DIY Car Repair Question answered

This page answers some popular questions. However, consider getting a professional shop manual for your specific car. No one knows more about your automobile than the people that built it. These folks published a complete set of reference materials to diagnose and repair almost any malfunction. See if we have one for your vehicle on the service repair manuals page. This could be the quickest way to solve a major or minor car problem.

Park brake interlock system

I fielded a lot of car repair questions over the years about specific automotive repairs. One of the more common problems that I’ve addressed across multiple manufacturers is when a vehicle gets stuck in park.

Not only have I received a lot of e-mail questions about this common issue, but I have also seen it on the vehicles I work on. Since the early-90s all vehicles come equipped with a very fancy park brake interlock system. This added safety feature requires you to have your foot on the brake before it will allow you to shift out of the park.

This system operates by a switch on the brake pedal that intern operates a solenoid on the shifter mechanism.

Some vehicles are equipped with a cable that is activated by a solenoid mounted on the brake pedal. Either system will release the safety lock on the shifter and allow you to move it from the park position.

A Very Common Car Repair Question

When this system malfunctions, the shifter becomes stuck in park. This leaves the vehicle stranded where ever it may be, most likely a driveway or parking lot.

The first reaction of some drivers would be to start pushing on the release button and pulling hard on the shifting mechanism. This is a bad idea, because these parts are my mainly made of plastic or white metal that will break.

Most of the time when I diagnose this system, I find that the solenoid around the shifter or the cable release mechanism has become sticky with spilled soda or coffee. Most consoles contain a cup holder near the shifter.

It’s very common to spill drinks in this area. The owner might clean the area, but not realized soda has dripped inside the shifting mechanism and on the solenoid. So a common car repair question is how to solve the problem.

Consoles that surround the shifter are usually easy to remove. After removing the console you can clean the area with alcohol or basically any type of cleaner, and the system should begin to work properly again. However, what happens if cleaning it does not work?

Repair Manuals on PDF
Repair Manuals on PDF

In some cases you could find a broken cable mechanism or a solenoid that’s not repairable. Can we do anything temporarily to escape from the park interlock?

On most cars the answer is yes. There is a safety override located at the base of the shifter mechanism near the cable or solenoid. This basically allows you to push a button and override the park brake interlock. So you can move the vehicle or take it to an auto repair center.

Finally, a car repair with a happy ending. Review this e-mail response from a gentleman I helped with this problem. Hey Mark, I want to make sure I don’t forget to thank you for taking the time to answer my questions with the gearshift problem I had.

I’m not a soda drinker, but I drink a lot of coffee. I spend a lot of time in traffic and count on coffee to keep me going. I must have spilled it a dozen times on the console, I would have never thought of that, thank you so much.

Volkswagen gear shifter
Volkswagen Gear Shifter

I did as you suggested and picked up the shop manual for Volkswagen cars for instructions on how to remove the console.

Finally, I found the solenoid switch under the console and it was all sticky with dry coffee syrup. I used straight alcohol to clean it up and its much better. It still gets stuck now and then, but I Just lift the console and hit the switch.

You are amazing thank you a thousand times for answering my car repair questions – Mike the Volkswagen guy. Bookmark this car repair questions page or share with a friend having problems. Get professional answers online from mechanics willing to help.

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