When it is cold out and I put my 90 Accord (auto) into park, the 'P' doesn't light up on the dash. If I then try to shift out of park, the shifter won't move (stuck in park). Also, if i turn off the engine, I can't remove the key. However, everything works fine once the car has warmed up for a while.

This only seems to happen when it's cold out - it's not a problem in the summer. It's a pain when making short trips because I have to sit and wait forever before the 'P' lights up on the dash and I can turn off the car and remove the key.

Any ideas on what may be causing this, or why it only happens when it's cold? Is there a problem with the shift interlock system?

Any help would be greatly appreciated Thanks!

 

I have these exact symptoms in a 90 Accord and I know the cause in my car with certainty.

Inside the shifter console, there is a black, rectangular slider switch attached to the shift lever via a metal rod.

To see it clearly (after removing the hard-plastic console housing to reveal the shifter mechanism), you will have to remove 4 brass screws that hold the black plastic cover that has all the gear labels on them so you can twist it around to more easily see this slider switch.

The switch is encased in a 3-4 inch long white plastic housing, maybe 3/4 of an inch high, 1/4 inch thick. The housing is the only thing in there that fits the description and is on the driver's side in a 90 Honda.

The switch is worn internally and apparently not grounding properly when in park, especially in cold weather.

The temporary fix will let you shift out of park and let you get your car key out of the ignition.

You need to locate one of a pair of two thick wires going into the driver's side of the white switch housing(separate from the row of wires on the long circuit board on the upper part of the switch housing) The top one is the one that is not grounding through the black slider switch on the inside. You can see this small, rectangular black switch from the passenger side, though you may have to keep moving that gear label mentioned earlier that you removed the 4 brass screws from.

The switch must be bypassed; the easiest, temporary way is with alligator clips. Connect one end to that top wire's solder joint on the white switch housing and the other to your cigarette lighter socket or any available metallic ground. Depress the brake and you should hear a click. This will release the car key and the shifter.

Important! you will not be leaving this connection in place! You must disconnect the clip immediately after shifting out of park when driving with your vehicle.

When parking, if the Park light doesn't come on because of cold weather, ground it again (with the brake pedal depressed) and remove your key.

The initial test that this is going to work or not work (and that you've got the right wire bypassed) is that clicking sound that the brass-colored selenoid plunger visible in the shift mechanism (passenger side) makes when you depress and release your brake when the bypass is in place.

You cannot leave the bypass in place while driving. The dash gear indicator lights will not only not light up for you, but that green indicator light for the shifter booster button will start flashing and will not reset until you turn off the engine. Not worth risking other problems.

I only just narrowed this down today (I'm not a mechanic); you may be able to improve on this with something more permanent. The housing is still off on my shifter pending further investigation.

Electrical cleaners and lubricants and sandpaper have not worked in my case. I can't figure a way inside the black, sliding part of that switch, which is doubtless the part that needs maintenance.

I hope this helps all of you who have this problem with an otherwise reliable car, the best I've ever had.

I'm dismayed to hear this is still an issue with more recent models. Good luck!

 

An addendum to my 3/17/10 post on the Honda shifter problem:the wire in question has green and white striped insulation.

All I can think of to do at this point is cut off one end of the alligator clip, strip off a 1/4 inch section of insulation, and solder that end to the green and white wire junction.

The clip should be long enough to reach the nearest ground as before, probably the cigarette lighter socket.

Then put the plastic gear label assembly back together (the 4 brass screws), install the shifter's cover (making sure the rest of the alligator clip wire extends outside of it), and the clip can now be used to release the ignition key ( or the shift stick) by clipping the alligator onto the lighter socket and depressing the brake.

Remember not to leave this connected while driving.

And remember that these locking steering wheels can sometimes fake us out when trying to take the shifter out of park.

Any other car probably wouldn't be worth this, but my Honda has been otherwise reliable, an important consideration in my ownership of any vehicle.

Again, good luck!