Shifter broken?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 165
Likes: 0
From: Louisville Kentucky
Shifter broken?
2008 with paddle shifter. Car will not go into park no matter how hard I try. Had to put it in neutral and turned off the car...all lights stayed on. Pulled the negative off the battery
Anybody have any thoughts?
Thanks
Anybody have any thoughts?
Thanks
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 11,338
Likes: 2,438
From: Eastern
Yes, you have the same issue as almost everyone else has experienced with an A6 shifter. The Shifter will either get stuck in Park or will not go into Park and only shift to Drive and Neutral.
The Park solenoid did not disengage the shifter locking pawl properly.
You will have to remove the center Radio surround console to get at the locking pawl to desingage it so you can shift back into Park.
The dealer will try to fix the issue by selling you a new shifter, but that is not a solution, as this was only supposed to happen to 2005, 2006 and 2007 cars. A new shifter starting with the 2008 was supposed to get rid of the issue.
You know that is not true.
Most owners have tied the locking pawl back so it never comes into play again.
Here is the PDF that explains it, and the fix.
The Park solenoid did not disengage the shifter locking pawl properly.
You will have to remove the center Radio surround console to get at the locking pawl to desingage it so you can shift back into Park.
The dealer will try to fix the issue by selling you a new shifter, but that is not a solution, as this was only supposed to happen to 2005, 2006 and 2007 cars. A new shifter starting with the 2008 was supposed to get rid of the issue.
You know that is not true.
Most owners have tied the locking pawl back so it never comes into play again.
Here is the PDF that explains it, and the fix.
Last edited by 4SUMERZ; Sep 5, 2016 at 07:00 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 5,463
Likes: 1,138
From: Chino CA
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 11,338
Likes: 2,438
From: Eastern
and even when the dealer replaces the shifter, there is no guarantee that the same thing doesn't happen to it down the road.I did the tie back, but not permanently. I have the wire configured so that it is hidden (tucked away) on the side of the console, and I can pull on it to release the locking pawl if ever needed.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 2,081
Likes: 20
From: Kingston WA
FYI, if you go to do the tie back fix, just be careful on removing the shifter. I didn't do it correctly and snapped off the orange indicator. I decided to just buy a new unit.
Last edited by Wildmanht; Sep 5, 2016 at 10:33 PM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2014
Posts: 2,321
Likes: 220
From: Woodbridge, Virginia
I'd rather follow his write up, which btw is pretty easy to follow, than have the dealer goon mess with something else, I know you have the warranty and all. Hey you stand to keep $100 in your pocket....
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 165
Likes: 0
From: Louisville Kentucky
After the shift would not go into park I left it in neutral. I turned the car off and all the lights remained on. I unhooked the negative cable on the battery so it would not drain the battery. This morning I was going to take it to the dealer. I hooked up the negative to the battery. I had total power. I went to start it in neutral and there is no sound whatsoever.
Any ideas???
Any ideas???
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
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
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvette Engines RANKED by Peak Torque (70+ Years of Muscle!)
Joe Kucinski
Corvette ZR1X Will Be Pacing the Indy 500, And Could Probably Race, Too!
Verdad Gallardo
Top 10 Corvettes Coming to Mecum Indy 2026!
Brett Foote
Top 10 C9 Corvette MUST-HAVES to Fix These C8 Generation Flaws!
Michael S. Palmer
10 Revolutionary 'Corvette Firsts' Most People Don't Know
Joe Kucinski
5 Reasons to Upgrade to an LS6-Powered Corvette; 5 Reasons to Stay LT2
Michael S. Palmer
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2009
Posts: 11,338
Likes: 2,438
From: Eastern
After the shift would not go into park I left it in neutral. I turned the car off and all the lights remained on. I unhooked the negative cable on the battery so it would not drain the battery. This morning I was going to take it to the dealer. I hooked up the negative to the battery. I had total power. I went to start it in neutral and there is no sound whatsoever.
Any ideas???
Any ideas???
If it were me, I'd disconnect both the positive and negative from the battery, wait 10 minutes, then reconnect them both and assure that the battery connections are tight. Other than that, I have nothing.
Give it a try, then if it doesn't start, then it could be another issue that happened to malfunction at the same time as the shifter issue.
Good Luck
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,206
Likes: 66
From: Orlando Florida
You may have a broken shifter cable. The car is in gear and so for safety reasons, the car will not start until it goes into park. Won't go into park with a broken cable. Take off the center console and remove the shifter assembly, reach down and you can work the cable by hand to put it park, neutral, or drive. Go to the dealer or fix it yourself, your call. I replaced my cable myself and saved a bunch of cash.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,206
Likes: 66
From: Orlando Florida
After the shift would not go into park I left it in neutral. I turned the car off and all the lights remained on. I unhooked the negative cable on the battery so it would not drain the battery. This morning I was going to take it to the dealer. I hooked up the negative to the battery. I had total power. I went to start it in neutral and there is no sound whatsoever.
Any ideas???
Any ideas???