my daughter called me and said the gear shift lever wouldnt go into park - and when I showed up, the truck was stuck in neutral, and the column shifter just slid back and forth. Cant start the engine, and stuck in a parking garage. Help?

 

The cable from the shifter to the transmission may have broken. I have the flow through console shifter and when it happened to me, all the shifter did was slide back and forth and have no effect on the truck. I could start the engine, though, maybe because the truck was already in park.

 

problem solved - it was a broken cable and works like new now. thansk for the help

 

I just had this problem and first started to disconnect the shifter (which is kind of a pain in the ...). After I disconnected everything, I found that the shifter cable was still attached by the shifter assembly. (I have some tips of doing that if anyone is interested....)

So after I put everything back together, I slid under my truck (from the drivers side - you don't even need to jack it up) and looked on the drivers side of the trans, the cable came off of the arm coming off of the trans. I just connected it and it worked. Unsure if it will come off again (probable...). tip: you may need someone to jiggle the shifter back and forth to get the correct length to allow you to clip the end. There is no removable clip nor lock pin to lock it on - it just snaps in. So - bottom line; check the connector at the trans first - far easier than taking apart the shifter!!

 

If you need to remove the shifter:

(You do not have to take off the top tip!)

Put in neutral, but use the parking break

Slide the bottom part of the shifter down (the bottom chrome piece)

With a screwdriver, at the now exposed piece at the bottom of the top part - (on the shaft), force the round connector down.

Then pull the button (the one you have to press in to shift) out (towards the front) You almost have to pull it out until you feel the back edge of the button. It will not come off and you won't break it. Some websites say you have to remove a pin - but you don't...

Then pull it up while wiggling it - and semi forcefully. Be careful, there is a round spring about an inch-and-a half long and about the thickness of a 8-penny nail that may fall as you remove it.

Next, take the top cup holder plate off. It just pulls up. Easy, just try in four corners.

After you remove the top shift ****, the chrome piece will come off by two tabs on each side.

The light will disconnect by sliding the whole rectangular piece aft. Do not try to separate the pins like normal light connectors... just slide it aft and it will come apart from the center black "screw-thing"...

take the black flexible shroud off (tip - clean that sucker, mine was filthy!)

From there, you can see in the front the control shifter.

Installation is the reverse.

TIP: First, put the spring in the straight skinny plastic shaft attached to the shifter assembly (NOT the top part!). I tried pushing down the top shift part and bent the **** out of that fricken spring. Don't forget to pull out that button (grab a flashlight to see how it works). If you bend the spring, reverse it so the bent part is down inside the plastic shaft. Also, the skinner plastic shaft kind of falls down, so if you secure it with a screw driver at the bottom.so it doesn't slide down (maybe easier with another person), it's a lttle easier to put the top piece in.

btw, I did the removal part while I was stuck in traffic, trying to fix it, looking at diagrams and various websites on my iphone. It saved me a lot of $ by not having to tow. Thanks to everyone - Thought this can help other people.

 

HOLD THE SHOW!!!

I just realized something, if you really need to look at the shifter cable at the shifter assembly, you don't even have to remove everything like I did!!!

Just take off the cup holder and look at the front, that's where the cable is... If it is connected and the gear shifter moves back and forth with no resistance - then you know that either the cable is broken or disconnected at the tranny!

(i really had no way of knowing, kind of difficult without looking at a diagram)

btw - this will also work if your shift lock solenoid is locking up, take the cup holder piece off and you will see a white tab button that you can depress to shift.

 

[QUOTE=socrates15;4650063]I just had this problem and first started to disconnect the shifter (which is kind of a pain in the ...). After I disconnected everything, I found that the shifter cable was still attached by the shifter assembly. (I have some tips of doing that if anyone is interested....)

So after I put everything back together, I slid under my truck (from the drivers side - you don't even need to jack it up) and looked on the drivers side of the trans, the cable came off of the arm coming off of the trans. I just connected it and it worked. Unsure if it will come off again (probable...). tip: you may need someone to jiggle the shifter back and forth to get the correct length to allow you to clip the end. There is no removable clip nor lock pin to lock it on - it just snaps in. So - bottom line; check the connector at the trans first - far easier than taking apart the shifter!![

On my 97 v6 4.2 there is a yellow clip that slides on to lock change cable, yours may be missing.

/QUOTE]