Shifter stuck in park - Here's the get me home fix.

[a2jack]

Small HOZ strip of tape marks place to put fingers to pull/up console cover.
Same spot on other side. Aprox !0 + 2 clock positions.

Long VERTICAL tape points to position where you will see the YELLOW lever under the left bottom edge of cover.

1. Slip fingers slightly between bottom edge of the cover and the carpet. Pull up and back ,and snap the cover loose, but do pull up over an inch or so. Be gentle. Prop up front of cover about an inch.

2. On the ground, looking in under the cover from the drivers side, you can see a yellow lever just inside the cover. WITH THE KEY ON , Lift this yellow lever while wiggling and pulling the shifter down, out of park. (Wife used a pen to lift the lever).

3, Do not try to use Park again until the whole shifter box has been replaced.

4, Feed back is appreciated so that we can refine this fix.

A2Jack

[katekav]

A few days ago, I started to notice the shifting getting a little sticky. The next morning, it took a while to engage. A few hours later - almost impossible to get out of Park. If able to get out of Park & drive - then not possible to get back into Park.

Brought it to the dealer. Mechanic said (in front of me) that it needed a new shifter. Just spoke to the Service dept & they said they fixed a couple of cables & greased it & it's working just fine.

Make sense??

[KeithAlanYerian]

Checkout the following: DIY gear shift removal and lube (short video) for an easy fix for your shifter problems. I could not get the yellow pull to move enough to release the car from park. With the shifter knob off you can easily change gears. (There is a manufacturing problem on some cars where they will not shift after a week or two. A little oil following the instructions in this link and you will be back up and running in 5 minutes.)

[alyx13]

My car was completely immobilized due to the sticky shifter, and the fix ( suggested to me by the Service mgr at the closest dlrshp - more than 500 miles away - and what he said would be done in his service dept! ) took me less than 30 seconds! Ask yr service mgr before sending your car off on a flatbed!

[JPaul]

Originally Posted by alyx13

[...] more than 500 miles away [...] before sending your car off on a flatbed!

This is exactly why smart, smartUSA, the dealerships and the users have to have transparent relations. On the long run, it'll save money and inconvenience to all!
Thanks for the post, alyx13.

[Quagmire]

Do you have the one or two piece shaft on your shifter? Does anyone know how to remove the knob on the one piece shaft or have these been problem free?

[smarterthistime]

Would those of you familiar with this issue suggest a "preemptive strike"? Should I do this on my brand new yet-to-reach 1000 miles smart passion? Or wait until I notice sticky issues?

Originally Posted by KeithAlanYerian

Checkout the following: DIY: Gear shift knob removal and lube - Smart Car of America Forums for an easy fix for your shifter problems. I could not get the yellow pull to move enough to release the car from park. With the shifter knob off you can easily change gears. (There is a manufacturing problem on some cars where they will not shift after a week or two. A little oil following the instructions in this link and you will be back up and running in 5 minutes.)

[a2jack]

Here's another shot of the shifter box. As you see it's a one piece unit.

Some of those with failures have been able to lube the push button and be Ok. Must of us have had to go back again to the dealers for a full replacement of the shifter box.

Tripping the Yellow button has enabled a number of our members to drive their cars home, and then on to the dealers. My wife was able to unlock it with a pen while talking to the Smart dealer on the phone. Best regards. A2Jack.

[Enonymouse]

My SMART is being picked up today by a dealership 150 miles away, has to be taken there, fixed, and returned, because it won't shift out of park. On Memorial Day Weekend...my guess is that I won't have my car for quite a few days.

[GoMXracing]

my shifter today at the market felt strange (the button) so i made sure i went home then..(before it tried to strand me , while home i was using it and it stuck (in my garage). (good thinking on my part)


so i removed knob ,....seemed just the button assembly on the knob itself was sticking....i could use a screw driver and push it(the button in the knob) so. i decided to lubricate it and once moving. i applied some grease to complete assembly, seems to have cured it...

all working normally now...... a little worrisome now though......makes you wonder when or if it will do this again. (even though its all lubricated now)

first issue i have had with car in almost 3000 miles...

ill keep you posted

chris