Howdy! I had a fault code (P081C) popping up only from neutral to drive. no weird light staying in drive when shifting out just the fault popping up. I took the shifter out and checked all the connections and they looked good so I checked the neutral safety switch plug that goes into the transmission. When I pulled it out I noticed a little transmission fluid on the inside of the plug. Cleaned it off, plugged it back in and it did not show the code going into drive again. My question, is it normal to have a little oil on the inside of the plug? I recently had the fluid, filter and the black grommet changed on the transmission so just wondering if this is normal. no leaks or anything just on the end of the plug. thanks!
Another P081C Thread
- Thread starter Discofever88
- Start date
It's a park input fault. If it's like 95% of them it's a broken wire to the shifter under the center console. My guess is it's one of the power feeds to the shifter assy. But before you go much further I would inplug the shifter and look inside the connector. It's a latching type connector that the opening faces upward. We call it a big gulp catcher.
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I did that already and it all looked good checked all the connections. 
I was asking about the connection under the car
I was asking about the connection under the carNope. It's a power feed at the shifter in the car. When I get home I'll dig out the schematic. There's a power feed that they don't identify as having battery voltage on it. I'll get back to you
Here is a link to the pages you need
Notice in connector C2658 terminals 7 and 8. The purple one at terminal 8 is easy. It even says batt. on it for a description. But terminal 7 says aux. / thats also battery positive. Now if you follow that purple wire back to the other page you see it goes to fuse #44 in the fuse panel behind the glove box. If I was a betting man I would say that you have battery voltage at the fuse, but not at the connector for the shifter. The wire gets broken or the splice rots away and you have no voltage at that terminal.
This fault is about watching that wire change state. I can't remember if its at battery voltage in park and gets pulled low in in drive, or versa vise. But this code is about whats going on on that wire. It's not real common, but I've seen it a handful of times and helped another member with the same issue. Best part of this is it's not going to cost much if anything to fix. Your just going to have to run down that broken wire. I guess it's possible the shifter has taken a shit, but not as likely as that wire is broken or the splice is corroded.
Notice in connector C2658 terminals 7 and 8. The purple one at terminal 8 is easy. It even says batt. on it for a description. But terminal 7 says aux. / thats also battery positive. Now if you follow that purple wire back to the other page you see it goes to fuse #44 in the fuse panel behind the glove box. If I was a betting man I would say that you have battery voltage at the fuse, but not at the connector for the shifter. The wire gets broken or the splice rots away and you have no voltage at that terminal.
This fault is about watching that wire change state. I can't remember if its at battery voltage in park and gets pulled low in in drive, or versa vise. But this code is about whats going on on that wire. It's not real common, but I've seen it a handful of times and helped another member with the same issue. Best part of this is it's not going to cost much if anything to fix. Your just going to have to run down that broken wire. I guess it's possible the shifter has taken a shit, but not as likely as that wire is broken or the splice is corroded.
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I get what your saying about it going away after you cleaned out the trans fluid from the connector at the trans. But I think its just intermittent and it's going to come back. Just drive it for a while and see what happens. This is the kind of job a dumb kid would just figure he fixed it on accident and charge somebody a couple hours. Then when it comes back he's sorry he took the money. Bump this thread to the top when it comes back.
Well it happened again yesterday and I disconnected the plug going into the back of the transmission gave it a clean with plug cleaner and plugged it back in and it's gone again. So its definitely something to do with that plug. The plug and wiring on the shifter look fine.
Those last 2 digits of the code are important. There are 2 variations of the code that point to inside the trans. but it would be the first time I've ever seen it.
Is the shiter stiff to operate by any chance? It's a real common failure and could be keeping the trans partially out of park.
What year is this thing?
Is the shiter stiff to operate by any chance? It's a real common failure and could be keeping the trans partially out of park.
What year is this thing?
