1998 Lumina - Can't shift into gear. Gear shifter button wont push in.

[UsernameX]

Hello everyone,

This is my first time here and don't have much experience with car repair.

I have a 1998 Lumina LTZ - 3.8 liter engine. The problem started a few months ago when I got into my car and tried to shift into gear but the gear shifter button was stuck. I clamped both of my hands around the gear shifter and pressed really hard and it finally shifted into gear. The problem seems to occur randomly. It can be a fresh start up or just after putting the car into park. So after dealing with this for several weeks I took it into the mechanic. The mechanic said he took apart the whole gear shifter and rebuilt it... and was still unable to figure out the problem. Since then I haven't taken it to a different mechanic. But now it's at the point where I have to be in the car trying to shift it for about 30 minutes straight before I can get it into gear. This is my first major problem with the car. It has 80,000 miles on the engine. I had a friend who scanned the car's computer and it didn't report any tranmission issues or anything else for that matter. I have had the oil changed on a regular basis. Although I'm not sure about the transmission fluid. One of my friends suggested it could be the brake sensor? That it might be broken and not telling that car my brake is pushed down so that I can shift into gear. (i purchased this car from my father when it had 30,000 miles on it) Any ideas what it could be? Also any links to website that tells me how to repair my car would be great hehe.

Thank you all very much for any help,

Brandon

[jeffcoslacker]

Yup, my guess would be a faulty/misadjusted brake pedal/shift interlock switch or the solenoid it activates.

You should normally hear the solenoid when you touch the brake pedal with it in park, key on. If you DON'T hear it when it's sticking, that's your problem.

[jeffcoslacker]

If you catch it sticking in the meantime, try tapping the brake repeatedly until you hear the solenoid click, then it should work....a well-placed shot of WD-40 on the pedal switch may be all it takes to relieve the problem...the plunger on the switch may be sticking and not releasing when you press the brake pedal.

[UsernameX]

So when I press on the break pedal I should hear the "solenoid" click on? I will go out tomorrow and give it a closer listen to. Secondly my friend had started to work on the car... but didn't get to far. He took the cover, under neath the steering wheel, off and was messing with a wire (I assume something to do with the brake) He didn't have much time to mess with it, but when I was there with him he would put it into it's "normal" position (I really don't know what he meant by normal) and it seemed to shift every time... we only got to do that about 4 times so I'm not 100% on this solution. But any other advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

[UsernameX]

So when I press on the break pedal I should hear the "solenoid" click on? I will go out tomorrow and give it a closer listen to. Secondly my friend had started to work on the car... but didn't get to far. He took the cover, under neath the steering wheel, off and was messing with a wire (I assume something to do with the brake) He didn't have much time to mess with it, but when I was there with him he would put it into it's "normal" position (I really don't know what he meant by normal) and it seemed to shift every time... we only got to do that about 4 times so I'm not 100% on this solution. But any other advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!!

[UsernameX]

eesh, sorry about this wacko reply... i don't know how it happened.

[jeffcoslacker]

Yes, you should feel/hear the detent solenoid working in the console when you step on the brake in park with the key on. With your hand on the shifter you will feel it clicking when it operates. The switch down at the pedal is fairly simple, just a spring loaded plunger switch that rides the brake pedal rod, so that when the pedal is pressed the plunger pushes out and the circuit is completed, energizing the shift detent solenoid so you can move the shifter button. Once in any gear but park, the solenoid's operation is overrridden so it doesn't work needlessly every time you press the brake while driving.

I don't know if the shift detent switch is integrated into the other functions controlled by the brake pedal....usually brake light operation and cruise control cancel are on one switch, so it could well be included in one multi-function pedal switch, I don't know, haven't run into trouble with one on a Lumina yet...

Another possibility is if something sticky got spilled into the console, it could be interfering with the solenoid or detent gate operation, this happens sometimes too...a simple cleaning will correct it, but I'd think the first guy would have seen this if it was the case...

[wa6axe]

UsernameX - I would sure like to contact YOU and talk about this very agonizing problem .. I also have a 1998 Lumina LTZ (only 28,600 miles)
and it HAS THE EXACT same problem .. right down the button itself!!

I have had this problem (it comes and goes) for over a year now - and
it is frustrating as the dealership mechanic here in my city - just can not
recreate the problem ... but, I sure can -- and now, the $%$##$^ car
is stuck in the garage - and this is really the first time that I simply
have NOT been able to get it out of PARK -- like you said - I can play
with it for maybe up to 20 mins and MOST OF THE TIME I can then get
it to work ....

They have already replaced the SWITCH .... heck - that was a shot-in-the-dark call on my part -- as they could NOT re-create the problem while
the had the car at the shop (two weeks) ...

DID you (UsernameX) "ever" get this resolved on your end?

HOPING for a reply.....