Cannot get key out of ignition

LAURA MILLS

MEMBER
2007 CHEVROLET COBALT
4 CYL
2WD
AUTOMATIC
170,000 MILES

The problem where my car was getting stuck in park and it was throwing 2 codes. Now all the sudden today my check engine light finally goes off as if everything went back to normal and I can shift again. However, now I can't get the car to actually read that it's in park to take the key out. The codes up until this happened were: p0700 transmission control system and the other was P0121 which is throttle pedal position sensor/switch a circuit range performance. I know that this needs to be fixed but now all of a sudden my card is not throwing these engine codes and it seems like everything is fine but now I cannot get the car to register that it's in park please help. When I press on the brake pedal I can hear clicking.

7 Replies

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,709 POSTS

Hi Laura and welcome to 2CarPros.

The P0700 is a generic code indicating there is a dealer specific code stored in the system which will point you to the problem. However, if the indicator isn't showing park, chances are there is an issue with what is called the transmission range sensor. I suspect that the cable that moves it may have come off.

The part is located on the transmission. You will see a cable run to it and there is an electrical connector as well. See pictures 1 and 2 below.

I circled the areas that I need you to check. Note that the cable rides on a ball and they do wear and come loose.

Check this first and let me know what you find.

Joe

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Thursday, October 31st, 2019 AT 8:15 PM

LAURA MILLS

MEMBER
5 POSTS

I checked that. Everything is in tack. I ended up taking the whole console off everything around the shifter and what I noticed is when I press the brake pedal on the left side of the shifter there's a black part that is supposed to move forward and when I push the button and there's a little clip on the right side that's supposed to also move it seems as though those are getting jammed so I'm thinking I possibly need a new shifter. Under my steering wheel I found this little mechanism where I can pop it open and there's a little button in there that was able to allow me to override and pull the key out. I cleaned everything around the shifter because it look like some soda had possibly gotten there and it looked really sticky wiped it all down let it dry and then I noticed it was still catching so I greased it a little bit and I'm going to leave the console off and see if it does it over the next few days. But I have a feeling I'm probably going to end up having to have my husband order a new shifter. One thing that I notice is once the car wouldn't go in park and it was like the button wasn't catching the check engine light came off. But since I jiggled around with that mechanism now it's like the car is back to the check engine light being on and now it's getting stuck in park again if that makes sense. Before today I've always had trouble with the car not wanting to come out of park and I would have to turn the steering wheel sometimes it would work and then sometimes it wouldn't so I don't know if it is the shifter that's going bad or possibly the pedal throttle sensor because one of the codes it was throwing was was throttle pedal sensor circuit switch a so I think that's the main problem but I don't know where to locate this switch to replace it we're to see what's going on with it.

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Thursday, October 31st, 2019 AT 8:45 PM

LAURA MILLS

MEMBER
5 POSTS

I'm going to post a picture of what exactly came up when the OBD2 meter Everett everything down the second code. I don't know if it's multiple different things or if it's all just one part.

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Thursday, October 31st, 2019 AT 8:54 PM

LAURA MILLS

MEMBER
5 POSTS

Everything written in the picture is everything that came up when the OBD2 meter.

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Thursday, October 31st, 2019 AT 8:55 PM

JACOBANDNICKOLAS

MECHANIC
109,709 POSTS

Hi Laura:

The codes you have really shouldn't have anything to do with the shifter. Is it possible for you to upload a picture of the part you mentioned isn't working properly so I can get a better idea what you are seeing?

Let me know.

Joe