Stuck in Park, wont shift out of park
- Body File
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- Location: Cold Lake, Alberta
Stuck in Park, wont shift out of park
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!
Oh boy did i freak out this morning. I'm taking lots of care to fight the cold - thanx everyone for the info on my other posts. So this morning at -2 i was quite happy when the van started no problem, i warmed it up, double checked all the stuff i need for work, and tried to drive away.
did i ever feel frusterated. I immediatley jumped on the forum search engine and tried to trouble shoot the problem.
as far as i can tell its that little safety solenoid in the shifter that unlocks when the break is pressed.
i found the switch on the break peddle, its working fine. took the shift box cover off, wiggled the wires, removed the steering column, effed around in there.
i even got out and rocked the van, twiddled the 4x4 shifter, adjusted the steering wheel, moved everything i could get my dirty little way way late for work fingers on.
no luck.
i ended up getting my wife to come home and pick me up. doing the walk of shame from the front gate of the base, and telling all my friends about how my awesome super cool van from japan man, was stuck in park in my driveway!
Boooo!
Has anyone else suffered this lately?
Ive got an appt at my mechanic on wed, but heck if i know how im gonna get it there
Oh boy did i freak out this morning. I'm taking lots of care to fight the cold - thanx everyone for the info on my other posts. So this morning at -2 i was quite happy when the van started no problem, i warmed it up, double checked all the stuff i need for work, and tried to drive away.
did i ever feel frusterated. I immediatley jumped on the forum search engine and tried to trouble shoot the problem.
as far as i can tell its that little safety solenoid in the shifter that unlocks when the break is pressed.
i found the switch on the break peddle, its working fine. took the shift box cover off, wiggled the wires, removed the steering column, effed around in there.
i even got out and rocked the van, twiddled the 4x4 shifter, adjusted the steering wheel, moved everything i could get my dirty little way way late for work fingers on.
no luck.
i ended up getting my wife to come home and pick me up. doing the walk of shame from the front gate of the base, and telling all my friends about how my awesome super cool van from japan man, was stuck in park in my driveway!
Boooo!
Has anyone else suffered this lately?
Ive got an appt at my mechanic on wed, but heck if i know how im gonna get it there
- Schwa
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Re: Stuck in Park, wont shift out of park
I have no experience in this area of the Delica, but if there is a solenoid that unlocks it, you should be able to take a +12v wire to it and have it activate if it's still working... If it's not working I guess the next best thing would be to figure out a way to manually activate whatever mechanically the solenoid does. Sorry I can't be more specific.
- Body File
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:47 pm
- Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
- Vehicle: 93 Jasper
- Location: Cold Lake, Alberta
Re: Stuck in Park, wont shift out of park
thats a great idea: the wire to the solenoid.
Anyone have an idea about where to find it? Is in integral to the shifter or somewhere along the linkage?
Anyone have an idea about where to find it? Is in integral to the shifter or somewhere along the linkage?
- Fishtank
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Re: Stuck in Park, wont shift out of park
Sorry, but when I read this, the first thing to pop into my head was this.Body File wrote:Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!
Oh boy did i freak out this morning.
did i ever feel frusterated.
i found the switch on the break peddle, its working fine. took the shift box cover off, wiggled the wires, removed the steering column, effed around in there.
i even got out and rocked the van, twiddled the 4x4 shifter, adjusted the steering wheel, moved everything i could get my dirty little way way late for work fingers on.
no luck.
I hope you figure it out quick

- MardyDelica
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Re: Stuck in Park, wont shift out of park
Hi, try to step your foot in the brakes harder. also check your brake fluid if its level. you cannot shift it. out of park if you dont press that hard.
hope this help,
cheers;
Mardy
hope this help,
cheers;
Mardy
- Body File
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- Vehicle: 93 Jasper
- Location: Cold Lake, Alberta
Re: Stuck in Park, wont shift out of park
i never thought of the brake fluid lvl, ill try that after work today.
otherwise, its a tow to the shop on wednesday!
YA!!!!
otherwise, its a tow to the shop on wednesday!
YA!!!!
