Shifting out of Park

The Gas and Diesel Engines - VQ40De, VK56DE, YD25DDTi, V9X, Transmission, Transfer Case, Oil, Differentials, Axles, Exhaust...

Moderator: volvite

User avatar
NWPathfinder
Posts: 84
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2019 8:10 am
Location: Vancouver Island

Shifting out of Park

Postby NWPathfinder » Wed Jun 15, 2022 10:02 am

Good morning All,

My 09 has been occasionally doing a weird thing where it won't shift out of park. You know that definitive "click" you can feel when you depress the brake to release the Shifter. It would appear that mine stops doing that for a short period of time and then does it again to let me pull the vehicle out of park. Is this a switch under the dash, I'm not really sure where to even start looking on this?

It's been rock solid up until now. I searched the forum and saw the post about the person trying to put it back into park but, nothing about switching out. Once it does release the movement through PRND is fluid and fine, it's just the release mechanism that I think is not working.

Any help greatly appreciated.

EDIT: It would appear that it's something called a shift Solenoid.
I think I've found the solution here.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S5TfAQ75mhg

EDIT2: Actually the end of that video shows a contactor switch that could be the culprit. I'll post pics and updates after digging into it, in coming days.


User avatar
VStar650CL
Posts: 501
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:19 pm

Re: Shifting out of Park

Postby VStar650CL » Wed Jun 15, 2022 10:31 am

See if your brake lamps come on when it misbehaves. If not, your brake switch is going bad. If they do then the switch inside the shifter that drives the Park Solenoid is going bad. The solenoids themselves never go bad. You can see the layout for the circuit on TM-106 here:
https://www.nicoclub.com/service-manual ... 9%2FTM.pdf

If it is the switch inside the shifter, many of them are regular microswitches that can be tracked down in Mouser or Digi-Key and replaced instead of replacing the whole shifter. This article may help you:
https://www.nicoclub.com/archives/help- ... e-fix.html

User avatar
NWPathfinder
Posts: 84
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2019 8:10 am
Location: Vancouver Island

Re: Shifting out of Park

Postby NWPathfinder » Wed Jun 15, 2022 10:55 am

Thank's I checked the brake lights and the brake lights are working so it's gotta be that micro switch in the shifting mechanism. So I'll be digging the console apart, when I have time, to get to the bottom of it.

Edit Thank you, for the Micro Switch info. I've sourced the switch and once it arrives replace it.

Cheers

Limey
Posts: 116
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2022 5:17 am

Re: Shifting out of Park

Postby Limey » Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:42 pm

NWPathfinder wrote:
Wed Jun 15, 2022 10:55 am
Thank's I checked the brake lights and the brake lights are working so it's gotta be that micro switch in the shifting mechanism. So I'll be digging the console apart, when I have time, to get to the bottom of it.

Edit Thank you, for the Micro Switch info. I've sourced the switch and once it arrives replace it.

Cheers
Did you manage to rectify this issue ? I am not sure if my issue is the same as yours, on my vehicle sometime shifting into D is difficult. It go but with a thunk clunk noise, I attributed this to the parking emergency brakes not currently working at all on my pathfinder.

User avatar
VStar650CL
Posts: 501
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:19 pm

Re: Shifting out of Park

Postby VStar650CL » Sat Jun 25, 2022 6:25 am

Limey wrote:
Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:42 pm
I am not sure if my issue is the same as yours, on my vehicle sometime shifting into D is difficult. It go but with a thunk clunk noise, I attributed this to the parking emergency brakes not currently working at all on my pathfinder.
Sounds more like a bum engine or transmission mount.

Limey
Posts: 116
Joined: Fri Jun 17, 2022 5:17 am

Re: Shifting out of Park

Postby Limey » Fri Jul 01, 2022 5:14 pm

VStar650CL wrote:
Sat Jun 25, 2022 6:25 am
Limey wrote:
Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:42 pm
I am not sure if my issue is the same as yours, on my vehicle sometime shifting into D is difficult. It go but with a thunk clunk noise, I attributed this to the parking emergency brakes not currently working at all on my pathfinder.
Sounds more like a bum engine or transmission mount.
'If I depress the brake pedal hard then it appears to shift OK. I need to verify though.

User avatar
NWPathfinder
Posts: 84
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2019 8:10 am
Location: Vancouver Island

Re: Shifting out of Park

Postby NWPathfinder » Sat Jul 02, 2022 4:53 pm

Limey wrote:
Fri Jul 01, 2022 5:14 pm
VStar650CL wrote:
Sat Jun 25, 2022 6:25 am
Limey wrote:
Fri Jun 24, 2022 10:42 pm
I am not sure if my issue is the same as yours, on my vehicle sometime shifting into D is difficult. It go but with a thunk clunk noise, I attributed this to the parking emergency brakes not currently working at all on my pathfinder.
Sounds more like a bum engine or transmission mount.
'If I depress the brake pedal hard then it appears to shift OK. I need to verify though.


Yes, replacing the Micro Switch fixed my finicky shifter. I followed the steps in the original Youtube video to get to the solenoid and then removed the solenoid. The offending switch is behind it. I sourced one from Digikey and within 24 hours it was at my house. Took about 1.25 hours to do the job. Just take your time and go slow.

So happy to be shifting out of park again.

User avatar
VStar650CL
Posts: 501
Joined: Wed Dec 09, 2020 6:19 pm

Re: Shifting out of Park

Postby VStar650CL » Sat Jul 02, 2022 6:20 pm

NWPathfinder wrote:
Sat Jul 02, 2022 4:53 pm
Yes, replacing the Micro Switch fixed my finicky shifter. I followed the steps in the original Youtube video to get to the solenoid and then removed the solenoid. The offending switch is behind it. I sourced one from Digikey and within 24 hours it was at my house. Took about 1.25 hours to do the job. Just take your time and go slow.

So happy to be shifting out of park again.
Good job, happy motoring! :D


Return to “R51 Engine, Driveline and Powertrain”