Can't shift out of park (automatic transmission)

[Miloki]

Help! Argh...

Van started this morning no problem. Foot on brake pedal, go to shift into reverse and not only can I not shift, I can't even depress the little button on the side of the shifter that unlocks the shifter to get out of park.

So, what stops that from being depressed? I figure the shifter needs to know (1) the key is turned and (2) the brake is pressed before it will let you shift out of park.

l checked the thingy by the brake pedal (please forgive the lack of technical language!) - the little post that the brake pedal depresses moves in and out like it's supposed to, and the brake lights do come on. I presume this means that the shifter "knows" the brake is pressed?

What (and where) is whatever the thingy is that tells it the key is turned?

Is there anything else that might prevent the shifter from allowing you to shift out of park? (again, not just won't shift, won't even let the button on the side of the shifter be pressed to unlock the shifter)

[Tojo]

Here is one answer: http://www.delica.ca/forum/stuck-in-par ... -3931.html

I've also had the same problem once in a blue moon, and only when it's cold. If I apply pressure on the shift lever towards the front of the vehicle (while stuck in park), then hit the brake pedal, then try to depress the button and shift into reverse then it works!

[Miloki]

Thanks, tried the pushing-forward thing, didn't work.

looked at the other thread you mentioned - wish a pic had been posted! A little confused by the instruction to pull cable "towards the hood"... What hood??? but going outside now to look for a "white plastic....thingy" under the steering column!

[Miloki]

Ha! Have it figured out!

Big thanks to Glen at Coombs for pointing us in the right direction.

I'd try to explain, but it would sound like "the plastic thingy in the shifter was jammed up... the plastic thingy that the cable from the shifter thingy is broken..."
I really did learn a lot tonight, but the proper names for all the thingies was not included in the lessons

but Paul took a ton of pictures as he was going along, so I'll post a bunch - for the next person faced with this problem.