Shifter won't come out of park

[AdamK]

05 lt happened awhile ago looks like the 5 wires that are on the connector are still intact but we have to push the Solenoid to get out of park... Any help

 

[Mooseman]

I've never experienced problems with it but download my manuals (link in my sig). Check the schematics and start checking the connections and voltages. Could be a bad connection or possibly a faulty solenoid. I think that it works off the brake switch. Brake lights work OK?

 

[HARDTRAILZ]

Cant it be a sign of a flaky ignition switch as well?

 

[Ziggy]

My first thought would be to have someone step on the brake and see if your brake lights are working. The brake/park interlock works off of the brake switch. Just a quick check, if your brake lights aren't working either, it would point to a bad brake switch as the most likely cause for not being able to shift out of park.

 

[Mounce]

My first thought would be to have someone step on the brake and see if your brake lights are working. The brake/park interlock works off of the brake switch. Just a quick check, if your brake lights aren't working either, it would point to a bad brake switch as the most likely cause for not being able to shift out of park.

You can check that with one person. When you press the brake there should be an audible click from around the shifter. You can also feel it in the shifter handle. If you hear no click and the brake lights work, it's either the solenoid or some wiring malfunction.

 

[Sparky]

You can check that with one person. When you press the brake there should be an audible click from around the shifter. You can also feel it in the shifter handle. If you hear no click and the brake lights work, it's either the solenoid or some wiring malfunction.

Easier to see if the brake lights are working if you have someone behind you looking though

Or, just back up towards a building and use the windows as mirrors to check. That's how I used to routinely check my brake light bulbs until I switched the TB to LED

 

[Tiggerr]

You can check that with one person. When you press the brake there should be an audible click from around the shifter. You can also feel it in the shifter handle. If you hear no click and the brake lights work, it's either the solenoid or some wiring malfunction.

I agree I can here and feel mine disengage easily. Very distinct clack sound

 

[AdamK]

As far as the brake lights go they work fine unless you are talking about when we try and get it out of park then idk I'll have to check up on that

 

[filthyfingers]

Had this happen to my '02 voy. Turned out to be a broken solder joint inside the connector. That wire assembly just wore out after 10 or so years of flexing. Once I found it, the fix was easy.

 

[No Tyme]

FYI, I was working on my trailblazer the other day, battery wound not start the truck so I was cleaning the battery cables and while the battery was disconnected I tried to pull the shift lever out of park to push the truck into the garage another two feet so I could close the garage door... It would not come out of park with the battery disconnected... Thought that was strange but the shift interlock system does work off the brake pedal.

 

[BlazingTrails]

There is no bypass for it either. Every car I have ever had you could unlock the shifter by sticking the key in a slot. GM dropped the ball on this one for sure. I actually hooked wires to the solenoid and ran them into the center console so if it happens again I can hook a 9V battery to it and get it out of park.

 

[Blckshdw]

There is no bypass for it either.

You don't have the button on the passenger side of the shifter assembly underneath the console?

Spoiler

Right next to the connector socket

I actually hooked wires to the solenoid and ran them into the center console so if it happens again I can hook a 9V battery to it and get it out of park.

Ya know, that's a really good idea as an alternative.

 

[DAlastDON]

I would not be down for pulling the center console to get at the shift release. If i ever have a reason to pull the center console im gonna either drill a hole to stick something in there to push the release or do like BT did and run a pair of wires out to connect to a 9v battery.

 

[BlazingTrails]

You don't have the button on the passenger side of the shifter assembly underneath the console?

Spoiler

Right next to the connector socket

Ya know, that's a really good idea as an alternative.

Well Mr. Blackshadow I guess I need to specify, there is a bypass but you have to remove some stuff to get to it. My point was that every other vehicle I've had there was a very easily accessible bypass.

Some people said online that you could get to it with a long screwdriver with out taking it apart, but I call bs cause I was in there with a flashlight for about 20 minutes trying to get it to release to no avail. I actually was able to take a control screwdriver (very small tip) and depress the plunger through the top under the shift boot. But I won't have to deal with that again

 

[Blckshdw]

It's definitely an inconvenient access point, no doubt about that. One of the plastic trim panel removal tools in my set has a 3/4" sort of hook on one end of it. I was able to depress the button pretty easily, but yeah if I didn't have that, it would be much more complicated.

If my mod bug ever gets off it's ass, I'd do the BT wire mod as well.

 

[BlazingTrails]

AWW we should totally make that a thing

BT Shift Solenoid mod