i can't get my car out of park

Asked by kima414701 Feb 01, 2013 at 05:08 PM about the 2003 Acura TL 3.2 FWD

Question type: Maintenance & Repair

59 Answers

There is an interlock preventing you from going. You must have not adhered to the startup directions, to the tee- of course the brake must be depressed. Some wont budge until you do, for a start...LOL :)

28 people found this helpful.

Google exactly what you asked and use keywords including your car, look for 'just answer" and there are instructions on how to override the lock. But you should not have to override it, to state the obvious, but you can

19 people found this helpful.
40,145

and you need battery powered up for the 12 v interlock to trigger, though you probally have that! just guessing

11 people found this helpful.

Nah, got to be something as mundane as a floormat preventing the pawl from enabling. The car seems to think that 'you are not ready' to drive. could be an aggressive seatbelt interlock. something incredibly silly, nothing scientific at all! just sniff around to what the car wants you to do-

8 people found this helpful.

There is the safety brake solenoid, key safety or sounds like the range switch came loose and needs to be reset, you will need to contact the transmission shop.or if you are good it is a external switch on the transmission . Might have came lose and needs tightening or readjusted. Could even be the ignition switch or all three. There is a recall on the 00 but can and might happen to a 03 Service Bulletin 05-009 Acura automobile dealer. March 2, 2005 Applies To: 1999 3.2TL – From VIN 19UUA5...XA023687 thru 19UUA5...XA050064 2000 3.2TL – From VIN 19UUA5...YA000001 thru 19UUA5...YA000063 , check for a punch mark above the second character of the engine compartment VIN. A punch mark in that location means the key interlock has already been repaired. This recall was mainly just for the safety neutral on the key where the key would come out of the ignition without putting it in park. So, you will need to check all three that I know safety neutrals, key, brake and tranny.

20 people found this helpful.

I forgot to mention a quick fix at least might help you get it out of gear but had to find a picture that I think is what you have, On the top left of your gear shift is circle that looks like a button that is only 3/4 there...see picture (it's circled in red) pry that off with a key or something... now restart your car, push on the break and at the same time insert a key or small screw driver or something into the now open hole...while pushing down shift into reverse. I am fairly sure about this but not positive only because I don't know if this is actually your shifter, I think so but I guess you will know for sure..LOL anyhow like I said in the last post there are three to four safety neutral features on most cars and this is the one that will hopefully get you to gear so you can drive, most cars have this but usually better hidden, if this is your shifter. Hope it helps

51 people found this helpful.

Thanks for the compliment Bob, I am a former GM Factory Driver, I have built cars from the ground up and really want to help people fix their cars. There are things here that really get to me and the number one is the people who ask the question ask it and then can't respond to question, like what size motor as you would know makes all the difference in the world from engine to tranny on. I really like DaveH25 and I feel as we have become friends and I really enjoy watching his back on questions and helping him out. I am retired but do know a lot about cars and I keep current with technology and own a lot of diangnostic equipment at my shop, which I call my hobby shop because it doesn't make any money but I put it together just to keep all my car and tools, toys etc, but I keep hoping that someday someone will ask a pre 80 question so I can run grab my old dusty manuals, it won't happen but I hope. I am usually showing the kids in the area how to modify their cars and they are like they are my own kids as I have none. I care nothing about this points stuff and for me this is my either early morning or late at night game of sorts and something to keep the mind working. On this question I answered the thing backwards and should have gave them the simple answer first, but not me, that's one of my many defects, long winded and really overly technical are just a couple of others....LOL . I have so much info on hand that it doesn't take me long to go find it. But thanks again Bob as the one other thing lacking at this site is people thanking people or just being nice or courteous I'm not sure how that sounds but there could be more of a team effort sort of style here and not so much one ups man ship and not taking this points thing so damn serious as with that guy Daniel the other day after I stupidly blew a gasket, literally on him for giving people idiot answers. After all when people start getting completely dumb answers that doesn't help any and I feel they are generally desperate and can't just take it to the shop as money is in scarce supply for the people who resort to coming here . And you Sir are really quit the funny guy, you must be the life at any party as you are always funny or cheerful sounding in your post, so I always like to see that you are in some way involved with a question and have made posts on a question, as I am then generally certain that something funny is going on. Have a great day brother and keep up the good work.

