'98 Auto Stuck in Park!
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: Alpharetta GA
'98 Auto Stuck in Park!
Help!!
My '98 is sitting in the garage (thank god) but refuses to come out of Park. I reviewed the error codes today and cleared them, but nothing that would even relate to the car not coming out of park. Anyone got any ideas, this is driving me nuts!!
Thanks!
Ken
My '98 is sitting in the garage (thank god) but refuses to come out of Park. I reviewed the error codes today and cleared them, but nothing that would even relate to the car not coming out of park. Anyone got any ideas, this is driving me nuts!!
Thanks!
Ken
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 29,737
Likes: 0
Kid Rock Fan
Cruise-In IV Veteran
Re: '98 Auto Stuck in Park! (kmcls1)
Welcome to Corvette Forum...that's one helluva first post!!! :eek:
If you figure out what it is, please let us know (mine's a '98 too and now yo've given me something else to worry about! :( )
Good luck with it! :cheers:
If you figure out what it is, please let us know (mine's a '98 too and now yo've given me something else to worry about! :( )
Good luck with it! :cheers:
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: Alpharetta GA
Re: '98 Auto Stuck in Park!
Yes, I am depressing the brake pedal when trying to get it out of park. Probelm is, the release mechanism is not working. I know this has to be some sort of solenoid, but am not shure where the switch that activates it is. Also, if you notice (on the automatic) the Display says 'brake before shift' soon after starting the car.. mine is not displaying that, and on the off occasion that it does, the car STILL does not come out of park. The last time it came out of park, it made a louder than usual pop, which leads me to believe the solenoid is toast, but i have not opened it up yet.
Oddly enough, i was looking on the bay area Corvette page and there is a woman out there with a white 98 that has the exact same problem.. hmmmm...
:cry
Oddly enough, i was looking on the bay area Corvette page and there is a woman out there with a white 98 that has the exact same problem.. hmmmm...
:cry
Burning Brakes
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 832
Likes: 0
From: Joplin Mo
Re: '98 Auto Stuck in Park! (kmcls1)
I think there is a solenoid up by the shifter. You'll have to pull the center console out which isn't too hard to do to get to it. Maybe the connector slipped off. Its on the left side if I remember correctly. When you press the brake it activates the solenoid which pulls a mechanical stop out of the way of a lever connected to the shifter, thus allowing you to pull the shifter back.
[Modified by MikeyD, 9:23 PM 1/13/2003]
[Modified by MikeyD, 9:23 PM 1/13/2003]
Race Director
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 17,901
Likes: 18
From: Elko, Nevada
Re: '98 Auto Stuck in Park! (kmcls1)
Definitely sounds like the solenoid. Mine a 98' too started doing this
when cold weather started to arrive around November. If I let it
warm up for 20-minutes eventually I'd get it out of park and as
long as the car, really the shifter area was warm I had no problems.
Well, the car sat for 2-weeks during the Holidays AND it was a very
un-Florida like 40-50 degree days so I decided to take a peek at the
shifter area and found the solenoid and removed it, NOT replaced
just took it out. That means that I can now take the car out of park
without stepping on the brake. Minor safety precaution, and I still
set foot on the brake anyway out of habit. To remove or replace,
you must take the center console glove-box out, including the
cigarette lighter/ashtray, in order to get the shifter housing off. Of course
this is most difficult when the car is in park because it is removed to
the front between the shifter and the ac/radio, not much room. Far more
easier when the car can be put in Neutral or Drive. So try to let yours
warm up for a good 20-30 minutes and see if you can get it out of park.
Either fix it yourself or get it to the dealer.
Here's what it looks like...and for bonus points can anyone read the
stamp in pic 3? GM engineering at it's best. :yesnod: :lol: :cheers:
when cold weather started to arrive around November. If I let it
warm up for 20-minutes eventually I'd get it out of park and as
long as the car, really the shifter area was warm I had no problems.
