Can't get transmission INTO park
08-29-2002, 06:35 AM
#1
Newbie - Just Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 14
Can't get transmission INTO park
OK, well, it's Thursday morning and I arrived at work today and couldn't get my transmission INTO park. I checked the fluid even though it's been shifting just fine. Fluid's fine. Real clean, too. But I can't shift into park so I can't get my keys out. I have a spare key so locking it isn't a problem.
I've done the search and found lots of folks looking for ways to get their transmission OUT of park but none stuck so they can't get it INTO park.
Any body home in the middle of a work day? Help me, help me.
Pam
1994 Maxima GXE, already beatup when I bought it.
I've done the search and found lots of folks looking for ways to get their transmission OUT of park but none stuck so they can't get it INTO park.
Any body home in the middle of a work day? Help me, help me.
Pam
1994 Maxima GXE, already beatup when I bought it.
08-29-2002, 07:45 AM
#2
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 23
It is probably the shifter bushing...
it is a $1 - $1.50 plastic bushing.
Here is darrick's post:
Your shifer bushings are bad you got two of em one on each end of the shifter linkage. The one that in bad shape is the one near the tranny but its so ez and cheap you may as well replace both just jack up you car and you will see a heat sheld under the shifter take out the 4 or 6 screws and pop out the clip. Replace the plastic bushing and then do the one under the hood on top of the tranny it will take you mabe 30 min the bushings will be less than $3.00 at the dealer. (I just replaced mine near the cat converter heat shield)
Good luck
Here is darrick's post:
Your shifer bushings are bad you got two of em one on each end of the shifter linkage. The one that in bad shape is the one near the tranny but its so ez and cheap you may as well replace both just jack up you car and you will see a heat sheld under the shifter take out the 4 or 6 screws and pop out the clip. Replace the plastic bushing and then do the one under the hood on top of the tranny it will take you mabe 30 min the bushings will be less than $3.00 at the dealer. (I just replaced mine near the cat converter heat shield)
Good luck
08-30-2002, 07:17 AM
#3
Junior Member
Join Date: Oct 2000
Posts: 23
Here are instructions just posted by Aaron on the 3rd gen BBS
Repair of the 89-94 Maxima shifter linkage bushing.
Part #: 34552-D4000
Tools: jack, jack stands or just ramps, 10mm socket, phillips screwdriver, and needle nose pliers
This repair will tighten up your shift selector and linkage. It will make it so you don't have to tap the shifter if you want it to go into gear.
First, go to your dealer and say, "I need a shifter linkage bushing. The part number is 34552-D4000." Pay your $1.50 and be on your way.
Make sure your exhaust is cool because your hand will be bumping it during the repair. I just put a fan pointed straight at it and the exhaust was plenty cool enough after 10 minutes. Jack your car up or drive it up on some ramps so you can easily get to the catalytic converter part of underneath your car. Get your phillips screwdriver, a 10mm socket, and drive and remove the heat shield directly above the catalytic converter. There are 5 10mm/phillips bolts. You might need a universal joint socket to reach a tight place. Now, try to slide the shield towards the rear of the vehicle so that it will expose the 90 degree joint at the bottom of the linkage. If the shield is still in the way, go ahead and remove the bolts on the heat shield directly above the catback resonator. Once this is loosened and/or out of the way, then you will be able to get the catalytic converter heat shield out of the way.
Now, get some needle nose pliers and remove the cotter pin that is holding the linkage arm and washers in place. Once removed, note the way the washers go. For me, there was no bushing up there because it rotted off. But if there is, remove the old bushing and clean the area a bit so the new bushing will easily slide in place. I squirted a little brake cleaner up there and wiped it a little.
Now, put the new bushing in place and put the thin washer on first and then the thick washer next. Then, put the cotter pin back in the hole. This might be a little struggle, but you'll get it.
Now that your done, go through the gears without turning on the engine. Make sure everything is good. Bolt the heat shields back up and you're done.
Part #: 34552-D4000
Tools: jack, jack stands or just ramps, 10mm socket, phillips screwdriver, and needle nose pliers
This repair will tighten up your shift selector and linkage. It will make it so you don't have to tap the shifter if you want it to go into gear.
First, go to your dealer and say, "I need a shifter linkage bushing. The part number is 34552-D4000." Pay your $1.50 and be on your way.
Make sure your exhaust is cool because your hand will be bumping it during the repair. I just put a fan pointed straight at it and the exhaust was plenty cool enough after 10 minutes. Jack your car up or drive it up on some ramps so you can easily get to the catalytic converter part of underneath your car. Get your phillips screwdriver, a 10mm socket, and drive and remove the heat shield directly above the catalytic converter. There are 5 10mm/phillips bolts. You might need a universal joint socket to reach a tight place. Now, try to slide the shield towards the rear of the vehicle so that it will expose the 90 degree joint at the bottom of the linkage. If the shield is still in the way, go ahead and remove the bolts on the heat shield directly above the catback resonator. Once this is loosened and/or out of the way, then you will be able to get the catalytic converter heat shield out of the way.
