'09 Pathfinder hard to take out of park and put into gear
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 4:02 pm
by sidecar
This Pathy has recently become difficult to shift into gear from park. All else seem to be good but sometimes it takes a few minutes to be able to squeeze the trigger and shift. Any ideas?? Thanks
Re: '09 Pathfinder hard to take out of park and put into gea
Posted: Sat Jul 13, 2019 4:29 pm
by ssobol
sidecar wrote:This Pathy has recently become difficult to shift into gear from park. All else seem to be good but sometimes it takes a few minutes to be able to squeeze the trigger and shift. Any ideas?? Thanks
Mine recently did that for about a day and a half about a week ago. When starting out after it was parked, you could pull the trigger but it could not move the shifter out of park. You had to repeatedly press on the brake pedal until you heard this sort of whoosh sound. Then it would shift out of park fine. After a day or so this problem went away.
Shift Soleinoid
Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 12:41 pm
by jlocal
This happened to me and it is an easy fix if you are somewhat mechanically inclined. Go to Youtube and type this in:
2008 Nissan Pathfinder Interlock Solenoid Replace and an additional fix
I fixed mine and haven't had a problem since. Good luck!
Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2019 2:36 pm
by smj999smj
If soft drinks have even gotten spilled and made their way unto the shift interlock actuator, they can gum it up it prevent it from working. The actuator can be cleaned up with electronic parts cleaner spayed on it. The actuator, itself, can sometimes can go bad, as well as other possible problems such as circuit issues (like an open or shorted wire), bad brake switch, etc. I had an issue on my 2008 years ago. I thought it was the actuator and purchased a new one. After I got the center console apart and installed the new one, it didn't fix it. I did some circuit checks and inspection of the shifter mechanism. With the actuator removed, I found a micro-switch with a small lever on it in the shifter. As the shift lever is moved in and out of "PARK," it depresses and releases the lever on the switch, which controls power to the actuator. I was able to bend the small lever to get it to work, again. The switch is not available unless you purchase the entire shifter assembly. I don't think that's a particularly common problem, but just one that I ran into.