Yes, the handle is seated fully and the engine switch is on and I also started it in neutral but it still won't go into park. I don't remember if it ever did go into park when I bought the car a few years back and then had health issues and was unable to work on the car. Looking at the shifter rod there is just a slot that the handle slips over but nothing that looks like it would be moved my the button on the handle
Yes, I found a spare shifter I picked up from another Fiero owner and it has a white plastic beaded looking rod ~7in long with a ~5/16in dia. solid top portion. The shifter tube in the car had nothing reaching the top of the tube but 1 1/2 in. down my screwdriver hit something and I was able to move the locking up and down and shift into park. However when I push the rod down with a screwdriver it doesn't spring back up but does so when I push down directly on the locking plate. Shot the tube full of PB Blaster and will let is sit overnight and see what tomorrow brings. Thanks for your input. Greg
Coins and other crap can "lock" the shifter in park. Key interlock can make problems too. See my Cave, Auto Shifter
But Now You need to clean your mess for using oil quickly before plastic part have more problems later. Use alcohol on the plastic. Might still have problems because BPB et al can penetrate many types of plastic and won't wash off.
if metal to metal part stick try Dry Teflon. Lubes but won't hold dirt and won't track on other parts like dry Graphite. Spray shift tube and other metal parks w/ that but not plastic. Teflon is safe for plastic only after spray chemicals dries for few minutes.
------------------ Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should. (Jurassic Park)
Normally you should be able to just pull that white part out of the shifter. It is not connected on either end. Since your's is "down" inside the shifter, I am guessing that if might have broken ( or maybe the shifter was shortened?). If you can somehow get the other part out, then you can just replace it with the white part from your spare shifter. It should spring back up, though, when depressed.
------------------ '87 GT , '00 3800 Series II SC, 4t65e, Vue Power Steering. (SOLD)
I'm in the process of changing out the shifter. All my efforts to remove the piece of the white plastic has been ineffective. Two more plastic rivets to get out before I can remove the last piece of the console to get to the shifter.
Ok, I set the new shifter into place after spraying all moving parts with teflon and checking for easy movement and after connecting the front cable the detent is very difficult to push and won't go to park plus I can only move the shifter one notch. That front cable was really difficult to snap onto the shifter and didn't want to extend or retract. I have no idea how much it is supposed to move though.
no. ignition key lock that. All hardware for this in the top few inches of column. cable ties ignition switch to shifter. Shifter must be parked before the switch allows key can lock and remove the key.
Thanks, I hadn't realized that the shifter handle had to line up with the slots on the shifter shaft. Now with the interlock removed the shifter has free movement full range. Thanks to everyone that helped me get to this point. Now I have to put the whole console back together...tomorrow. ;=))