Now, get some needle nose pliers and remove the cotter pin that is holding the linkage arm and washers in place. Once removed, note the way the washers go. For me, there was no bushing up there because it rotted off. But if there is, remove the old bushing and clean the area a bit so the new bushing will easily slide in place. I squirted a little brake cleaner up there and wiped it a little.
Now, put the new bushing in place and put the thin washer on first and then the thick washer next. Then, put the cotter pin back in the hole. This might be a little struggle, but you'll get it.
Now that your done, go through the gears without turning on the engine. Make sure everything is good. Bolt the heat shields back up and you're done.
08-30-2002, 10:42 AM
#4
Newbie - Just Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 14
Re: Here are instructions just posted by Aaron on the 3rd gen BBS
Wow. I am so impressed. This is the third time I've come to this site for help and it has been practically instant, twice from posts and once from a search. Now to see if I really am as self sufficient as I like to think I am. Gotta get a couple of ramps to do this one.
Thank ya. Thank ya verr much.
Pam
Thank ya. Thank ya verr much.
Pam
Originally posted by G3Max
Repair of the 89-94 Maxima shifter linkage bushing.
Part #: 34552-D4000
Tools: jack, jack stands or just ramps, 10mm socket, phillips screwdriver, and needle nose pliers
This repair will tighten up your shift selector and linkage. It will make it so you don't have to tap the shifter if you want it to go into gear.
First, go to your dealer and say, "I need a shifter linkage bushing. The part number is 34552-D4000." Pay your $1.50 and be on your way.
Make sure your exhaust is cool because your hand will be bumping it during the repair. I just put a fan pointed straight at it and the exhaust was plenty cool enough after 10 minutes. Jack your car up or drive it up on some ramps so you can easily get to the catalytic converter part of underneath your car. Get your phillips screwdriver, a 10mm socket, and drive and remove the heat shield directly above the catalytic converter. There are 5 10mm/phillips bolts. You might need a universal joint socket to reach a tight place. Now, try to slide the shield towards the rear of the vehicle so that it will expose the 90 degree joint at the bottom of the linkage. If the shield is still in the way, go ahead and remove the bolts on the heat shield directly above the catback resonator. Once this is loosened and/or out of the way, then you will be able to get the catalytic converter heat shield out of the way.
Now, get some needle nose pliers and remove the cotter pin that is holding the linkage arm and washers in place. Once removed, note the way the washers go. For me, there was no bushing up there because it rotted off. But if there is, remove the old bushing and clean the area a bit so the new bushing will easily slide in place. I squirted a little brake cleaner up there and wiped it a little.
Now, put the new bushing in place and put the thin washer on first and then the thick washer next. Then, put the cotter pin back in the hole. This might be a little struggle, but you'll get it.
Now that your done, go through the gears without turning on the engine. Make sure everything is good. Bolt the heat shields back up and you're done.
Repair of the 89-94 Maxima shifter linkage bushing.
Part #: 34552-D4000
Tools: jack, jack stands or just ramps, 10mm socket, phillips screwdriver, and needle nose pliers
This repair will tighten up your shift selector and linkage. It will make it so you don't have to tap the shifter if you want it to go into gear.
First, go to your dealer and say, "I need a shifter linkage bushing. The part number is 34552-D4000." Pay your $1.50 and be on your way.
Make sure your exhaust is cool because your hand will be bumping it during the repair. I just put a fan pointed straight at it and the exhaust was plenty cool enough after 10 minutes. Jack your car up or drive it up on some ramps so you can easily get to the catalytic converter part of underneath your car. Get your phillips screwdriver, a 10mm socket, and drive and remove the heat shield directly above the catalytic converter. There are 5 10mm/phillips bolts. You might need a universal joint socket to reach a tight place. Now, try to slide the shield towards the rear of the vehicle so that it will expose the 90 degree joint at the bottom of the linkage. If the shield is still in the way, go ahead and remove the bolts on the heat shield directly above the catback resonator. Once this is loosened and/or out of the way, then you will be able to get the catalytic converter heat shield out of the way.
Now, get some needle nose pliers and remove the cotter pin that is holding the linkage arm and washers in place. Once removed, note the way the washers go. For me, there was no bushing up there because it rotted off. But if there is, remove the old bushing and clean the area a bit so the new bushing will easily slide in place. I squirted a little brake cleaner up there and wiped it a little.
Now, put the new bushing in place and put the thin washer on first and then the thick washer next. Then, put the cotter pin back in the hole. This might be a little struggle, but you'll get it.