- Body File
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- Location: Cold Lake, Alberta
Re: Stuck in Park, wont shift out of park
update:
I located a little pop up "nipple" for lack of a better word inside the shifter column at the end of a cable which stops the shifter from moving.
pushed it down with a screwdriver, applied brake and finally shifted into sweet delicious reverse! with that annoying beep beep noise and everything!
applied the gas and watched the rpm climb but no movement from the vehicle.
did the same for the other gears. the tranny made a grinding noise when i shifted the lever back into park.
Im really starting to get worried
I located a little pop up "nipple" for lack of a better word inside the shifter column at the end of a cable which stops the shifter from moving.
pushed it down with a screwdriver, applied brake and finally shifted into sweet delicious reverse! with that annoying beep beep noise and everything!
applied the gas and watched the rpm climb but no movement from the vehicle.
did the same for the other gears. the tranny made a grinding noise when i shifted the lever back into park.
Im really starting to get worried
- jessef
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Re: Stuck in Park, wont shift out of park
Make absolute certain there is enough transmission fluid in there and that it does not smell like burnt oil.
Grinding in an auto should not happen going from any gear/fwd/reverse.
Grinding in an auto should not happen going from any gear/fwd/reverse.
- Fishtank
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- Location: Penticton
Re: Stuck in Park, wont shift out of park
Awww geez
, I feel bad for posting earlier now
. I hope you get things sorted BF, let us know when you figure it out.


- Body File
- Posts: 40
- Joined: Tue Oct 07, 2008 1:47 pm
- Member's Photo Album: http://www.delica.ca/Photos/
- Vehicle: 93 Jasper
- Location: Cold Lake, Alberta
Re: Stuck in Park, wont shift out of park
Problem sloved:
I'll post pics when i get home.
$300 including a tow, and the grand fix was just tugging on a cable!
under the steering column on the left is a cable that rests ion this white plastic....thingy.....
it had become unseated
if anyone is ever stuck like that, all you have to do is reach down and pull it up, towards the hood. its the closest thing to safety switch override in the delica.
as i said, i've got a nice pic at home complete with a shiny red arrow i made in MS Paint. I know, im pretty impressive.
I'll post pics when i get home.
$300 including a tow, and the grand fix was just tugging on a cable!
under the steering column on the left is a cable that rests ion this white plastic....thingy.....
it had become unseated
if anyone is ever stuck like that, all you have to do is reach down and pull it up, towards the hood. its the closest thing to safety switch override in the delica.
as i said, i've got a nice pic at home complete with a shiny red arrow i made in MS Paint. I know, im pretty impressive.
- after oil
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Re: Stuck in Park, wont shift out of park
pics??Body File wrote:Problem sloved:
I'll post pics when i get home.
$300 including a tow, and the grand fix was just tugging on a cable!
under the steering column on the left is a cable that rests ion this white plastic....thingy.....
it had become unseated
if anyone is ever stuck like that, all you have to do is reach down and pull it up, towards the hood. its the closest thing to safety switch override in the delica.
as i said, i've got a nice pic at home complete with a shiny red arrow i made in MS Paint. I know, im pretty impressive.
Re: Stuck in Park, wont shift out of park
Yea if you could post this picture you have it would be a lot of help to me right nowafter oil wrote:pics??Body File wrote:Problem sloved:
I'll post pics when i get home.
$300 including a tow, and the grand fix was just tugging on a cable!
under the steering column on the left is a cable that rests ion this white plastic....thingy.....
it had become unseated
if anyone is ever stuck like that, all you have to do is reach down and pull it up, towards the hood. its the closest thing to safety switch override in the delica.
as i said, i've got a nice pic at home complete with a shiny red arrow i made in MS Paint. I know, im pretty impressive.
Re: Stuck in Park, wont shift out of park
I'm not sure if this will help but--- I looked @ the wiring schematic and I think from what it shows and doesn't show that only 1 switch likely operates both the brake lights and the transmission interlock. You may want to see if your brake lights work when you step on the brake. If they don't you should be able to follow the wire from the switch which opens and closes when you push the brake to what I believe is a white connector talked about earlier in the post. If that isn't the problem there is a problem somewhere else in the interlock circuit and the info I have doesn't show it. If you could get the inside nice and warm that may help as well.
Good luck!!
Good luck!!