Sometimes my 04 base won't shift out of Park....

[Beelzy]

Can someone please explain why it only happens sporadically? Like when I am more than fashionably late, or trying to be cool leaving the grocery store parking lot....with ice cream.

Thanks for humoring me, and providing a solution.....perhaps.

[Ian c]

When it happens do your brake lights work ?

[BYprodriver]

Yeah, brake light switch can get loose on you. If not that maybe a little solenoid that prevents shifter from coming out of park unless foot brake is applied. Had a Land Rover Discovery pull that on me in the middle desert. Maybe that's why they named it Discovery?

By the way usually you can pull off the shifter trim plate & manually unlock the solenoid if that's the problem.

[Beelzy]

Thanks for responding Gentlemen.....off to the garage I go.

Cheers!

[smshirk]

My 996 tip did that occasionally. It turned out to be the plastic ignition piece on the back of the switch. Didn't figure it out until a lot of other stuff started happening, but once I replaced it I never had the problem again. It was another 2 or 3 years before I sold the car.

[Ian c]

Ours did too , but showed plenty of other signs that the ign switch was the culprit
All kinds of cels and radio not working etc ...

[Beelzy]

So, can I just leave the shifter in neutral and use the parking brake if I am paranoid until I fix it?
Hmm.

[Beelzy]

Originally Posted by Ian c

When it happens do your brake lights work ?

It happens only periodically, so I must wait until the problem presents itself again.

[Ian c]

You still need to have your foot on the brake to shift into drive or reverse ...

[Ian c]

Do you have any other issues ?
Hard to get the key out , radio not working , air conditioning fault codes etc

[Beelzy]

Originally Posted by Ian c

Do you have any other issues ?
Hard to get the key out , radio not working , air conditioning fault codes etc

No other symptoms......as of yet.

[Ian c]

You could start cleaning contacts and switches rather than wait for it to happen again ?

[mnc-i]

I have the same problem with my 1999 Boxster.
I've replaced the brake light switch, but I still have the problem.
I beleive it its the ignition switch. My switch was replaced about three years ago.
My solution:
I just press the brake pedal and the shifter button as I turn the ignition switch and I am good to go.
It is the best anti-theft device ever:-)

MNC-I

[Beelzy]

Pardon the Freudian slip, but I like how you think outside the Box.......lol!

[ramo80]

I don't think you can start the car if its in Neutral. I think the car has to be in park