By the way.......mine is a 2005.

 

I've been psyching myself up for two years now, so don't feel bad.

For me, the problem is laziness.

 

I hope this helps you. I also need to warn you that when you lift the leather boot upward around the shifter ****, be careful with the shift position indicator panel that is bonded to the leather boot. It is mechanical in nature. There is an orange button at the bottom of the shifter lever mechanism that inserts into a female hole underneath the indicator panel that moves the indicator light bulb forwards and backwards. Disengage the orange button from the female hole carefully to avoid breaking it. Let us know how it goes.

 

Thanks so much. This really helps
I'll probably give it another try here in a few days.

 

GOLD wrote: please note in my earlier post that the one connector that is really difficult is the Aux Power port harness connector.

I know little of modern electronic gadgets in cars, but I don't think I have that. Isn't that for smart phones or something? (which I don't have).

My car is an '07 3LT, no nav. TIA!

 

My car is an '07 3LT no nav vert. Yes, the aux power plug-in port is for powering external devices that have a cylindrical male plug that would also fit into a car's cigarette lighter port. Radar detectors and CB radios have such male power plugs as an example. Open the center console storage compartment lid and you will see the aux power port with a removable rubber/plastic cover piece at the front left side of the storage compartment.

 

Ha, okay, yes I am quite familiar with cig lighters and know where it is on my C6, although I quit smoking for good in 1999.

I thought you were talking about a computer/smart phone connection or something that are maybe on newer models.

 

I know how you feel I had to cross that bridge about two weeks ago. Went out to supper and when I came out it wouldn't move out of park. After going through all the steps of pushing the shifter forward, cutting the car off and made sure the brake pedal was press. I said Lord Help me on this one I got the rest. It went into gear. That was it. That weekend I pull that center console out and used a wire to hold that little arm back. Now when I get in Vette no matter where I am I know for sure she will go in gear. The thing about using the wire “fix-it” it’s all reversible.

 

I don't have that auxiliary port
I don't have the navigation system/Garmin system either. And I don't have the big **** for the traction system, either. All I have is a cigarette lighter and the small traction system button. So mine should be easier, right?

 

He was talking about this. Everybody has this including you.

 

BINGO!!!!

 

I see you have a Precision Red 2005. That makes your C6 just about the oldest on the road as only the first couple of months of C6 production was sprayed with that red before GM switched to Victory Red due public outcry. Meaning you have to worry about shift cable grommet failure next as you are now overdue for such. I personally will never buy another auto vette as the shifter and cable failures are far too common in the C6 generation and I expect to see the same with the auto C7s as they age.

 

Oh!! OK. That's what I was calling the cigarette lighter. Thanks.

 

I was thinking they were talking about a plug that you plug a cell phone into up on the console to play music with. I have one of those in my 2008 Impala SS.

 

So if you do this bypass/tie back on the pawl and this shift cable breaks, will you still be able to get it out of park? What does that cable do?

By the way, mine has been sticking in park now for about three years. I have always been able to get it out of park just by tapping on the brake pedal. Sometimes20-30 times. But it has always come out of park eventually. There were times when I didn't think it was going to, but it always did.

 

The shifter cable connects the console shifter to the transmission in the back of the car. So when it fails your transmission will be stuck in whatever gear position it happens to be in when the cable separates. You will be able to move the shifter thru all of the gear positions very freely but it won't matter because it is no longer connected to the transmission housing in the rear of the car where the gears are!! Welcome to the wonderful world of C6 auto transmission vettes. When mine failed last December, fortunately it was in my garage in the Park position. Had to remove the center console trim piece and remove the shifter module from the tunnel top. Only 4 - 10mm nuts hold the shifter module to the car tunnel floor. Upon lifting, I could see that the front cable eye grommet had split and allowed the shifter cable to fall off the bottom of the shifter cable pin. After digging out the old split half of the plastic grommet, I silicone sprayed and then pressed a new Dorman grommet into the one-way cable end eye with a pair of pliers. Then reinstalled the shifter module. You will have to go back to the rear bottom of the car and physically shift the transmission shift lever on the transmission housing to its lowest gear position (by rotating the lever CCW/forward thru the position detents) with your fingers to extend the shifter cable as far forward into the console tunnel as possible. The shifter cable is very stiff and easily damaged so you will need as much of this forward cable end extended into the tunnel so that you can R/R the forward end plastic grommet. Plenty of threads with pics on this.

My theory of why these forward shifter cable grommets are failing on C6 autos is because that compartment below the shifter module is fully enclosed due to the bottom blockout plate for structural rigidity for the C6's structure. It traps heat and gets really hot in there and that thermally ages the plastic grommet and makes it likely to crack over time. The rear cable grommet is far less likely to crack and I think this is due to the rear tranny housing being more open to the moving air stream back there so it doesn't get so hot. A much more heat resistant plastic or non-metallic grommet is needed. Though I don't own a C7, I think the architecture and shifter cable will be very similar to C6 and thus I see that this will be a continuing problem into the C7 Generation. JMHO

 

If you are really that scared to work on your car, you may want to find a forum member or local car club member to help you. These cars aren't rocket surgery. Don't know how many times I've worked on my 05 including doing a header swap on 4 jack stands a few weeks back.

 

One other question: the finger on the paw that goes under the shifter and rotates- is that what people are snipping off? I am talking about the little arm that protrudes out from the paw and is under the shifter rod when the button on the gear shift is depressed. Is that what some people are cutting off?

 

Can't say for sure Jimmy but my impression of previous discussions is that others just brute force broke the entire pawl off. I would just wire it permanently rearward so it can't engage. That way the mod is reversible by remove the wire. At least one member brought the wire into the center console compartment so that the pawl could be rotated manually when needed from the center console compartment.

 

You're overcomplicating and over thinking the whole thing. It's really simple to see what needs to be done once you get it apart.