So today while driving to work, some lady too small to see over her steering wheel in her Lincoln pulls out in front of me while I'm doing 50 (speed limit 55) as I was getting ready to pull in to work. I had to slam on my breaks and swerve to miss her; as you know how awful and cheap the cup holder is, this caused my drink to not only spill all over myself, but my center console (and leather seats and steering wheel and floor, but I digress). So I go back home to shower and change, pissed that I have to take my suit to the dry cleaner AGAIN. Go back out to my car... and now the shifter won't move out of park.

I have a pretty good feeling that the little ignition lock spring and latch is what is preventing this from happening. I hope. The CHECK ENGINE light has also come on, so I'm hoping there isn't a short. I pulled the cover off the shifter and used rubbing alcohol to clean down what I could get to, still not working. I'm getting even more suspicious that it's the lock piece preventing it from pulling out of park. I have a feeling that it's probably covered in gooey sugary soda residue as it's 100+ degrees in Texas and the short time it took me to change clothes caused it to dry up and become gooey quickly.

So with a bit of internet search, i find that there SHOULD be a a little pink lever thing on the right side that will override this lock in case of an electrical failure and allow me to shift it out of park. I need to because I need to buy some tools to take the console off so I can get to the transmission lock to clean it off.

But it's not there! In fact it looks nothing like what I've found through my google research (which ends up finding a million FIXYA threads which aren't specific or even for a Crossfire). Here's the pictures of what mine looks like.

And help would be very appreciated on how to get out of this very sticky (!) situation. And a diagram of how to remove all the console pieces would be great as I couldn't find that either.

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you stick the multi tool in that little spot below where the letter D is.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by "the multitool" but I know what -a- multitool is. Will any screwdriver work, just stick it down in there and it'll work? Or do I need to use it like a lever in a certain direction?

 

I think you can also use a screwdriver. here is the page from the owners manual

 

Yup, that works. Finally putting my "unbreakable space pen" to use got it to shift out of park. That tells me the park release switch is botched. Considering what was spilled all over it, I have a feeling it's coated in sugary goo. Now the question is how to get to it to clean it out.

 

Well the override puts the car into limp mode so had to taxi my way to a shop to grab some tools. Getting this shifter cover apart has proven to be a major pain in the rear. Trying to find a how to on how to pull this apart so I can get at the brake lock is nigh impossible.

 

I actually tried that cup holder for the first time last week. And I have my car nearly five years. It was so crappy I closed it never to be used again. I hope that the transmission control module is not ruined. I'm sure that will cost a pretty penny. Good luck.

 

This might give you an idea of how to disassemble the center console. Good luck!!

https://www.crossfireforum.org/forum...e-removal.html

RL

 

Well it seems the Texas heat worked in my favor today. I'm still getting the Check Engine light on, however the heat inside the car made the gooey sugary syrup melt off the brake lock and now it works. Still going to get this pulled apart to clean it out.

 

The TCM is mounted beside the Infinity amplifier in the passenger foot well, so I doubt there is any concern .......