Lights must be on to shift..?

[Mytighthamstrings]

Hello,

I have read most of the threads involving stuck shifters while in park... but my particular Volvo will only shift out of park with the lights turned on. Is it normal?

Ex. Lights off. Cant shift out of park.
Ex. Lights on. Can shift out of park.


Weird or no?

There’s also the light warning sign when I turn the lights on (although I think/thought that was due to my rear brake light issue)

[CSDentonTX]

That seems really odd to me. Make sure it's not something else weird that is tripping it. Sometimes, what I find is that my ignition key does not spring back into the run position and is just still enough in the start position to prevent me from turning the lights on (the knob turns but lights don't come on) or shift out of park. Turning the key back a degree or two suddenly makes my lights and shifter work.

It sounds like you have the opposite problem, but it makes me wonder if there is something not quite right that is sort of but not really related. The lights connected to the start connected to the shifter lockout. Bottom line, rule out the key position as a problem.