Hey all, I've been scouring the internet for information for my problem, and still haven't found the answer I'm looking for.

I've been having a problem for a while now where it is very difficult to shift into and out of PARK in my 1992 Honda Accord LX. Oddly enough, it seems to only happen when it's warm out (i.e. last fall it was tough, winter was fine, and now spring it's tough again.), leading me to believe it's just another electrical problem, which Accords seem to be known for.

Anyway, a couple nights ago, some buddies and I went out, and came back to the car to find that it would not shift out of park at all. I tried the shift lock relase mechanism (though I'm not sure I did it right) to no avail. The shifter is stuck in a position where the "P" is not lit up on the dash indicator unless I shove and hold the shifter there, which I had to do to take the key out. I did not check the brakes to see if they lit up, as I did not know that could be an indicator of the problem at the time.

Now that the background is out of the way, here are my problems/concerns:

1.) Because the shift lock mechanism did not work, does this mean my transmission is F'd? I've read about instances where a solonoid inside the shifting mechanism is bad, but I've also read that the "parking pin" inside the tranny could also be bad.

2.) If it turns out it's not the tranny thing (in which I may have to just give the heave-ho to the poor gal), what is a fair price to perform the other fixes through a mechanic? It's being looked at right now, and though I very much would like to drive, I profusely dislike being screwed by mechanics.

Basically the thing that troubles me most is the fact that it wasn't just an instantaneous thing, but a gradual progression into non-shiftness. I appologize for the long post, but hopefully its detail will help you (and in turn me!) diagnose the problem. Thanks!

 

Sorry for your problems. There are some sharp folks on here (I'm not one of them) that may be able to offer some help.

 

This happens on my civic, but not quite as bad as you describe. Sometimes it takes excessive force to shift from park to reverse, like i end up in D3 or D2 cause i have to push so hard. I don't really feel like figuring out what is causing it so i haven't fixed it but i think i know what could be wrong. I would check the shift mechanism first, then the linkages to the transmision. The last thing i would check would be manual valve. The solenoids would not cause the problem because the manual valve should still move regardless of what the solenoids are doing. I'm thinking that this is some sort of mechanical problem, not an electrical one. The electronics in the trans don't really do anything until you actually start moving at which point the solenoids start moving fluid around. If the key isn't in, will the trans still do the same thing? Use the shift lock release like you talked about earlier.

 

I'll be sure not to screw you.

 

Don't get me started on mechanics.

 

that would be a good thing to try actually... see if you can shift it without the key in at all. Did you check to make sure your brake lights were coming when you pressed on the brake pedal? if you can shift without the key in/car on then you know it's probably a mechanical issue. let us know

 

ok, the shift lock mechanism can engauge for a number of reasons, i recently learned it could refuse to engage when you push on the break if your map/tps sensors are off. It doesnt really mean that your transmission is screwed, but it most likely means there something with the electrical wrong. And dont do what agent of darkness does trying to force your way through shift lock, all that is, is a hardened piece of plastic connected to a solenoid. If that doesnt engage it could mean a number of things. I would have the voltages checked, test the solenoid itself, or take the trim off around the shifter and keep a little allenwrench in your car to push down the plastic piece lol If the car shifts normally and it doesnt idle rough its most likely nothing major that effects your cars control system.

I am assuming that theres no check engine light?

 

chk these 2 fuses and let me know ........

underdash fuse box fuse # 1, 10 amps
underghood fuse # 25 , 20 amps ,, or if the horn works this fuse is ok,,

if both are ok,, chk to make sure brake lites work when applying the brakes,,,,,,,,,,if they do not , jump the brake switch at pedal,, wires white/yellow-green/white .and see if it comes of park then,,

if all ok up to here,, than you need to test if the shift lock solenoid is being activated

you also said that when trying to do it by sticking the key in the console still did not allow it to get it out of park ,, try it again and make sure you are doing it right ,, if so ,, we need to test the key interlock switch and solenoid ..

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, try what i asked you and post the results

 

Alright guys, I really do appreciate all the suggestions. Unfortunately none of those were the correct solutions, or so I'm told by the mechanic that is fixing the problem as I type. The correct diagnosis was that of a faulty shift cable. Apparently it was "binding on itself", causing the increased necessary force over time (what I was concerned about) compared to an electrical/solonoid problem, which would most likely show up as an instantaneous fault. He said that the shifting mechanism itself moved freely when disconnected from the shift cable, and that the shift lock solonoid was performing just peachy, which gave me a bit of relief, as it proved he had checked other things as well as just the shift cable. Too bad the customer service there is terrible, otherwise I might consider going back to them in the future

And just for comparison purposes, the shift cable repair will be $343 parts and labor. Cheap, of course not, but his parts quote seemed to be average markup from what you could buy it for yourself, and I didn't feel like having it towed again to my house to do it myself. This service is being performed on an Automatic Tranny 1992 Accord LX (4 Door, 2.2L 4banger, etc. etc.)

Anyway I hope that this post will help those are/will have the same problems as I've had.

 

Yep, that's one of the things I would have suggested checking, very common problem.