Now that your done, go through the gears without turning on the engine. Make sure everything is good. Bolt the heat shields back up and you're done.
09-11-2002, 05:05 PM
#5
Newbie - Just Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 14
Re: It is probably the shifter bushing...
Well, Dereck, Aaron's instructions didn't say anything about a bushing on top of the tran and your description of it doesn't give any detail so I went through the process described by Aaron, except the actual work was done by my nephew. The shifter moves more smoothly and I don't have to tap it to make Drive engage, but I still can't get it into Park. I can't find anything about this in my Haynes or Chilton, so I'm asking you to please give me a bit more detail.
I got two plastic bushings from the dealership, but my nephew said there was only room for one so he didn't put the second one on under the heat shield. He also didn't put the two washers back, saying there wasn't room, maybe because they are pretty rusty, maybe because the bushing was totally gone and he wasn't sure where to put them. I still have the other bushing and the two washers after retrieving them from the grass where he tossed them. He apparently didn't inherit my brother's gift with machines.
Please let me know what happens if I just leave the washers off and how do I get the bushing in place on top of the trans IF that is what's needed to finish this job. If what's done so far should have fixed the problem, then what next?
And thanks for your help.
Pam
I got two plastic bushings from the dealership, but my nephew said there was only room for one so he didn't put the second one on under the heat shield. He also didn't put the two washers back, saying there wasn't room, maybe because they are pretty rusty, maybe because the bushing was totally gone and he wasn't sure where to put them. I still have the other bushing and the two washers after retrieving them from the grass where he tossed them. He apparently didn't inherit my brother's gift with machines.
Please let me know what happens if I just leave the washers off and how do I get the bushing in place on top of the trans IF that is what's needed to finish this job. If what's done so far should have fixed the problem, then what next?
And thanks for your help.
Pam
Originally posted by G3Max
it is a $1 - $1.50 plastic bushing.
Here is darrick's post:
Your shifer bushings are bad you got two of em one on each end of the shifter linkage. The one that in bad shape is the one near the tranny but its so ez and cheap you may as well replace both just jack up you car and you will see a heat sheld under the shifter take out the 4 or 6 screws and pop out the clip. Replace the plastic bushing and then do the one under the hood on top of the tranny it will take you mabe 30 min the bushings will be less than $3.00 at the dealer. (I just replaced mine near the cat converter heat shield)
Good luck
it is a $1 - $1.50 plastic bushing.
Here is darrick's post:
Your shifer bushings are bad you got two of em one on each end of the shifter linkage. The one that in bad shape is the one near the tranny but its so ez and cheap you may as well replace both just jack up you car and you will see a heat sheld under the shifter take out the 4 or 6 screws and pop out the clip. Replace the plastic bushing and then do the one under the hood on top of the tranny it will take you mabe 30 min the bushings will be less than $3.00 at the dealer. (I just replaced mine near the cat converter heat shield)
Good luck
09-11-2002, 05:50 PM
#6
Re: Re: It is probably the shifter bushing...
I dont know why you wouldn't be able to get it into park, but if you want to get your keys out, there is an emergency release for them.
If you look at the trim around the ignition, you will see a plastic cover (teardrop shaped and goes around the "PUSH" button). This will just pull out and then you will see a small red lever near the "PUSH" button that you can move to get the keys out
If you look at the trim around the ignition, you will see a plastic cover (teardrop shaped and goes around the "PUSH" button). This will just pull out and then you will see a small red lever near the "PUSH" button that you can move to get the keys out
09-11-2002, 06:48 PM
#8
Re: Re: Re: Re: It is probably the shifter bushing...
Originally posted by gramma
BTW, love the cartoon of NY. Did you do that?
Pam
BTW, love the cartoon of NY. Did you do that?
Pam
I just found that pic on a Lordrandall's site that he put together after 9/11 with a few political cartoons and stuff like that
http://www.dreamwater.org/auto/lordr...a/america.html
I just liked that one best so I'm using it for my sig for the time being.
10-14-2002, 09:41 AM
#10
Newbie - Just Registered
Thread Starter
Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 14
Is that wise?
Well, my Dad always said if something didn't fit just get a bigger hammer. Only thing is, when dealing with the automatic transmission of my only transportation, I'm not sure that I want to do that. My ambition is to get under the thing and re-do what my nephew did but putting the washers back on, which he left off. Since the original bushing was totally gone when he put the new one on, I suspect he put it on backwards.
Don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't trust your advice. I'm just cautious on this and would like something a bit more, mmmm, scientific sounding. How is forcing the shifter into park going to affect things?
Don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't trust your advice. I'm just cautious on this and would like something a bit more, mmmm, scientific sounding. How is forcing the shifter into park going to affect things?
