Shifter won't move from Park

[TurboIQ]

Anyone knows what could cause this?

[SilverSpear]

Now that's a first :eek: :eek:

[AppStateSVX]

your solenoid (C i think...) has gone bad. It's a pretty common problem. Mine locks up every once in a while, press the "Shift Lock" button.

[SilverSpear]

It's a pretty common problem.

How come I never read about that? :confused:

[intelisevil]

Please don't take this question the wrong way . . .

Is your foot firmly pressing on the brake pedal before you try to move the shift lever out of Park?

Solenoid C wouldn't be involved with this situation.

[dcarrb]

Is your battery dead?

dcb

[AppStateSVX]

oops, wrong solenoid letter, I don't remember which one it is, but I asked about this once and was told that one of my solenoids was loose or something of that nature. Mine will lock up every once in a while, I just push the shift lock button and don't worry about it.

[Seraph]

I thought it was A. Thats the one that is on the tranny harness. Check the harness as well for loose connections (by the firewall). What year is your car? If it is 94+, you'll need a screwdriver to move it out of park. Normally moving back and forth between P and D a few times will kick it back in.

[TurboIQ]

At the risk of sounding stupid, what is the shift lock button yall referring to?

[Seraph]

shift lock is a little button on the 92/3 models right in the shifter's base. It's labeled. On the 94+ models, it's not labeled, and you'll have to pop out the cover with a flat head screwdriver and shove a long small rod (like 6") down to unlock the park.

Let me find a picture for you.

[TurboIQ]

Cool, I see it. So to fix the problem permanently, I guess I'd have to replace the solenoid. Do you know where it is located, and can I use any generic 12V solenoid or do I have to order one specifically from Subaru?

[Earthworm]

There's no A, B or C...it's the Shift lock solenoid and it's activated when you press the brake with the key on.

[Seraph]

Here are 2 pics of shift locks on the SVXes

[TurboIQ]

I can hear sort of a relay click when I press the brake pedal, but the shifter still won't disengage. I does however if I use the shift lock button.

[DreamingOfSpeed]

I've been having this issue for months but never bothered to post about it. I'm guessing mine is loose from when i got my new tranny (which is already f-ed up) I've wondered about that butt6on before, i always thought it would lock the tranny so it couldn't be shifted (like a kid proof type thing) it really should be the 'tranny unlock button" :)

So do i press it and just shift and drive on or do i need to press the button again?

yay and i thought the only temp fix was starting the car holding my breath and telling my car "good girl" when it shifts and revving it and saying "come on girl" till it shifts.

[spinn360]

Here are 2 pics of shift locks on the SVXes
So does the 94+ have a door lock/unlock button? or is that for the window? OH and for the thread are you pushing on the brake and pushing in the normal shift button? Have you owned the car long?

[Earthworm]

So do i press it and just shift and drive on or do i need to press the button again?You only need to press it if the shifter is stuck in 'P'.

[TurboIQ]

I might be experiencing a serious electrical problem. I got the heater fan that won't run (although the controls do light up and I can heat a click when changing speeds), the horn doen't work and the ABS light came on. I gotta check the fuses. What is the "instument pannel" under which the fuse box is located?

[Earthworm]

Check the ABS code (count the blinks on the module under the passenger seat)

Ensure the brushes are ok on the heater motor. 2 screws remove the access cover on the motor under the dash. It could probably use a cleaning in there anyway.

You may as well want to remove/test all the fuses while you're in there.

[TurboIQ]

You may as well want to remove/test all the fuses while you're in there.Yeah... but I'm still trying to find out where exactly "in there" is... I don't know where the fuse box is located! The one inside the car, not the one in the engine.

[Earthworm]

It's by the driver's left foot.

[subarudonelp]

question does is the car parked on an incline. my 83 GL used to stick when parked on a hill. If so you push the car forward and then lube everything and check the mounts. but the soleniod sounds like problem.

[spinn360]

Well if its electrical issues you should be able to fix it your an electrical engineer right? that should help. Maybe you have a bad Ground off the batt. check there after the fuses. I had my main ground going to a piece of plastic when I bought the car, another ground corroded from a leaking brake master cylinder, and only a tiny little burning wire was the only ground.

[TurboIQ]

All right.

So after having spent 2 hours under the dash, here are the facts:

- the brake switch doesn't seem to be sending any signal... the brake lights don't light up, the remote starter doesn't cease its activity when the brake pedal is pressed and the shifter's solenoid won't disengage the shifter. Obviously, there's a problem with the brake pedal switch.
- all fuses seem to work fine... none were blown. Still the heater's fan won't work.
- ABS light is on, I didn't have enough time to remove the passenger seat to check the code.
- horn doen't work

What's new: after having spent all this time under the dash, I don't know what I did exactly that triggered this, but the POWER light flashes 16 times...

ANY IDEAS?

[hexadec0079]

Same problem intermittentanly (sp?) but when it doesn't flash 16 times it works fine, when it flashes, i have to press the shift lock button. So, how is it fixed, is it bad to start with?

[Crusader]

Your case sounds like you need a new brake switch.

I recently had to replace my Shift Lock Unit (P/N 88083PA010) located underneath the center console, in order to get my car to shift out of park without using the shift lock button.