| Author |
Message |
    
Bruce
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 29, 2002 - 08:13 pm: | 
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Before I start tearing up shit, does anyone know of a possible reason why my 97 D1 gear-shift lever has decided not release from Park? I got to get this working before tommarrow, else I am stuck at home.
Thanks in advance. |
p m
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 29, 2002 - 08:38 pm: |
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Bruce,
with a 98% probability, your brake light switch is hosed. Its other function is a neutral safety switch, that is, not to let you engage the gear before you have your foot firmly on the brake pedal. a $34 (in my case) part from the dealer, 5 minutes max to replace.
if the dealer is 20000 lieu away, you may pull the switch, take it apart, and figure out which contacts close when the brake pedal is depressed. Then, use a jumper wire to short them, and go get another switch.
FWIW, it is made by TRW, not the King of Darkness.
peter |
Bruce
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 29, 2002 - 09:30 pm: |
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Thanks Peter. I remember a post from along time ago mentioning this problem now. I appreciate the advice dude.
Bruce |
Brian A
| | Posted on Wednesday, May 29, 2002 - 10:38 pm: |
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I've also had the same "stuck" experience -- my problem was a bent gear shift assembly. That one was definitely not an overnight fix.
Brian |
Mark Meyer (Deadelus)
| | Posted on Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 01:45 am: |
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Also look under the cover on top of the gearshift. On my '96 there is a really poorly designed metal clip that allows a plastic cam to engage the gearshift button linkage. It has been known to pop out of place and render the gearshift stuck in whatever position it is in at the time, be that neutral, park, or reverse. It is best replaced with a regular old "cir-clip". Basically when it messes up it causes the side button on the gearshift to not be able to engage. Definitely try this one before anything else since it is just a visual check and not a swap out of an electric switch, and real easy to fix, as long as you know where to look.
Mark |
Bruce
| | Posted on Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 10:38 am: |
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All, it was the brake-light switch. Popped it out very easily and popped it back in just as fast. Very simple fix. Now the tricky part was getting my body to contort and fit into that little space.
That is what took so long.
Again... DiscoWeb to the rescue.
Man I love this site! |
Ron Ward (Ronward)
| | Posted on Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 10:53 am: |
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Can you describe where the switch is?
Ron Ward |
Coppertop
| | Posted on Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 11:53 am: |
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I have the same problem with my 2001 DII. It was the switch at the pedal |
p m
| | Posted on Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 01:29 pm: |
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Ron,
it's under the brake pedal.
peter |
Danno
| | Posted on Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 04:34 pm: |
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Question: do your brake lights work when you step on the brake or do they stay on all the time?
if yes to either, you switch needs repair.
if your brake lights are always on, be careful, this is an indication that there is a short in the switch. i've seen it get so hot that the plastic housing started to melt. also heard of a disco that caught on fire do to a short.
to find the switches, follow the brake pedal up. there will be 2 sets of push button type switches. the 1st one you come to is the brake light / shift interlock switch (i think that it has a white plunger). the second is for ABS (black plunger?).
i've repaired 2 sets of switches. both times a srings has failed in the switch. to repair the spring, i used a spring from a BIC lighter. |
Dee
| | Posted on Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 07:02 pm: |
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One other item to check is the batterie leads.
My positive lead was so bad 0 current would pass and it locked me up 20 miles from nowhere.
I had the POS switch go bad x2
And after I talked a former VP in my old company to buy a Disco he calls me the next day and asked if I could help him out he was stuck. I became a LR repair God in his eyes when I found the clip was broken. Really an easy find because there was 0 back pressure on the thumb release. |
BMac66
| | Posted on Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 07:34 pm: |
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Now thats the sort of thing I like to know - what you can use as a substitute part ie a spring from a BIC lighter!!!
Thanks.
Bruce |
Bruce
| | Posted on Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 08:54 pm: |
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Holly cow! Do you mean the Brake-light switch was something you cracked-open and repaired it? Mine is a solid plastic switch from TRW so I did not see anyway to open it up and take a look-see. But when I get home tonight, I will take a closer inspection and give it a go. Always useful to have a spare part with such a frail switch. |
Danno
| | Posted on Thursday, May 30, 2002 - 10:49 pm: |
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the case can be removed, but you have to super-glue it back on. don't recall who mfg'd the switches i've seen... |
[email protected]
| | Posted on Friday, May 31, 2002 - 09:34 pm: |
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you guys are lucky its only the brake switch. I had the same problem. I ripped the entire car apart to find out that it was a short in my trailer wiring harness. Not a fun problem to troubleshoot! |
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