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Console shift stuck in drive cannot shift the transmission into park?

Tiny
JEREMIER1202
  • MEMBER
  • 1999 DODGE INTREPID
  • 3.8L
  • 6 CYL
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 91,000 MILES
I have issues with the car, making a funny sound want to shift gears and it is now stuck, but the sound is not from transmission. It’s an engine sound and I need to turn the car back on and I cannot start since it’s stuck in Drive.
Tuesday, October 1st, 2024 AT 3:34 PM

11 Replies

Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 48,363 POSTS
Can you please shoot a quick video with your phone so I can hear the noise? That way I can tell for sure what's going on. We need more information to try and help you. Most of the time when you can't put the car in park it is because the shift cable has come apart internally or the shift lock mechanism is broken inside the shifter itself. I would park the car on level ground and set the parking brake, then I would remove the shift cable from the transmission and then try to put the shifter in park if so, move the transmission shifting arm into park as well. This will tell us where the problem lies. Here are instructions in the images below to help you with the problem. Check out the images (below). Please let us know what happens.
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Tuesday, October 1st, 2024 AT 4:53 PM
Tiny
JEREMIER1202
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Will get more videos tomorrow. But I disconnected the cable from console but wasn’t able to move it. Got under car and was able to move the arm in transmission a bit more but the cable was still attached. So possibly binding on inner cable housing? Is there a locking clip-on cable attached to transmission shift arm? That way I can put it into park and get it to start otherwise I can get video of it running.
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Tuesday, October 1st, 2024 AT 6:44 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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  • 48,363 POSTS
Yes, the cable will bind internally which is common. If you disconnect both sides the cable should move freely, if not, I would replace the cable.
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+1
Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024 AT 9:35 AM
Tiny
JEREMIER1202
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Thank you! Popped off and was able to get back into park. Had a friend listen he said very good chance it’s a rocker arm. But said the car is solid and mint and it’s worth the fix if I want to do it like I mentioned before the car has less than 100,000 on its super clean not a drop of oil anywhere coming off no rust nothing and live in with just the knocking sound.
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Wednesday, October 2nd, 2024 AT 4:39 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 48,363 POSTS
So did a new shift cable fix it? It sounds like that was the problem.
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Thursday, October 3rd, 2024 AT 9:41 AM
Tiny
JEREMIER1202
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
No, the problem with the shift cable was I just couldn’t get it into park to start my car to get the sound diagnosed. I just ended up, popping off the shift cable and manually shifting it by hand on the transmission itself back into park to start it. But the sound which is diagnosed comes up to be what they said is the rocker arm. So looking at a rebuild right now.
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Thursday, October 3rd, 2024 AT 4:23 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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"rocker arm"? I don't understand how this can affect the shifter?
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Friday, October 4th, 2024 AT 11:22 AM
Tiny
JEREMIER1202
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
My main issue was a sound but car was stuck in drive so I couldn’t figure out how to get my car back in park to get sound diagnosed. Reread the post and it’s misleading I’m sorry for that.
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Friday, October 4th, 2024 AT 5:24 PM
Tiny
KEN L
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It sounds like these are two different problems, one for the shifter and the other for the engine, correct?
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Saturday, October 5th, 2024 AT 9:38 AM
Tiny
JEREMIER1202
  • MEMBER
  • 6 POSTS
Yes, but mainly needed to figure out how to get into park. Could not find any literature on how and you got me there. Again thank you.
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Saturday, October 5th, 2024 AT 4:29 PM
Tiny
KEN L
  • MASTER CERTIFIED MECHANIC
  • 48,363 POSTS
You are welcome, please use 2CarPros anytime we are here to help.
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Sunday, October 6th, 2024 AT 6:30 PM

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