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  #1  
Old 01-22-2012, 04:13 PM
Jvan Jvan is offline
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Unhappy series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park

Driving and the anti lock light comes on and I can feel a difference in pedal pressure. Then the heater fan starts cycling on and off. Didn't notice any real change in driving except the break pedal pressure. Parked the car and had lunch, car started right up but fan didn't work and anti-lock light still on.Tried to move shifter into gear and the button wouldn't depress and shifter wouldn't move. Let it run a few more minutes while I thought about the situation and then the heater fan kicked on and the shifter button could be depressed and moved. Drove home and parked for awhile. Started right up and shifted out of park. Drove to a friend and parked on a hill and by habit shifted into park. Came out 15 minutes later and again locked in Park. Tried for an hour, anti-lock brake light still on, heater fan refuses to turn on and gear shift still locked. Checked the fuses and didn't see any blown fuses. Any suggestions. Left the car to watch the games but need to resolve since this is my daily driver. Want to avoid a tow to the daeler if possible. Help!!!
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Old 01-22-2012, 04:53 PM
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Re: series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park

Quote:
Originally Posted by Jvan View Post
Driving and the anti lock light comes on and I can feel a difference in (the brake) pedal pressure.
If the ABS light came on then either there is a problem with your braking system, or
you have been spinning your wheels in the snow/sand/ice/whatever.


Then the heater fan starts cycling on and off.
Didn't notice any real change in driving except the break pedal pressure.
Is the temperature gauge showing a higher than normal temperature?
When you say heater fan, do you mean the blower fan inside the car, or the cooling fans under the hood, at the radiator?


Parked the car and had lunch, car started right up but fan didn't work and anti-lock light still on.
If the ABS light comes on when you start your SVX, before you drive it, that sounds like a hard/real problem.

Tried to move shifter into gear and the button wouldn't depress and shifter wouldn't move. Let it run a few more minutes while I thought about the situation and then the heater fan kicked on and the shifter button could be depressed and moved. Drove home and parked for awhile. Started right up and shifted out of park. Drove to a friend and parked on a hill and by habit shifted into park. Came out 15 minutes later and again locked in Park. Tried for an hour, anti-lock brake light still on, heater fan refuses to turn on and gear shift still locked. Checked the fuses and didn't see any blown fuses. Any suggestions. Left the car to watch the games but need to resolve since this is my daily driver. Want to avoid a tow to the daeler if possible. Help!!!
Please answer these questions, so that we can get a better idea of what is going on.
Tom
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  #3  
Old 01-22-2012, 05:17 PM
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Re: series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park

Tom, would a non working brake pedal switch trigger a ABS error???

Jvan, when you press the brake pedal do the brake lights go on.
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Old 01-22-2012, 05:19 PM
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Re: series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park

Also Jvan are you using the button on the base of the shifter to move out of "P"? Normally you don't need to press it, but if the normal shift interlock isn't working, you can press that, and the button on the handle to be able to shift.
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  #5  
Old 01-22-2012, 06:25 PM
Jvan Jvan is offline
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Re: series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park

When the ABS light came on, I was driving on a city road that was wet but clear of snow and it has stayed on (except when I turn off the car). The fan I'm talking about is the inside heater fan not the radiator fans which are operating normally. No, the temp gauge is showing the normal temp. reading. I'm not sure what the button at the base of the shifter refers to. The shifter has a button for manual shifting and the button at the top of the shifter so you can shift into reverse. That button ,on the top of the shifter knob, won't push in and the shifter lever is locked into park. I know it sounds silly that I was able to shift out of Park when the heater blower fan started to work but that's the truth and now that the heater fan isn't working at all, the shifter is locked into Park. I don't believe the inside heater fan (blower) shouldn't be connected with the brake/shifter interlock but I don't think the ABS light should be connected either.
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Old 01-22-2012, 06:27 PM
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Re: series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park

Sorry, I forgot to answer the question about the brake lights working. Yes the brake lights work when the brake pedal is depressed.
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Old 01-22-2012, 06:47 PM
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Re: series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park

What year is the car? The button on the shifter they're referring to is the "shift lock" button. On later years you have to remove a tiny panel to get to it. It is at the front of the black plastic base of the shifter, not the shifter itself.
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Old 01-22-2012, 07:18 PM
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Re: series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park

It's a 94. I took off the plastic surround that covers the shifter on the console but there are two tiny philips head screws on the front/rear of the shifter plate in the console. I tried but couldn't loosen the front screw because the head of the shifter was in the way.
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Old 01-22-2012, 07:28 PM
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Re: series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park

I never understood why Subaru changed that shift lock. It is so easy to do on a 92 but was a pain in the butt on old 95. When I had that car I had to keep a screw driver in my glove box just in case.
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Old 01-22-2012, 07:58 PM
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Re: series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park

You do not need to take anything apart to get to the override for the shift lock mechanism... Just pop off the little cover next to the label that says shift lock.
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Old 01-22-2012, 08:01 PM
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Re: series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park



Here is a pic of how it is on a 92 (ignore the extra button under "1". On the 94 there's a small oval cover instead of the button above "P". Pop it off with a screwdriver or something (do your best not to scratch the crap out of it), and put something through the hole to push down the lock mechanism.
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Old 01-22-2012, 09:20 PM
Jvan Jvan is offline
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Re: series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park

I don't have those buttons on the 94. I did pop off the cover plate where the upper button was located and couldn't see a button in the hole so I took off the entire false wood shift cover from the console. There is NOT a button in other location. There are two small Philips head screws where the buttons are in the photo. I tried to loosen the screws but can't get a long screw driver in to the slots because the shift lever is in the way. I'll try tomorrow with a shorter screw driver but what do I do if I can loosen the screws? If there is a button under the plate will it unlock the gear shift and if it does what needs to be fixed so it doesn't reoccur?
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Old 01-22-2012, 11:22 PM
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Re: series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park

Poke a screwdriver or a straightened paperclip into the hole. It's not a "button", it's instead of a button.
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Now a mod "over there" ............Photo album
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  #14  
Old 01-23-2012, 07:23 AM
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Re: series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park

I'll try that this morning after the icy rain stops. Thanks.
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Old 01-23-2012, 12:08 PM
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Re: series of problems ending w/locked transmision in park

Good News and not so good. When I went to pick up the car, I didn't have a problem with the gear shift. The car started right up and the lever moved out of Park without any difficulty. Drove home without a problem except the ABS light is still on and no inside heater fan (didn't matter if I hit low/medium/high). The not so good is that I have the memory retention of an ant. I had planned on putting the gear shift lever in neutral, not Park but without thinking, I put it in Park. Yes, it's stuck again. Can't face it now so I'll try the paper clip later. So the question remains, What is causing this? Can't believe it's the heater blower fan and the ABS light doesn't make too much more sense except it might be a safety issue except why does it correct it self if the light is still on?
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