Difficult to shift from park

Here's the newest "surprise" my 1998 LS provided me:

The car starts fine however, it is very difficult to shift from Park into any other gear (and yes, I am stepping on the brake). After about 1-2 minutes of pulling and jostling the gear shift it eventually moves into the desired gear. The strage thing is that it only seems to happen on the first start of the car (ex. difficult in the am commute, no problem at lunch or the pm commute). Any ideas?

Do you park on a hill at night? These things torque lock like nobody's business.



Possibility 1 (more likely)

the park/lock system doesn't want to let go.

I'm a little fuzzy on how this one works, but it is the thing that's also responsible for not letting the key turn all the way off when the car's in gear. My book says to disconnect the park/lock cable, let it take up the slack on its own, and re-attach it. This cable is the one on the driver's side of the shift lever. The one on the other side should stay put. :) EDIT: you should do all this with the car in park and the key off.

Possibility 2 (less likely, but here you go)

The brake transmission shift interlock could be loose or otherwise disgruntled. You will (apparently) need a more detailed manual than a haynes to see all of what is going on in there, but I think I get it.

It could be the solenoid on the driver's side of the gearshift, the btsi half of the brake light switch on the top of the pedal, or wiring in between.

To check those three things: with the key on and the brake pedal up, there should be voltage at both wires on the solenoid. With the brake pedal down, only at one. This is voltage to ground, mind you, not across the pair.

My bet (if possibility 2 is the answer) is the swith isn't cutting voltage to the wire that should be dead when the brake pedal's down and so the dude stays energized, or one wire is shorting on the other somewhere between the switch and the solenoid causing the same effect. I doubt a mechanically sticking solenoid would stand up to someone pulling on it like crazy.

Thanks for the response.

In response to your questions/possibilities:

I don't park on a hill at night.

#1) I have not had the Passlock trouble (yet) that has been written about here, so I am not sure about this.

#2) I have to check it out.

My car is the same way. I find that I just warm up my car in the morning and its fine. It is only hard when it is cold.

For some reason, I do not have the shifting problem anymore. I did not do anything mechanically or maintenance wise to the car. I have the same routine in the morning and do not warm up the car any longer than previously. The surprises never stop with this car.

the only reason why mine is tough, my wife poored coke on the gear shift, talk about stuck the next day. this was 5yrs ago.....
we had some kind of maintenance insurance from the dealership and they had the car towed to the shop where they replaced.
that shifter moves with some sort of plastic, and I think when all is warm the shifter moves more swiftly.
98 malibu surprises as it grows older, that's for sure.