# Car won't shift out of park? **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Automotive\ **Created:** [February 21, 2010, 7:26am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-wont-shift-out-of-park/79548 "2010-02-21T07:26:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ieatpaint](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ieatpaint/32/7311_2.png) [@ieatpaint](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ieatpaint)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 7:26am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-wont-shift-out-of-park/79548/1 "2010-02-21T07:26:20Z")
Whaaaa is going on? 97 subaru legacy, it’s automatic obviously and it won’t shift from park. It started a few days ago when the car wouldn’t start. I would turn the key and nothing would happen except the dash lights would come on. I tried it a few more times and it started. Now when I shift to park I can’t push in the lock button on the shifter to get it outta park. It’ll do it even if the car is running. I got stuck inside the freakin automatic car wash because it wouldn’t go into drive. I’m just putting the car in neutral now and leaving the key in the ignition for the time being because I can’t pull the key unless it’s in park. What would cause this? I did a little googling but most of the answers were take it to a mechanic blah blah blah. ---
**Author:** ![Willybeen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/willybeen/32/7351_2.png) [@Willybeen](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Willybeen)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 7:34am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-wont-shift-out-of-park/79548/2 "2010-02-21T07:34:23Z")
push the clutch in… edit… sounds like the car isnt recognizing the brake is being depressed. ---
**Author:** ![BadnewsMike](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/badnewsmike/32/7419_2.png) [@BadnewsMike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BadnewsMike)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 7:35am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-wont-shift-out-of-park/79548/3 "2010-02-21T07:35:30Z")
sounds like an issue with the brake pedal release, there an electronic or cable release from the brake pedal to the button. or your not pressing the brake 😛 edit: willy beat me to it. also thanks for telling me you where getting ride of your used oil jurk 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Willybeen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/willybeen/32/7351_2.png) [@Willybeen](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Willybeen)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 7:36am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-wont-shift-out-of-park/79548/4 "2010-02-21T07:36:51Z")
do your brake lights work? sometimes they are on the same switch (release for the lockout and the lights…) ---
**Author:** ![ieatpaint](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ieatpaint/32/7311_2.png) [@ieatpaint](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ieatpaint)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 7:42am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-wont-shift-out-of-park/79548/5 "2010-02-21T07:42:00Z")
Yea brake lights work. Wonder if I can disable it and not have anything malfunction. I googled that and it looks like a fairly simple system, I’ll pull the console apart and see if anything came undone or is obviously wrong. ---
**Author:** ![nitroinsane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d26b3c/32.png) [@nitroinsane](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/nitroinsane)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 7:48am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-wont-shift-out-of-park/79548/6 "2010-02-21T07:48:04Z")
you can bypass it somewhere there should be a shifter realease.A little square cover on the center near the shifter housing ---
**Author:** ![psychopjv](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/psychopjv/32/7251_2.png) [@psychopjv](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/psychopjv)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 8:27am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-wont-shift-out-of-park/79548/7 "2010-02-21T08:27:54Z")
possible neutral safety switch issue or shift linkage binding/ broken bushing. ---
**Author:** ![943kgt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/9/4bbf92/32.png) [@943kgt](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/943kgt)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 9:08am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-wont-shift-out-of-park/79548/8 "2010-02-21T09:08:57Z")
probly a transmission range switch… ---
**Author:** ![ieatpaint](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ieatpaint/32/7311_2.png) [@ieatpaint](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ieatpaint)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 10:08am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-wont-shift-out-of-park/79548/9 "2010-02-21T10:08:11Z")
I went and pulled the console apart and I don’t think I’ve really narrowed it down at all, but I see that when the brake is pressed the solenoid doesn’t move the plate to let the shifter button depress. I did find the hole so I can stick a screw driver in it so I can at least drive the car now, just have to start it in neutral. Is there anyway I can test that solenoid, maybe put a test light on it and press the brake to at least rule out the sensor at the brake pedal? I think I’ll check the junk yards next weekend and grab a solenoid to see if that fixes it, I gotta get a heater control unit anyway. Where is the transmission range switch Anthony? Anyway to test that thing? ---
**Author:** ![challengermike](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/challengermike/32/5106_2.png) [@challengermike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/challengermike)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 10:38am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-wont-shift-out-of-park/79548/10 "2010-02-21T10:38:34Z")
the range sensor is on the trans on the pass side.Unless you have a scan tool and can watch the data i dont think there any way of testing it. ---
**Author:** ![ubengineering](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/ubengineering/32/5171_2.png) [@ubengineering](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ubengineering)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2010, 4:39pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-wont-shift-out-of-park/79548/11 "2010-02-21T16:39:26Z")
> [@psychopjv](#): > > possible neutral safety switch issue or shift linkage binding/ broken bushing. x2 ---
**Author:** ![Bacon](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/bacon/32/7230_2.png) [@Bacon](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Bacon)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2010, 1:01pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/car-wont-shift-out-of-park/79548/12 "2010-02-22T13:01:01Z")
Put a multimeter on it to see if it tests good (very low resistance, not quite zero), check for +12vdc at the plug with key on, brake on via multimeter, or test light. Part should be interchangable between most models as well.