Co-Organizer
St. Jude Donor '03 thru '26
NCM Sinkhole Donor
CI 5, 8 & 11 Veteran
Nice tip for you automatic guys and gals.
Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2003
Posts: 6,454
Likes: 3
From: Hells Sister City Phoenix AZ
St. Jude Donor '03
Being one of the "old guys with an A4" I'll store that one in the memory bank (for what that's worth). I can't remember my name some days, but I seem to remember these little tips. My wife thinks it's selective memory. 
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,269
Likes: 50
From: Dallas Texas
St. Jude Donor '06-'07-'09-'10
Originally Posted by eddie44
Being one of the "old guys with an A4" I'll store that one in the memory bank (for what that's worth). I can't remember my name some days, but I seem to remember these little tips. My wife thinks it's selective memory.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
