The button you puch on the automatic shifter gets very difficult for me to push in... i'm talking need both hands and pressing on the button to get it pushed in so I can shift from park.

What a tech told me to do, and I have been doing monthly for the past year, sounds stupid but fixes the problem temporarily. He told me to take the screws out of the side of the shifter and rotate the handle clockwise while pushing down on it and this'd make the button easier to push. It does, but then over the course of a month or so, it becomes very hard to push again.

I realize how trivial and stupid this must sound, but I have no idea what can be causing this and it can be frustrating. About 6 months ago my girlfriend was going to drive my car home for me as I'd been drinking and she had to call me to come to the parking lot to get it into gear for her as she wasn't strong enough to push the button in!

 

So this is getting ridiculous, I can barely push the button with two hands.... I'm thinking of pulling off the shift **** and oiling something inside ... not sure what harmful effects this could have, or what to oil .... thoughts??

 

Go ahead and oil it if not go but a new shift ****... if you mess it up you can get one from the junkyard...

 

Easiest thing to do it to take the two screws on the side completely out, slowly pull the gear shift handle up and off. Once you do the button should come out, followed by a spring. Clean the button and spring in some Simple Green cleaner, then rinse and dry. Apply some lithium grease to the white slanted part thats sticks out of the shift lever selector. You should be good from there.

 

thanks silverjdm, that's exactly the kind of response i was looking for!! I had just been taking out the screws and twisting the ***** in circles (this'd get the white thing a little looser temporarily) ... I appreacite your help, I'll let you know if it works!

 

silverjdmcoupe's idea worked perfectly ... thanks again!!