shift selector stuck in park, need help and suggestion

[Wade]

Hello everyone;

I've been driving my 2012 iMiev almost 3 years without any problem until yesterday.

The shift selector can not be moved out the P position, no matter if the car key is in ACC or ON position, brake paddle is pressed down.

The car can be started without any extra warning light indicator, and no charging cable is attached.

The main battery still has 7 bars left and all the accessories (such as fan, radio, internal and external lights) are working fine.

I've been searching in this forum and googling without any hit of this problem

Any help and suggestion will be much appreciated. Thank you and have a good day.


Regards,
Wade

 

[JoeS]

Sounds as though the parking sprag is stuck. What I would do is turn on the car, have one person very gently push down on the brake pedal (just enough to illuminate the brakelight) and manipulate the shift lever, while another person tries to rock the car back and forth.

BTW Wade, I erased your duplicate post.

 

[siai47]

The I-MiEV is equipped with a interlock that won't let the car be shifted out of park unless the key is in the run position and the service brake pedal is depressed. Most cars have an override for this function if something goes wrong with the system. The I-MiEV does not. The system is cable operated with one cable going to the brake pedal and the other going to the ignition switch. To see if it working correctly you need to remove the center console trim. Pull up the handbrake and lift out the cover on the console that is under the handbrake lever. Remove the screws and the two push-pins that hold the console in place and lift it out over the shift lever knob. When you get the console out, you will find a large white plastic assembly that holds the shift lever. On the front of that assembly you will see to small cables going up to the interlock. Look at the cables (and how they are mounted)---one should move when the ignition switch is rotated from lock to run and the other should move when the brake is depressed. When both cables are moved (ignition in run and brake depressed) the interlock should release. If only one of the cables moves, then the one that doesn't is the bad cable (broken or stuck). If you need to drive the car to get it repaired, manually move the cable end that isn't operating, hold it in position and then move the shift lever out of the park position. Another good test is once you have it in netural or drive see if you can lock and remove the key from the ignition. If you can, then the ignition switch or cable is causing the problem. If it is the brake cable causing the problem, you could tie-wrap the cable end to simulate the brake depressed position to defeat the interlock until you can get repaired. If it is the ignition cable, you can also tie-wrap that cable end to bypass the interlock. You can physically see the attachment point for the cable at the brake pedal, you cannot see the ignition cable end without some additional disassembly. BTW--if both cables move, there might be an adjustment issue---try moving the ends a little farther and see if the interlock releases. You can adjust the cables at their mounting points on the front of the shifter assembly. Hope this works for you as the entire interlock on this car is a pain you know where.

 

[Don]

Not sure about our iMiEV's specifically, but most all modern cars cannot be shifted out of park until they get 12 volts from the brake pedal switch - If the brake lights don't come on when you press the pedal, you're stuck in Park

Most other cars have a temporary disable for this interlock in the console - You can insert a small screwdriver or a credit card in a slot and get it out of Park so you can drive it to the mechanic to get a new brakelight switch, but siai47 confirms that our car does not

Anyway, for a good first check, turn the car on and have someone check to see if your brakelights are working - If they are not, you've likely found your problem

Don

 

[RobertC]

The I-MiEV is equipped with a interlock that won't let the car be shifted out of park unless the key is in the run position and the service brake pedal is depressed. Most cars have an override for this function if something goes wrong with the system. The I-MiEV does not. The system is cable operated with one cable going to the brake pedal and the other going to the ignition switch. To see if it working correctly you need to remove the center console trim. Pull up the handbrake and lift out the cover on the console that is under the handbrake lever. Remove the screws and the two push-pins that hold the console in place and lift it out over the shift lever knob. When you get the console out, you will find a large white plastic assembly that holds the shift lever. On the front of that assembly you will see to small cables going up to the interlock. Look at the cables (and how they are mounted)---one should move when the ignition switch is rotated from lock to run and the other should move when the brake is depressed. When both cables are moved (ignition in run and brake depressed) the interlock should release. If only one of the cables moves, then the one that doesn't is the bad cable (broken or stuck). If you need to drive the car to get it repaired, manually move the cable end that isn't operating, hold it in position and then move the shift lever out of the park position. Another good test is once you have it in netural or drive see if you can lock and remove the key from the ignition. If you can, then the ignition switch or cable is causing the problem. If it is the brake cable causing the problem, you could tie-wrap the cable end to simulate the brake depressed position to defeat the interlock until you can get repaired. If it is the ignition cable, you can also tie-wrap that cable end to bypass the interlock. You can physically see the attachment point for the cable at the brake pedal, you cannot see the ignition cable end without some additional disassembly. BTW--if both cables move, there might be an adjustment issue---try moving the ends a little farther and see if the interlock releases. You can adjust the cables at their mounting points on the front of the shifter assembly. Hope this works for you as the entire interlock on this car is a pain you know where.

Here is a diagram of the two cables:

 

[PV1]

The i-MiEV shifter interlock is totally mechanical, independent from the brake lights. After testing mine, my brake lights can be lit, but still be locked in park.

Easy way to tell if it's the ignition cable. Turn key on, press brake, pull shift lever as far left as it'll go, and try turning the key off while holding the shift lever. You shouldn't be able to. If you can't turn the key all the way off and take it out while holding the shift lever, your issue lies with the brake pedal cable. If you can take the key out while holding the shift lever to the left, your issue is the ignition cable.

 

[Wade]

Thank you so much to all with help, suggestion and information, really appreciated that.

Since my car is still under warranty, Mitsubishi Roadside Assistance arranged to tow it, for free, to an authorized Port of Repair which happens to be the Mitsubishi dealer from which I bought my car. It won't pay for the tow if the car was taken to my home.

According to the guy from the authorized Mitsubishi dealer service department, the shift selector cable was bent. Any idea how this could have happened as the car was never involved in any sort of accident?

Again, thank you all.

FYI, I use an Android app called "Mitsubishi Road Assit" from the Google Play Store. Following is the description:

Now you can drive with added peace of mind. If you ever experience a flat tire, a vehicle lock-out, an empty fuel tank, or require a tow due to a mechanical failure, Mitsubishi’s free new Road Assist app will put you directly in touch with a professional trained to dispatch reliable roadside assistance to you, 24/7/365. Thanks to GPS-enabled technology, you won’t even need to know your vehicle’s location. Plus, this easy-to-use app will provide you with the service provider’s E.T.A. as well as ongoing updates. It even lets you input critical data about your Mitsubishi – such as the VIN – for more efficient service. And for added safety, the app includes an emergency response button for use in urgent situations. Download Mitsubishi’s free new Road Assist app today – and drive anywhere with added confidence.

Regards,
Wade