car wont shift out of park

[penth2o]

Hi, My name is Joel from up north Michigan.

I have a problem that I hope you guru's can help me out on.

I have a 2000 stock impreza rs automatic 52K.

 

I was told my brake lights were out by a cop a week ago.

I came home last night and and put it in park. let the foot off the brake and it starting rolling in reverse. It was in reverse (even though the shift lever was in park). I could gas it and go in reverse. I turned the key off but it would not turn all the way off as it was in gear. The lever was in park.

 

Played with the shift lever now it locks in park and can only be unlocked manually. If I push the button on the shift lever I can hear a click for every time I push the button. It comes from a realy or switch on the left side of the steering column by the turn signal lever. (see first pic)

 

Play some more and the car started up, put it in gear and she rolls in every gear including reverse and park. Play more and it goes to park and won't unlock. you have to manually unlock the shift lever. Once unlocked it still wont start as it thinks it is in gear. The more I mess with it it seems I get a different sympton.

 

As of now I have the steering column and shift consule exposed. I will include a pic of the switch that I can feel clicking every time I push the shift button. It is the one with the red and black wires going to it. (first pic)

 

also with the key out I can hear and feel the intergrated module clicking on and off. the little light that is under the automatic shift lever cover that shows which gear you are in blinks in harmony with the clicking of the intergrated module.

 

As it sits now it won't go out of park and it won't start and all of the above mentioned.

 

Is there anyone that knows about this or what the problem may be. I replaced the stop switch as this is what happened to another car of mine but it did not help this on. Please help. This occurred Jul of 08 and I threw it in the corner of my garage and forgot about it till now.

 

Thank you for all your help in advance. Sorry I had to be introduced this way but I'm in a bind as I cant tow it or drag it on a flatbed as it is in gear. Thanks again.

[greenleg88]

i dont know where... but if you look in the engine bay... when you shift through the gears.. there should be a cable that moves.... see if thats even moving....

 

and im pretty sure a tow truck company will be able to tow your car somewhere.. theyll have to use Go-jacks though..

 

 

anywho.. if you need to tow it.. it should be possible...

[mdjdc]

Something in your linkage is broken. Either the cable (hopefully) or internal to the tranny.

[nipper]

Always start with the simple things. I dont know why you decided to take the car apart without first checking the shift cable. And at the very least you can manually put the car in park from the transmission, but it sound slike your cable went bad os the bracket broke that holds the cable.

 

nipper