10-14-2002, 09:59 AM
#11
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 832
Re: Is that wise?
Originally posted by gramma
Well, my Dad always said if something didn't fit just get a bigger hammer. Only thing is, when dealing with the automatic transmission of my only transportation, I'm not sure that I want to do that. My ambition is to get under the thing and re-do what my nephew did but putting the washers back on, which he left off. Since the original bushing was totally gone when he put the new one on, I suspect he put it on backwards.
Don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't trust your advice. I'm just cautious on this and would like something a bit more, mmmm, scientific sounding. How is forcing the shifter into park going to affect things?
Well, my Dad always said if something didn't fit just get a bigger hammer. Only thing is, when dealing with the automatic transmission of my only transportation, I'm not sure that I want to do that. My ambition is to get under the thing and re-do what my nephew did but putting the washers back on, which he left off. Since the original bushing was totally gone when he put the new one on, I suspect he put it on backwards.
Don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't trust your advice. I'm just cautious on this and would like something a bit more, mmmm, scientific sounding. How is forcing the shifter into park going to affect things?
Since you replaced the bushing on the shifter cable on top of the transmission I assume you know about the little lever the cable hooks onto on the transmission. You can take the shifter cable off the transmission lever and see if you can push the lever yourself into park. If it can't go into park then you have a different problem.
If the new bushings are installed correctly and you still can't get it into park, it may be that the shifer cable has a fault. Sometimes they can bind up and not move at all (this happened to my stanza, same transmission). I guess i could be possible for it to be partially binded and not move into park, but i doubt it.
You can also open up the gear shift inside the car by popping the cover off and see if anything is preventing the shifter from going up into park. Both are free to do, so try them before you spend money.
10-14-2002, 08:23 PM
#12
Member
Join Date: Mar 2002
Posts: 203
you have tried the release at the base of the shifter when trying to get it into park, right?
Mine has hung up where the button at the top of the shifter would not go in all the way, and I could not engage park. Pushing the brake bypass or whatever it's called allowed me to push the button in all the way and put it into park.
.(0)
. |
.,|
It's the comma in my crude text representation of the shifter, if you're looking at it from the driver's side.
[edit]: i had to add the periods at the beginning to get it to display correctly.
Mine has hung up where the button at the top of the shifter would not go in all the way, and I could not engage park. Pushing the brake bypass or whatever it's called allowed me to push the button in all the way and put it into park.
.(0)
. |
.,|
It's the comma in my crude text representation of the shifter, if you're looking at it from the driver's side.
[edit]: i had to add the periods at the beginning to get it to display correctly.
09-19-2014, 12:45 AM
#15
Here are instructions just posted by Aaron on the 3rd gen BBS
Repair of the 89-94 Maxima shifter linkage bushing.
Part #: 34552-D4000
Tools: jack, jack stands or just ramps, 10mm socket, phillips screwdriver, and needle nose pliers
This repair will tighten up your shift selector and linkage. It will make it so you don't have to tap the shifter if you want it to go into gear.
First, go to your dealer and say, "I need a shifter linkage bushing. The part number is 34552-D4000." Pay your $1.50 and be on your way.
Make sure your exhaust is cool because your hand will be bumping it during the repair. I just put a fan pointed straight at it and the exhaust was plenty cool enough after 10 minutes. Jack your car up or drive it up on some ramps so you can easily get to the catalytic converter part of underneath your car. Get your phillips screwdriver, a 10mm socket, and drive and remove the heat shield directly above the catalytic converter. There are 5 10mm/phillips bolts. You might need a universal joint socket to reach a tight place. Now, try to slide the shield towards the rear of the vehicle so that it will expose the 90 degree joint at the bottom of the linkage. If the shield is still in the way, go ahead and remove the bolts on the heat shield directly above the catback resonator. Once this is loosened and/or out of the way, then you will be able to get the catalytic converter heat shield out of the way.
Now, get some needle nose pliers and remove the cotter pin that is holding the linkage arm and washers in place. Once removed, note the way the washers go. For me, there was no bushing up there because it rotted off. But if there is, remove the old bushing and clean the area a bit so the new bushing will easily slide in place. I squirted a little brake cleaner up there and wiped it a little.
Now, put the new bushing in place and put the thin washer on first and then the thick washer next. Then, put the cotter pin back in the hole. This might be a little struggle, but you'll get it.
Now that your done, go through the gears without turning on the engine. Make sure everything is good. Bolt the heat shields back up and you're done.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
My Coffee
New Member Introductions
15
06-06-2017 02:01 PM
DC_Juggernaut
7th Generation Maxima (2009-2015)
4
09-28-2015 04:07 PM
Pied
4th Generation Maxima (1995-1999)
0
09-26-2015 03:29 PM