03 TB - gear shift button stuck

[Drewmar74]

Oh ye wise Trailblazer gearheads, I have returned with yet another issue. As a preface to my tale of woe, the vehicle in question is a 2003 Trailblazer 4WD commonly referred to in my house as "that f%@#$% piece of %&*~!"

Last night my wife called me from our driveway in a bit of distress. She had driven home from the store but suddenly could not shift the truck out of reverse as the button on the gear shift is stuck and will not depress. We were able to shut it off and leave it.

Now, I have perused this site and the old trailvoy site and I am having a hard time finding a definitive cause. Looks as if there are some fuses I need to check and there is a solenoid I can manipulate as a manual override so that we can shift the truck.... I also saw mention of a cable underneath the truck that can be the culprit yet I cannot find any definitive thread on said cable or any photo reference...

Any wisdom to be shared?

AM

 

[Blckshdw]

If the button doesn't depress, the shifter cable won't cause that. The shift lock override button is on the passenger side of the shifter, underneath the cover. #2 in the pics below.

When I had to get familiar with it, I was able to pull the bottom of the center console away to slip my hand up and depress the button, then move the shifter to park.

Edit: If you rest your hand on the shifter, and tap the brake pedal, do you feel a click (or hear it if the environment is quiet enough)?

 

[Drewmar74]

I'm having a hard time posting a picture of a clue located in the driveway under the truck.... its one of the grey plastic retaining clips that I've seen on some of the electrical connections.....

 

[C-ya]

Do you have a Photobucket (or the like) account? Upload it there and post the link it provides for the picture.

 

[Drewmar74]

 

[C-ya]

Don't know where that one is from. Have you looked underneath for anything unplugged?

 

[Drewmar74]

C-ya - shimmying my fat behind under the trailblazer is first on the agenda when I get off work.... I'll be looking for anything unplugged, loose, or missing its retainer.

Because you and I both know that is exactly what I wanted to be doing on a Friday evening...

 

[C-ya]

Drive it up on ramps, grab your creeper (everybody has one, don't they??) and wheel on under there with a coldie in one hand.

 

[Drewmar74]

No guarantee I can drive it to get it back on ramps. This may have to be me doing my best ninja impersonation and easing up underneath it.....

 

[linneje]

That little clip is used to secure a wire harness inside its bracket. Although it may be a different harness, the one under your center console below the shifter uses one of those clips.

This harness (shown in the diagram above ... item #3) is the connection for your shift solenoid. This area undergoes a lot of flexing, so if it breaks, you can get problems like not being able to take the key out of the ignition or not being able to move the shifter. That button you are mentioning can bypass the system so that you can temporarily move the shifter.

You need to remove the center console so that you can get proper access to that shifter.



From old site:

"After reading a few threads on the forum, I dis-assembled the center console (you don't need to completely remove the console; remove screws (see below) and slide it back from its position) [pull emergency brake as far as possible and put shifter in last position to rear; remove head of shifter (side screw), pull the console back and tilt the front of the console up. You don't have to disconnect the A/C and radio controls]

Screw locations:
(1) Under rubber insert of forward cup holder
(2) located at front of console box storage area.
(2) located under rubber insert at back of storage box
(2) Located under rubber floor insert of storage box
(2) located under storage box, attached console to trans hump

I found two wires on the lock-out switch/solenoid connection on the aft of the shift mechasism were broken. Called a GMC dealer and they provided the GMC and Delco part numbers. The Delco p/n for my 2003 Envoy XL lockout solenoid connector is PT3923. $22.10 at local auto parts retailer.

The replacement connector comes with a six wire pigtail and splice connectors. The color position as follows (looking from the wire side of the connector) Top Left: Black, Top center: Green/white stripe, Top Left: Yellow. Bottom left: Pink, Bottom Center: Green/white stripe. Bottom Right unused.
Spliced in the new connector and key came out of ignition!"

 

[Drewmar74]

So it sounds like a cursory examination of the underside for any disconnected wiring followed by the dismantling of the center console is in order...

YAY!

Love this truck.... okay, not really. But I do love this site!

 

[Drewmar74]

Hmmmmm.....

Haven't crawled underneath yet as I wanted to see what was under the center console. Took it out completely and, lo and behold, the gear shifter is actually in the furthest forward position. The truck should think that is in park and yet it still thinks that it is in reverse..... Does that help at all?

Put the key in, depress the solenoid, move the shifter to neutral and the display still indicates reverse..... what gives

Updated

Crawled under but can't find where the transmission cable linkage is.... not a mechanic by trade, nor do I play one on TV

 

[Drewmar74]

Ta-dah

Found the linkage... dangling. Bushing kaput.

Manually moved the transmission to park.

Now to sort out a new bushing.....

 

[C-ya]

Ta-dah

Found the linkage... dangling. Bushing kaput.

Manually moved the transmission to park.

Now to sort out a new bushing.....

Well, you're in luck! Several of us have been through this. http://gmtnation.com/forums/topic/3170-transmission-shift-linkage/

I did a temporary repair to hold me over until I got this in (mentioned in the thread): Link Working fine so far.

 

[Drewmar74]

Perfect! We can count this one as solved and hope that it will help someone else someday.

 

[Drewmar74]

As an update, I bought the Dorman 14055 replacement bushing as I didn't really have the time to deal with having a part shipped to me. The Dorman part was on the shelf at my local Oreilly. After paying 12 bucks for a 2 cent piece of plastic, I had the truck fixed in about 20 minutes.

I will say that the tiniest coat of petroleum jelly on the inside of the shift linkage was needed to make the bushing slide in. May or may not have been the best idea but it's done and the truck tests out as functional.

The removal of the center console darn near produced enough change to pay for the bushing... So that helped!