GF drives car, ignition breaks

[joomanburning]

1999 Lego L, 30th Anniv., 2.2, Auto. Mileage unk, but high.

Love this car.

So, gf decides to park car to take pretty pictures of Alaska fall colors, leaves the car in drive, shuts it off. She gets back in after photo time. Car won’t start. (It’s in drive.) Calls me, I am an hour away and start to drive, don’t even occur to me that the car could’ve been left in drive. In the interim a UPS truck stops and attempts a jump, no luck. Not sure if it was in P or D when the jump is attempted, but I have my suspicions. How many times she hit the key with it in drive, I have no idea. At some point the car gets put into park before I arrive, I can only deduce that happens after the UPS truck makes its attempt because when I get there, it’s in P, I jump it, runs fine…..

HOWEVER-

Now, the ignition tumbler refuses to go to LOCK and the gear selector button feels finicky, like it’s not properly engaging- it selects and stays in each gear just fine- but it doesn’t feel the same as it used to. I have a feeling these two are related to whatever happened while I was on my way to the scene… like the key was in the wrong spot when she was messing about the gear selector or vice-a-versa? Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t there communication between the gear selector and the tumbler?
 

Any and all help appreciated, I do ALL my own work, but I have no idea where to begin here, and I’m not finding related threads!!!

Edited October 16, 2022 by joomanburning
Grammar, info

[heartless]

first step is to go download a service manual for your car.. I generally use this site for my Subaru manual needs

might take a bit of digging around in the manual, looking for all the relevant bits, but i am sure you can figure it out...

there is an electrical "link" of sorts between the ignition tumbler and the gear selector - as in the ignition needs to be in the "ON" position in order for the selector release to operate properly, but not sure if maybe something was damaged somehow...