Q: TRANSMISSION WONT SHIFT INTO PARK, REVERSE OR DRIVE STUCK IN NEUTRAL

asked by on February 01, 2017

Hello and thanks in advance about a week ago i stopped to put gas in my car when i went to put the car in drive the shifter moved but the car stayed in neutral. Before that it was constantly draining my battery and soon after my key in the ignition would not turn so in order to turn the car on i have to insert the key fob to unlock steering column then disconnect the back plug on the ignition that allows the key to turn over then once its turned over i need to disconnect battery for a few seconds and reconnect the battery then the car starts . Also i had a good guy with a mercedes and bmw junk yard run the star diagnostic test when my ignition failed and he told me the car is not communicating . Is there anyone who can help me ? Ive put too much money into this car already to just give up on it . Thank you

My car has 170000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Car is not shifting into park Inspection $94.99 - $114.99 Get a Quote

A couple of things to look into. First, the brake light switch. Besides signaling the brake lights to work, the brake light switch communicates with the anti-lock brake system as well as the shifter and ignition locks. If the brake light switch has an internal short, it can prevent the shifter from moving properly. Another possibility can be the transmission control module located under the shifter. These sometimes suffer from "fluid migration". The seal on the electrical connector at the transmission of the wiring harness can leak and actually push transmission fluid up within the harness to the control module. Not an everyday occurrence but I have seen this as well as the brake light switch. Before replacing anything at ransom, have a certified technician look into why the shifter will not move to isolate the exact cause.

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