Daisy Vestry
Member
- :
- '94 Miata & 2 Protege 5's
I have 2 P5's - One's an '02 we've had since '03 and the other is an '03 we bought last year - Both are 5 speeds so I know next to nothing about the automatic version . . . . but out of necessity, I'm learning fast - I already know I don't want one (gah)
We picked up a pretty nice '02 Automatic for our daughter in law last week and it has an occasional shifting problem. 95% of the time, it works just fine but when it acts up you cannot shift it out of Park and you also cannot shift it from Neutral into Reverse . . . . unless you stick a little screwdriver down the hole beside the shifter
The shifter has a lockout built into it which prevents the shifter from moving unless the little solenoid which releases the lockout is engaged. When you're in Park, a signal from the brakelight switch engages the solenoid, so usually this problem is as simple as replacing the brakelight switch, but my problem is different. My brakelight switch is good . . . . the brake lights are working fine even when the problem occurs
The fact that it won't shift from Neutral into Reverse either when it's acting up pretty much negates anything to do with the brakelight switch anyway, since you're not required to have your foot on the brake to go into Reverse from Neutral - That lockout appears to be over ridden by some sort of speed sensitive switch - If you slide the trans into neutral with the car moving, you can hear the solenoid engage just before the car comes to a stop and you can then shift into Reverse without using the brake . . . . you can even go forward from Reverse into Park without using the brakes . . . . when it's working right
Since the problem is so intermittent, it's a bear to troubleshoot because most of the time it works just fine . . . . but we don't want to make her a present of the little jewelers screwdriver the previous owner gave us when we bought the car - He put up with this problem on and off for years - We'd like to fix it
Anybody recall something similar? Please tell me we're not the only ones! Doggone automatics . . . . who needs 'em anyway (bird)
Don
We picked up a pretty nice '02 Automatic for our daughter in law last week and it has an occasional shifting problem. 95% of the time, it works just fine but when it acts up you cannot shift it out of Park and you also cannot shift it from Neutral into Reverse . . . . unless you stick a little screwdriver down the hole beside the shifter
The shifter has a lockout built into it which prevents the shifter from moving unless the little solenoid which releases the lockout is engaged. When you're in Park, a signal from the brakelight switch engages the solenoid, so usually this problem is as simple as replacing the brakelight switch, but my problem is different. My brakelight switch is good . . . . the brake lights are working fine even when the problem occurs
The fact that it won't shift from Neutral into Reverse either when it's acting up pretty much negates anything to do with the brakelight switch anyway, since you're not required to have your foot on the brake to go into Reverse from Neutral - That lockout appears to be over ridden by some sort of speed sensitive switch - If you slide the trans into neutral with the car moving, you can hear the solenoid engage just before the car comes to a stop and you can then shift into Reverse without using the brake . . . . you can even go forward from Reverse into Park without using the brakes . . . . when it's working right
Since the problem is so intermittent, it's a bear to troubleshoot because most of the time it works just fine . . . . but we don't want to make her a present of the little jewelers screwdriver the previous owner gave us when we bought the car - He put up with this problem on and off for years - We'd like to fix it
Anybody recall something similar? Please tell me we're not the only ones! Doggone automatics . . . . who needs 'em anyway (bird)
Don
