Juice in the gear shift

[KarenC]

My son spilled juice in the floor gear shift of my 1996 Lumina (auto trans). Now I'm having problems shifting. It's difficult to pull the shift lever back into drive. Sometimes when I pull it back, there is a lot of resistance, there is a loud noise and the cassette tape and cig lighter portion of the consol moves (big bang, like something is in the way and then I manage to force two parts by each other). I'm not sure what to do with this. The car is drivable and, as a mom, I want to clean off the gear shift, but I don't know what's under there and don't want to make any problems worse. Can anyone tell me if the floor gear shift in an automatic 1996 Lumina is mechanical or electrical? Does anyone know how to clean it? Is there a part under there that could be broken and causing resistance to moving the gear shift back into park? I realize most of you guys are smart enough not to let your kid spill juice into the gear shift, so stop laughing and try to give me a hand! :-)

[richtazz]

The shifter is mechanical, it is connected to a cable that runs to the transmission. There is an electrical connector for the console indicator light, but nothing that soap and water will hurt. Take the shifter handle off (there should be a clip on the front side of the handle that looks like a BIG staple, pull that out and the handle should lift off. Take the center console cover off and clean the shifter mechanism with soap and water to get the stick juice residue off, lubricate it with spray white lithium grease, and your sticky shifter should go away.

[jeffcoslacker]

I found a lotta those when i worked in a shop, and found that it was usually the plastic strip with the indicator on it that was actually getting stuck. I'd just shoot the whole thing with WD-40, and it's fine. Rich's method would be more advisable, if you have the time.

[KarenC]

Thank you, gentleman!

KC

[Fireplug]

jeffcoslacker
You got it m8
That indicator strip will cause a lot of problems. The only thing I would do different is to use a silcone spray and not the white lube because the white lube will build up with dust and crap and then make the problem even worse over time . Silcone will not build up with dust.
Fireplug