shifter stuck 3rd time in 18 months
Thread Starter
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Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 88
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shifter stuck 3rd time in 18 months
Please Help! I don't know what to do.
My beloved C6's shifter got stuck in drive in March 2017, I drove to a nearby Chevy dealer (Allen Gwynn in LA). They replaced the shifter, and it was fine for a year. In Apri 2018, it happened again. I took the car back to them, and they told me it had to be replaced again, and I would have to pay. They wouldn't budge on the repair's 1 year warranty, even though it reoccurred only 2 weeks after the 1 year period. I have barely driven the car since then. Now, with only 100 miles since the second replacement the shifter got stuck again.
I took the car back to them, and they're telling me the shifter is working fine for them.
In all three cases where it got stuck, I recieved a 'Service Vehicle Soon' message, on the dash, and then a 'Service Active Handling' message.
Those messages did not reappear again until the shifters got stuck for the second and third time. Also, in each case, traction control was automatically disengaged while driving witht the stuck shifters, and pressing the traction control button had no effect.
My beloved C6's shifter got stuck in drive in March 2017, I drove to a nearby Chevy dealer (Allen Gwynn in LA). They replaced the shifter, and it was fine for a year. In Apri 2018, it happened again. I took the car back to them, and they told me it had to be replaced again, and I would have to pay. They wouldn't budge on the repair's 1 year warranty, even though it reoccurred only 2 weeks after the 1 year period. I have barely driven the car since then. Now, with only 100 miles since the second replacement the shifter got stuck again.
I took the car back to them, and they're telling me the shifter is working fine for them.
In all three cases where it got stuck, I recieved a 'Service Vehicle Soon' message, on the dash, and then a 'Service Active Handling' message.
Those messages did not reappear again until the shifters got stuck for the second and third time. Also, in each case, traction control was automatically disengaged while driving witht the stuck shifters, and pressing the traction control button had no effect.
Last edited by IloveKaren; Jul 25, 2018 at 07:16 AM.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 435
Likes: 109
From: Torrance, CA
I feel your pain! My C6 got stuck in Drive/Neutral the other day and I immediately turned to this forum for help and research. Turns out this is a common flaw of the C6 shifter assembly to get stuck (shifter lock out) in Park or Drive/Neutral. The most common DIY fix is to release the lock out pawl assembly and then tie it back or cut it off. However, this deactivates the saftey feature that requires the brake pedal to be depressed before it can be shifted out of park. I got an initial quote from my local Chevrolet dealer(Martin Chevrolet/Joe Giacomin Chevrolet in Torrance, CA) to replace the shifter cable for $550. The next day I got a revised estimate for $810 to replace the shifter cable with a possibility it might need a new shifter assembly for $665 extra. Sure enough, they called back and said it needed both the cable and shifter assembly. Obviously they will not do the DIY fix because it deactivates the saftey feature, but I thought they could at least just release the lock out pawl. I guess they cant charge enough for that. Nevertheless, I told them I would pick the car up and fix it myself. I am not one for doing car repairs or fixes, but for $1,500 bucks, I'm going to give it the old college try! Sure enough, I studied up and followed the instructions(found on the forum and youtube) to remove the console and release the lock-out pawl. I decided to cut the pawl off, but some tie it back with a zip tie or wire. Now it will never get stuck/locked out. I spent about 2 hours. I hope you get this fixed to your satisfaction. I totally understand your frustration.
Thread Starter
Advanced
Joined: Mar 2012
Posts: 88
Likes: 0
I feel your pain! My C6 got stuck in Drive/Neutral the other day and I immediately turned to this forum for help and research. Turns out this is a common flaw of the C6 shifter assembly to get stuck (shifter lock out) in Park or Drive/Neutral. The most common DIY fix is to release the lock out pawl assembly and then tie it back or cut it off. However, this deactivates the saftey feature that requires the brake pedal to be depressed before it can be shifted out of park. I got an initial quote from my local Chevrolet dealer(Martin Chevrolet/Joe Giacomin Chevrolet in Torrance, CA) to replace the shifter cable for $550. The next day I got a revised estimate for $810 to replace the shifter cable with a possibility it might need a new shifter assembly for $665 extra. Sure enough, they called back and said it needed both the cable and shifter assembly. Obviously they will not do the DIY fix because it deactivates the saftey feature, but I thought they could at least just release the lock out pawl. I guess they cant charge enough for that. Nevertheless, I told them I would pick the car up and fix it myself. I am not one for doing car repairs or fixes, but for $1,500 bucks, I'm going to give it the old college try! Sure enough, I studied up and followed the instructions(found on the forum and youtube) to remove the console and release the lock-out pawl. I decided to cut the pawl off, but some tie it back with a zip tie or wire. Now it will never get stuck/locked out. I spent about 2 hours. I hope you get this fixed to your satisfaction. I totally understand your frustration.
Racer
Joined: Aug 2013
Posts: 435
Likes: 109
From: Torrance, CA
No I did not get the "Service Active Handling" message. Mine said "Shift to Park" and it would not let me totally power down the car. I had to turn off the engine in neutral but the ACC light stayed on as did the stereo and climate control lights which i knew would drain the battery so I ended up disconnecting the battery until I decided what to do. When I took it to the dealer, I told them this but they did not disconnect the battery while at the shop and when I went to pick it up, they had to jump start the car.
