I've done quite a bit of searching and I'm still stumped...
2001 Civic LX Auto trans
Back story -

For starters, it's not my car, car came to me needing a head gasket replaced. It still ran, and I drove it onto my trailer to get it to my garage, no problems.

Replaced the head gasket, never touched the trans.
Started it up, went to go back it out of the garage, and the trans shifter wont let it move from park.

I have check the common things,
-Brake lights DO work
-All fuses seem good (Horn works)
-Checked fluid in trans, kinda dirty, but not low.
-If you put the key in the little hole, it will shift, so I dont think it's a problem with the shifter itself

Just has me stumped because I drove the car before I did anything, and it shifted out of park no problem... Pull the head and replace the gasket, now it wont shift...

So any ideas?

Thanks in advance

 

My suggestion would be to see if you can get it in to Neutral to start the car. To do so, follow these steps from the Owner's Manual:

 

The car starts, thats not the problem, and yes I know that I can do that to get it into gear, but my issue is that it wasn't doing this before I worked on it, and I don't want to give the car back to this guy with something else wrong...

 

Has it thrown any CEL codes?

 

Nope, no lights on in the dash. I hooked the computer up to it just to see if there were any codes stored in it, and nothing.

 

Symptom: Shift lever cannot be moved from Park while you're pressing the brake pedal.

Probably Cause: A problem with the shift lock system.


To troubleshoot it, do the following.

1. Disconnect the steering lock assembly 6-Pin connector.

2. Turn the ignition to ACC (I) or ON (II)

3. Connect the positive (+) battery terminal to terminal #4 of the lock assembly connector, and the negative (-) battery terminal to terminal #3.


Terminal side of the male terminals

4. Check the key interlock solenoid operation. You should hear a clicking sound while the ignition stays in the ACC (I) or ON (II) position, and you should not be able to turn it to the OFF (0) position.

Does the key interlock solenoid operate properly?

Yes - Go to step 5

No - Faulty key interlock solenoid/switch. Replace the ignition key cylinder/steering lock assembly.

5. Check for continuity between terminal #3 of the steering lock assembly connector and a body ground.


Wire side of female terminals

Is there continuity?

Yes - Go to step 6

No - Repair an open in the wire between the #3 terminal and ground (G401) or repair poor ground (G401)

6. Turn the ignition switch ON (II) and measure the voltage between terminals #3 and #4 of the steering lock assembly.


Wire side of female terminals

Is there battery voltage?

Yes - Go to step 7

No - Check for an open or short in the wire between the #4 terminal of the steering wheel lock assembly connector and the multiplex control unit. If the wire is okay, check for loose terminal fit in the multiplex control unit connectors. If necessary, swap the multiplex control unit with another one and recheck.

7. Disconnect the 4-Pin park pin switch connector. (It's under the gear position indicator, on the driver's side of the shifter, beneath the center console, and it has two wires coming out of it. One of which is the gear position indicator light)

8. Check for continuity between terminals #3 and #4 of the park pin switch connector while you move the shift lever in-and-out of the Park position.


Terminal side of male terminals

Is the no continuity with the shift lever in the Park position, and continuity with the shift lever in any position other than Park?

Yes - Repair open or short in the wires between the park pin switch connector and the multiplex control unit. If the wires are okay, check for loose terminal fit in the multiplex control unit connectors. If necessary, replace the multiplex control unit with another one and recheck.

No - Inspect the park pin linkage. If the linkage is okay, replace the park pin switch.

 

Excellent! I'll give that a try when I get home, thanks!