How To Release An Automatic Gear Shift Stuck In Park?

The shifting does not move out of the ‘park’ mode in most modern vehicles. Unless you apply the brakes, your car stuck in park. It is a standard safety feature. But, it is a problem when the automatic gear shift stuck in park despite applying the brakes. 

The car does not shift after starting the engine and moving the shifting into the ‘drive’ mode. You may start worrying about the repair bills but don’t be scared. You can release the shifter yourself without going to a mechanic with trusty maintenance tips.

How To Release An Automatic Gear Shift Stuck In Park

What would be your first reaction when you find the automatic gear shift stuck in park? Some people try to force the shifter into gear, which is a big mistake. It will do more harm than good.

So what causes the gear shift to be stuck in park and solutions to this particular problem. Let’s find out now!

Be Careful When Parking On An Incline

Parking on a hill or an incline may create this problem. It happens if you cannot park the vehicle properly. It may roll when you release the brakes after shifting into the park mode. 

As a result, the entire weight of the car goes into the parking gear and the pawl prevents the gear from retracting.

SEE MORE

• Can You Shift in a Manual Car Without Clutch?
• The Shifting Behaviors of Automatic Transmission Explained

To avoid being stuck in such a situation in the future, don’t take the foot off the brake before applying the parking brake. 

Then, take off the foot and move the shift into park. In this way, the car will not roll and the parking brake will hold its weight, not the gear and pawl.

How do you release the shifter when it does not move from the park position? Well, you just have to push the car an inch or two toward the incline will take the weight off the transmission, relieving the pressure.

Check The Brake Light

Another reason the automatic gear shift stuck in park could be a problem with the brake light switch. If the brake light is not on when you push on the brake, the switch might be the source of trouble. Make sure that it is plugged in and functioning. There is a connection between the switch and the shift interlock mechanism. The car is unlikely to shift out of park if the switch is not working.

Shifter Interlock Failure

The brake-shift interlock prevents the shifting of a vehicle so that you cannot accidentally run it into reverse or drive. 

The absence of this function in old cars caused many injuries and property damage. You will need to apply the brakes for the shifter interlock to release the lock and allow the vehicle to move out of the park position.

However, a failed interlock will make the automatic gear shift stuck in park even after using the brakes. 

You can override the system to release the shifter if it is an emergency. The owner’s manual should have the whole process described and explained.

Check Faulty Ignition Switch

A malfunctioning ignition switch or starting motor might also be the reason the shifter stuck in park. To begin, determine whether your vehicle is in park mode. 

If it is, try shifting gears manually without starting the car. If it does not solve the problem, it may be necessary to replace the starting motor or battery. 

However, it’s quite probable that the ignition switch failed or, worse, was tampered with by someone else attempting to steal your vehicle. In either scenario, you must resolve this as quickly as possible so that no one else may exploit it.

Check Worn Or Damaged Shifter Cable

If your gear is stuck in park and you’ve examined the shifter cable, the shift lever should be checked next.

First, check the shift lever’s outside shell for fractures or chips in the plastic. If you see any of these symptoms, it’s probable that moisture has entered your gearbox and produced corrosion. Before proceeding with repairs, you must also replace this component.

Then, to see how sensitive your gearbox is, move it up and down repeatedly while pressing on top with one hand and pulling back on the bottom with the other. 

If there is no resistance and numerous gears engage at the same time, this suggests an issue with your cable more than anything else. 

Inspect Worn Out Ignition Key Tumbler

When you take the key from your ignition switch, it accomplishes two things: it starts your automobile and locks the steering wheel inside the steering column. 

In automatic transmission automobiles, however, the shift interlock mechanism is integrated into the ignition system. This implies that if the ignition key tumbler fails, it will not signal the shift interlock solenoid that the car is operating, resulting in the gear shift remaining in the park position. 

There’s not much you can do to fix a worn ignition key tumbler. Having a locksmith or technician cut and wire a new ignition key tumbler for your automobile is your best hope for addressing the problem.

Check Open Circuit Issue

Sometimes, an open circuit of the shift interlock system can cause your automatic gear shift stuck in park mode.

In detail, the connection between the ignition switch or the brake light switch and the shifter interlock might be disrupted by an open circuit.

As previously stated, the shifter interlock is a safety feature that prevents your vehicle from mistakenly reverse driving. However, the shifter interlock might fail, therefore check the power at the shifter interlock to determine if there is an issue.

Check the power at the shifter interlock with a digital multimeter when the brake pedal is depressed and the ignition switch is in the “run” or “on” position. If the digital multimeter indicates that there is power, your shifter interlock is most likely defective.

Add Transmission Fluid

When your automatic vehicle’s transmission fluid is low, shifting from park to drive may be difficult — or, in severe circumstances, it may completely seize. This will very certainly cause your car won’t shift out of park.

So how to unstick a gear shifter caused by low transmission fluid? Simple, you should refill the automatic transmission fluid as soon as possible.

FAQs on Automatic Gear Shift Stuck In Park

How much are you expected to spend to fix the automatic gear shift stuck in park?

The estimated cost to fix a gear shift stuck in park will be listed below. Take these info as your reference because the labor and equipment cost are all varied in each area.

• Replacement of a brake light switch costs $70 – $150
• Locate and fix an open electrical circuit $80 – $100
• Replacement ignition key tumbler $50 – $250
• Repairing a faulty ignition switch costs $120 – $250
• Shift interlock solenoid replacement costs from $100 – $200
• Automatic gearbox shift cable repair costs $300 – $360

Can you put an automatic transmission in park while moving?

No, you should not shift into Park when driving an automatic transmission. This might engage the parking pawl and lock the transmission, preventing it from turning. This might cause the car to stall and cause gearbox damage.

If you need to come to a complete stop and don’t have time to shift into neutral, you can use the emergency brake. The emergency brake is a distinct braking mechanism from the standard brakes.

Even if the standard brakes are not working, the emergency brake can be utilized to stop the car. Engaging the emergency brake while driving, on the other hand, may cause the car to slide, therefore it should only be used as a last resort.

What happens if you shift in neutral while driving?

Shifting into neutral while driving will not cause drivetrain damage. It is not, however, encouraged since it may cause the engine to rev up and down excessively.

Can you shift gear in reverse while driving?

Yes, you may change your automatic gearbox into reverse while driving, but only if you’re stuck and need to back up.

This increases the wear and tear on your transmission and makes your engine work harder. It’s advisable to only use reverse after your automobile has come to a complete stop.

Is it harmful to leave an automatic car in Park mode?

Yes, it is entirely OK to leave your automatic vehicle in park. There is no danger of causing damage to your vehicle. You may also keep your automobile in park for lengthy periods of time without causing any damage to it.

However, if you’re going to leave your car in Park for a lengthy amount of time, there are a few things to consider. 

• Ensure that you are parked on flat ground. If you park on a hill, your car may roll if it is not parked correctly in park mode. 
• Use the parking brake to ensure that your vehicle does not roll.
• If you have an automatic gearbox, put it in neutral before using the parking brake. This relieves part of the load on the transmission and keeps it from deteriorating over time.
• If you have a manual gearbox, leave the car in gear when you park. This will assist protect your automobile from rolling if the parking brake fails.

Final Words

Aside from fixing current problems, the easiest approach to avoid an automatic gear shift stuck in park is to continually check the fluid level in your transmission system. The article also includes many methods to attempt before servicing the vehicle. 

If nothing else works, the best line of action is to go to your trusted local auto shop, since the problem may be too complex to handle by yourself.