I fixed my shift lockout for free and you can too!

Post by **thecheat** » 10 Sep 2010, 22:43

Got tired of having to push the button to get out of Park and tore into the center console. I will tell you this right now:

IF YOU BYPASS THIS SWITCH, YOU DO IT AT YOUR OWN RISK. I will assume you are aware that you should always hold the brake when you shift out of Park in an automatic.

This fix will not override the ignition interlock. You will not be able to shift without the key on. Once the key is on, you can shift willy-nilly, brake applied or not.

1. Remove center console (directions here)

2. Pry up the trim plate over the shifter mechanism. It just sort of pops up if you unhook it from the front and then the back.

3. Look at the first picture (and sorry for the terrible photo). It shows the solenoid that engages when you press the brake. It is normally closed, the $40 microswitch pulls the plunger back and lets you shift out of park. If that fails, you push the button and a lever action does it manually. Push the release a couple times and see how it operates.

: Before

4. Take something (I used a folded piece of cardboard) and while pushing the override bar, stuff it between the plastic shifter assembly and the yellowish plunger. You could probably put a spot of silicone or RTV on it to make sure it doesn't fall out.

: After

5. Test with key on and off

6. Put stuff back together, put the shifter somewhere in the middle so the moving plastic trim can find it's way back when you move the shifter forward and backward. Test the selector lever to make sure the plastic trim isn't getting hung up anywhere.

7. That's it!

So if the engine is running, you can press the shift button and go into any gear regardless of wether the brake is applied. You have bypassed a safety feature and you do so at your own risk. If you want to properly fix this, you can just pick out the wad of paper and everything is back to normal.

Post by **FlyingVolvo** » 10 Sep 2010, 23:03

Nice write-up! From what I gather though, if you were in Drive zipping along and accidentally hit the shifter, it would go into Reverse without resistance? I guess that is the "at your own risk" part!

I'd probably just spring for the IPD fix.

Post by **jblackburn** » 10 Sep 2010, 23:51

The part he de-actvated just keeps the shifter in park when it's in park. You still need to press the button to go from drive to anything other than neutral.

I believe mine is related in some part to the brake light switch - I adjusted it once, and it started working every time. So, future note for people before attempting to disable/repair the switch: before you go in to fix this, try either fiddling with your ignition key, or smashing the brake down really hard, and see if it will disengage. If so, your microswitch is actually ok!

Btw, I was driving along once, coasting to drop off a bunch of recycling on my way out of my neighborhood, and accidentally put it in 'R' instead of 'N' at 15 mph. Nothing happened - it stayed in neutral. I believe all transmissions have some kind of safety precaution against doing that.

Post by **jmmxc** » 11 Sep 2010, 01:01

I believe mine is related in some part to the brake light switch - I adjusted it once, and it started working every time. So, future note for people before attempting to disable/repair the switch: before you go in to fix this, try either fiddling with your ignition key, or smashing the brake down really hard, and see if it will disengage. If so, your microswitch is actually ok!

Agreed.
The microswitch is actually very resilient. I had the occasion to fix shifter problems in 2 850GLT. In both cases it turns out to be the brake switch which failed. Inside the brake switch, there are 2 small contacts "bumps" that tend to become pitted over time when in contact with 2 tiny spring loaded bars. The tiny bar contacts are the movable ones. Over time the gap between the contacts widen, and that is why adjusting the switch give you temporary relief, then quit again as the bumps get pitted more and more.

I would disconnect the brake switch first and actuate the circuit by hand to listen to the microswitch solenoid activate, then change it (if it is the culprit). The brake switch is slightly more expensive (@ about $52) is more likely the problem rather than the microswitch. Easier diagnosis than taking down the console and access the microswitch. (Can't believe that microswitch sells for $40 !!)
jmmxc
Volvo 850GLT, 96
about 150000miles (speedo dead as of 3 yrs ago.)

Post by **LamboSE5** » 11 Sep 2010, 07:40

Tell me about it - I bought the microswitch from IPD for $40. Don't know if I really needed it, some other things seem to have fixed what my little issue was. But, now I have it I guess. haha.

Post by **thecheat** » 11 Sep 2010, 08:30

The only thing my mod does is disengage the locking bar for Park to any other gear - even then, it doesn't bypass the ignition lockout. I wasn't sure if I needed a brake switch, the $40 microswitch (ps, it looks like any old $2 microswitch with a leaf on it) or something else. Plus I'm jobless so I wanted to get in and bypass it, at least for now, and not spend anything. I was going to remove the solenoid but it was easier and less destructive to just stick a scrap of cardboard in there and hold it open constantly.

If you look at the mechanism on the right side, you will see the gate for the shifter and you can see which gears it will let you go between freely (N and D, for example) and gears you can go one way but not the other (R to D) without having to use the shifter button. The solenoid pulls a bar away and that let's you push the shifter button and move the selector. The lockout button just pushes a lever that pushes the solenoid manually.

A friend of mine has a 300M company car and his shift lockout started acting up as well... Apparently the solution to get it into the shop is to brace your foot somewhere and pull the shift lever as hard as you can, destroying the plastic lockout as you "bypass" it. They replace the whole shifter mechanism so it doesn't matter if it is more broken... But of course it's $150 plus labor if you're out of warranty.

Post by **BEJinFbk** » 11 Sep 2010, 13:08

If You've Got Kids, This is a REALLY BAD IDEA!!!

Kids love to sit in the drivers seat and play "Car Driving".
They grab that shifter and pull it outta park? Well, I'll let you do the math...

Just get a new microswitch, fix your brake light switch, Whatever.

BTW, you can get that microswitch for $8.38 at DigiKey.com.
They do have a $25.00 min order, but that just means you can group buy!

Post by **cn90** » 11 Sep 2010, 21:21

1+ on others' posts.
This is a safety item and I'd stick to OEM setup, replace the switch if you have to.

Post by **thecheat** » 11 Sep 2010, 21:48

Which is why I said that you do it at your own risk and it will bypass a built-in safety system. My '88 735i didn't have ANY transmission lockouts, you could move the shifter with the key out if you wanted to. All the 850s with manual transmissions seem to get along just fine without a transmission lockout as well.

beatsmith · Post by **beatsmith** » 16 Mar 2014, 16:38

You can also just unplug and remove the solenoid and do the same thing as stuffing cardboard in between the plastic and the yellow part of the solenoid, the microswitch is also connected so i just removed all of them from my 97 volvo 850 t5 and bam, no shift lock, no need to push the brake in park. if you plan to fix it properly in the future just don't damage the wires pulling everything out.