2002 Nissan Sentra - won't disengage shift lock

[az3579]

Hey all,
My mom's car is a 2002 Nissan Sentra, automatic. It's getting very frequent now that when you go to take the car out of Park while pressing the brake, the shift lock will not disengage and you can't take it out of Park for at least a minute or two. Sometimes it will stay locked for a few minutes like it did tonight.

When you press the brake, the shift lock solenoid is supposed to let go and allow you to take it out of Park. When I press the brake in her car, I can hear the solenoid click, but still can't take it out of Park. It's very unusual in its behavior in a sense that if the car is cold, it has a much better chance of it unlocking, but if the car is hot and it gets put into Park, it will not release Park for a small amount of time.

My mom says that it seems to release faster if she pressed the Overdrive button. Personally, I haven't found a difference with the button engaged or disengaged. I feel that sometimes if I press the shift button more softly, it releases, but this is always when the car is cold. When the car is warm, it usually won't release for me for at least a good minute to two.

Reference: this is a standard 4-speed automatic. I advised her that if it won't disengage at all, try to pry the shift lock cap off and press the tab in there that allows the shift lever to be moved out of Park. This isn't a solution, so I'd like to figure out what's going on here. Does anyone have a clue?

[danewilson77]

Fluid flush and swap?

Sent from my S4 > Mason, OH

[az3579]

Fluid flush and swap?

Sent from my S4 > Mason, OH

She hasn't done that and probably won't... do you think fluid would affect something electronic like this? Personally I think it's an electronic thing... the transmission operates fine once it's out of Park.

I'll have to inquire about what a fluid change will run her. I just had to lend out some serious $$ to my sister so I'm starting to get tight as well at this point. If there are other things we could try before spending money then I'd like to run through those first, at least until I could get a fluid change for her.

So just out of curiosity, is this shift lock solenoid at all influenced by the tranny fluid? Does it need its own lubrication?

I'll have to make an appointment soon; I don't want her getting stranded.

[LivesNearCostco]

I don't think the fluid affects it at all, but on automatics there might be two interlocks and 3 potential failure points.
1) Brake pedal interlock, have to press brake to disengage shift lock
2) Ignition interlock, some cars require the key be turned to disengage shift lock
3) The solenoid or whatever it is at the shifter

You could try searching on a Nissan forum to see if they have tips on which is the most likely failure and how hard it is to replace. If you're feeling experimental, try jiggling and rotating the key in addition to playing with the brake pedal when trying to shift out of park. Or take off the cover/console around the shifter. Most likely the whats-it by the shifter (the locking mechanism) is failing, but could be loose wire or bad sensor by brake pedal or key cylinder.

Edit: Show her how to release it with a screwdriver or extra key in the little release slot. Some web searching suggests make sure brake lights come on when pressing brake pedal, and....
"My 2005 altima had the same thing for me it was the The shift interlock located under the shifter you can zip tie it to fix it but once you do that it can go in and out of gear with out pressing the break. to have it replace its like $400.00+ i just zip tied it and saved me 400. it is easy to get to it took me 10min to fix it and have everything back together."

"First try turning the steering wheel and jiggling the key simultaneously. If this doesn't work, your problem could be caused by the link between the ignition lock and the switch. Have your ignition switch and your key tumbler assembly replaced. It's an 08. It's under warranty !"

"Check the steering wheel--sometimes the security lock is pulled against the release mechanism due to pull from the wheel--solution is to pull turn your steering wheel one or another direction to relieve the pressure on the lock release) and WHILE STILL holding the steering wheel in this position (you'll feel the wheel attempting to return back to the pressure locked position) attempt to move the shift lever out of park."

"The problem is the park interlock safety mechanism is sticking,( keeps u from shifting out of park unless the brake is pressed) it has nohing to do with restarting the engine several times. Check and verify the brake lights work is the first thing to do."

And this thread: http://x.nissanhelp.com/forums/pathfinder/5480-shift-lock-release.html

[LivesNearCostco]

Here's a DIY thread with pictures, for a 2002 Sentra... they claim the new solenoid is $500 at the dealership. That's for a 2008 Nissan Rogue, but your mom's car might have a similar setup.
http://forums.nicoclub.com/diy-stuck-shifter-wont-come-out-of-park-fix-t554005.html

[az3579]

^ Thanks, I'll try those things the next time I'm in the car. Probably later tonight.

[iZHP]

Had a similar issue on an '03. It's either the shift lock solenoid, fuses, or a relay.

[az3579]

Had a similar issue on an '03. It's either the shift lock solenoid, fuses, or a relay.

It's most definitely not a fuse. Once a fuse blows, it can't unblow itself to work temporarily, so at least we can rule that out. :)