Well, the car sat for 2-weeks during the Holidays AND it was a very
un-Florida like 40-50 degree days so I decided to take a peek at the
shifter area and found the solenoid and removed it, NOT replaced
just took it out. That means that I can now take the car out of park
without stepping on the brake. Minor safety precaution, and I still
set foot on the brake anyway out of habit. To remove or replace,
you must take the center console glove-box out, including the
cigarette lighter/ashtray, in order to get the shifter housing off. Of course
this is most difficult when the car is in park because it is removed to
the front between the shifter and the ac/radio, not much room. Far more
easier when the car can be put in Neutral or Drive. So try to let yours
warm up for a good 20-30 minutes and see if you can get it out of park.
Either fix it yourself or get it to the dealer.
Here's what it looks like...and for bonus points can anyone read the
stamp in pic 3? GM engineering at it's best. :yesnod: :lol: :cheers:
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Le Mans Master
Joined: May 2000
Posts: 5,266
Likes: 15
From: Syracuse NY
Cruise-In II Veteran
Re: '98 Auto Stuck in Park! (Purerock105)
You may want to try to CAREFULLY push the car forward while you attempt to shift out of park.
Here's how I did it for my wife's old Daytona...
I placed a full size towel folded up (4-6" thick) between her bumper and the helper car. Then I just gently pushed her car forward enough to unload the tranny while she pulled the shifter. PRESTO. It worked.
The pin that locks the car in park (so it can't slip out into neutral) can get hung up from the weight of the car if parked on an incline w/o setting the emergency brake.
By the way... It is always best to park an automatic tranny car on an incline by:
1 Come to a stop
2 Keep foot on brake, place car in neutral and set emergency brake
3 Put car tranny into park.
This keeps the load off that pin and should pevent it from happening in the future.
Good luck!
[Modified by chuck1026, 12:47 PM 1/14/2003]
Here's how I did it for my wife's old Daytona...
I placed a full size towel folded up (4-6" thick) between her bumper and the helper car. Then I just gently pushed her car forward enough to unload the tranny while she pulled the shifter. PRESTO. It worked.
The pin that locks the car in park (so it can't slip out into neutral) can get hung up from the weight of the car if parked on an incline w/o setting the emergency brake.
By the way... It is always best to park an automatic tranny car on an incline by:
1 Come to a stop
2 Keep foot on brake, place car in neutral and set emergency brake
3 Put car tranny into park.
This keeps the load off that pin and should pevent it from happening in the future.
Good luck!
[Modified by chuck1026, 12:47 PM 1/14/2003]
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 5,015
Likes: 508
From: Hilton NY
Re: '98 Auto Stuck in Park! (chuck1026)
The solenoid is energized when in park and the car is running; when the brakes are applied the solenoid power is turned off. Disconnecting the solenoid wires should disable the lockout. Also check the cable from the ignition lock to the shifter since it also will prevent shifting out of park if faulty; it can also be disconnected if the console is removed.
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 3,529
Likes: 1
From: Rehoboth MA
Re: '98 Auto Stuck in Park! (kmcls1)
Also, you may want to check the fuses before you go pulling the console apart. Sometimes a fuse can go bad and that solenoid won't work. I'd check just to be safe. We had the same thing happen to my dad's '95 Ford Truck and it was the fuse.
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: Alpharetta GA
Re: '98 Auto Stuck in Park! (MANNY)
Sorry Manny - your procedure does NOT work. Thinking about it, i am glad it does not work because that means that anyone can hop in the car, press the brake and pop it into neutural, that means that is could REALLY easily be stolen.. With the sophisticated electronics of the car, I am quite sure that there is a secondary lock.
I am planning on taking the console out and taking a look, and some digital pics also. Hopefully it will be as simple as removing the solenoid or some other foreign object blocking the shifter..
(In wishful thinking mode)
Ken
I am planning on taking the console out and taking a look, and some digital pics also. Hopefully it will be as simple as removing the solenoid or some other foreign object blocking the shifter..
(In wishful thinking mode)
Ken
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 15
Likes: 0
From: Alpharetta GA
Re: '98 Auto Stuck in Park! (MANNY)
Thanks for the clarification. MY bet is the cable, but like i said, will have digital camera in hand when i take it apart... now i just need to learn how to post digital pics on this board...
