I searched, but couldn't find much on the subject.

Here's the deal. Just recently, my 98 Civic DX's auto tranny doesn't want to come out of park unless you depress that automatic tranny gear release button that you stick the key into by the gear shifter.

This was completely out of the blue, and I did nothing to change or alter my car in anyway. It's not random, it does it everytime I park my car now. Any ideas why it's doing this? I guess it doesn't bother me that much, and looking on the bright side, I could view it as added theft prevention because it won't come out of gear without the key. But I want to sell the car soon, and don't want to sell it with this problem.

Anyone know how to fix it?

TIA

 

?

 

Does your radio work?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Oren &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Does your radio work?</TD></TR></TABLE>

Yes; It's an aftermarket CD player, but it works fine.

 

say i added this feature, so that you have to use the key to take the car out of park. I had two neighbors who had cars stolen, and for the price this was the right mod. Now i leave my car in peace

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Si Shane &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">say i added this feature, so that you have to use the key to take the car out of park. I had two neighbors who had cars stolen, and for the price this was the right mod. Now i leave my car in peace </TD></TR></TABLE>

That's just it, this isn't something I added. This is the stock system failing because I have to put the key in everytime to get the tranny out of park.

Like I said, I wouldn't mind leaving it the way it is if I weren't planning on selling the car. And I don't want to have to explain to a potential buyer that they're going to have to put the key into the shifter release every time they want to drive the car.

 

Check to see if the brake solenoid is working properly. In order shift out of park, the brakes must be depressed. The brake solenoid sends a signal to the interlock unit thus "unlocking" the shifter.

So it could be a bad connection from brake to brake solenoid, brake solenoid to interlock unit, or interlock unit to shifter unit.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Cuong-nutz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Check to see if the brake solenoid is working properly. In order shift out of park, the brakes must be depressed. The brake solenoid sends a signal to the interlock unit thus "unlocking" the shifter.

So it could be a bad connection from brake to brake solenoid, brake solenoid to interlock unit, or interlock unit to shifter unit.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Thanks, I'll check that.

Do you happen to know where exactly the brake solenoid is located on a 98 DX? I assume it's somewhere near the brake pedal

 

Follow the brake pedal all the way up to the top. There you see a little solenoid/switch thingmabob. I can't recall if the hot wire for the shifter runs off the brake light wire as well. You're going to have to bust out the wiring schematics.

When you depress the brakes, do you hear a click? The click is the relay for the shifter.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Cuong-nutz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Follow the brake pedal all the way up to the top. There you see a little solenoid/switch thingmabob. I can't recall if the hot wire for the shifter runs off the brake light wire as well. You're going to have to bust out the wiring schematics.

When you depress the brakes, do you hear a click? The click is the relay for the shifter.</TD></TR></TABLE>

Cool, thanks man

I'll be checking that out later, hopefully that's the problem.