Cannot shift from park without shift release

I have a 1990 toyota celica gt, automatic, with 165k miles. For some reason, I can no longer shift the car into any gear from PARK without pushing the shift release button. Up until now, everything's been just fine. Can someone help please?

Ummm.. Could u please specify what u mean.
It looks as if u r trying to say that u can't shift from park without using the release button. If this is what u r saying, then I'm not sure what your problem is. I've never drivin an automatic that u didnt have to use the button to shift from park. My first car was an 87 celica with the same engine and tranny that yours has (I Think) and that was the same way so I'm not sure I can help. 91ST can help probably though as he is a celica genious. I'm sure he will reply as soon as he reads this. Good luck

he means the little button to the right of the shifter not the button thats on the shifter. its what you use to shift without holding the brake. take off the panels around the shifter and mae sure nothing is stuck and then go under the car and check ur linkage. i had this problem once and it just fixed itself. actually i couldnt go in reverse so i pushed it backwards and drove it around and i came back and it worked fine. thats about all i can tell you.

im not all that sure what hes asking, you should have to pull the button on the handle to get out of park, you dont need it to go from N all the way to 1 vand back up....

please clerify

It is like scorpion said. In the auto there is a button to the right of the shifter that can be pushed to let the car get out of gear or to shift gears. It is a whole different button than the one on the knob. I noticed this in a conv. I drove once. I don't know how to fix it, manual is my only area!

I'm still lost. I never seen anything like that so I can't really help.
Check out the Haynes manual for your car cuz it might be in there.

I'm trying to take a photo of it. Basically, on the automatics, there is a very small button on the right upper portion of the gear shift area. I'm not talking about the button on the gear shift lever itself (the one that you depress when you go into any gear), but a very small button on the panel area. Usually, you can just get in the car, start it up, press the button in on the gear shift lever, and go into reverse, drive, or whatever. But now, when I try to pull in that button, it is block, almost as if it is locked. I then have to push the little button the right upper portion of the shift lever panel area and simotaneously pull in the button the lever to move it into another gear. Once into another gear, for example reverse, I can go into neutral or drive, or back into park, without problem. It's just getting initially getting it out of park where it locks up.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

is your foot on the brake while your doing this? your foot has to beo nteh break to pull it out of park

is your foot on the brake while your doing this? your foot has to beo nteh break to pull it out of park

Yes, I follow all proper procedures for operating an automatic. I've driven automatics for the past 23 years, and I've never had this problem.

c-stylez mind shrinking your sig picture it gets kinda annoying since it make me have to scroll left to right to read anything on here.

lol there ya go. That was huge wasn't it. :biggrin:
That button must be exclusive to the 5th gens cuz I've drivin a few 6th gens and 7th gens and never seen that button.

lol, I didn't mean for you to remove it, engine bays are always cool. I used to drive a 91 celica GT auto, don't remember it either.

Lamar What model trim is your celica, I mean is there anything else the signifies it past the GT?

Edit: im retarded, I just remembered what you are talking about. Yea liike scorpion said check the cables and maybe your side button broken?

An Update: The Problem is Solved.

It just fixed itself. I don't know how, or why. But the problem just went away.

thanks all.

exactly what happened to me, strange isnty it.