21 people found this helpful.

@llregal, Do appreciate your dissertation, I also am looking at my drafting tools case and machinerys handbook 22nd edition, and thinking that manufacturing in the US is dead now, and no one cares whether or not ANSI Y-14,5 is applied correctly (none of my former empoyers gave a darn, shows what proper training can do) crayon on cardboard, it's what the shop wants to see- Have NO KIDS (scourge) Was never actually a kid, but rose up as an adult having to mix in with the goo-goo-gaga crowd. New to this business of solving complex technologies problems not having them in front of me, but was the Sunday mechanic and worked Tow-ins with the customer helpless and waiting to drive off---tough gig, no one wants thier every move noted. We are cast into yesterworld, and personally don't mind it. Still question whether or not people have a grip on this concept of treating your fellow man as you'd like to be treated....aparerently ABUSE, so they expect me to be an abuser. Had a rating of Zero four days ago, now last time I looked up to 445, Benched with MS six years ago and told "you're not allowed to work'...so here I am sharing what was a very stressfull carrer from 93-96 where all my good knowledge stems-...in short, crotchety old fart.

5 people found this helpful.

HA, bob, dissertation. Got a belly laugh out of that..but ya gotta admit, he is through ..thurl all, not threw, accurate, and very knowledgeable. he has corrected many wrong answers I have posted

6 people found this helpful.

Don't post WRONG answers anymore, please. Sometimes I wonder if what we are doing is on the level, tenspeed posted a complex solution to which I posted "Black Tape Solution" which apparently the mgmt at CarGurus warrented a 20 point "correct" solution?! we are all tryin' to have fun out here~

4 people found this helpful.

Bob, I just got your email notice and like Dave when I saw "Dissertation" I knew I got my post to you absolutely right, you are one funny guy. I haven't had one of my long winded posts addressed like that, but exactly correct. Currently I am in the middle of writing a letter to the knuckle heads at CarGurus administration about a very stupid stunt they pulled on me regarding my REPLICA GT40 review and their removing it as they claimed it sounded as if I was selling it. Causing me to destroy my account page, sadly but I'm over it, sort of and will be over it for sure when I get done checking these admin. guys up. I am also informing them that they know have a big problem and it's not just me, but their site having an acquaintances of mine Real GT40 pictured on their site and claimed to be owned by some guy named Tucker. I recognized the car immediately and where the picture was taken. So, I called the real owner of the car and he's none to happy. I myself posted pictures to go with my review of my replica with real GT40's that are from the museum in Colorado, but I am not stupid and I have a letter giving me personal copy write permissions as I am fairly well known. The stupid thing about CarGurus Administration is that the only reason I even knew of this site is because this is where I made the contact to buy that car. And Dave, I don't feel as if I am correcting your answers at all because you are generally close to or on the mark, I just clarify A LOT more with a thorough dissertation, that's it what my posts are for sure...LOL You guys are great.

5 people found this helpful.

@llregal- hey I know that guy. He looks like 90% of the residents of Clearlake, CA. It is through the priority of getting a tattoo over much needed dentistry, where EVERY car has mismatched body panels and there are no streetlights or pavement...but 20K here = 200k in the Bay Area 50 degree temps, who wouldn't want to be there..sshhh :)

2 people found this helpful.

Your funny to Dave and a really great guy, thanks now how do you spell that song where everyone sits around and sings the song and holds hands, cumbiya something like that. Love not war. I just had to write a check I did not want to do for the life of me, so I got the bright idea, down where you make a notation about what the check was for, I wrote, For Sexual Favors. That may raise a question with his wife, hopefully

3 people found this helpful.

It took me a minute to find my camera, and Dave, you are over 10,000, I think I know the where about's of Clearlake CA and what ever happened to the person who was stuck in park? Well, that's typical I guess or we are so good that they read the answer and get going and now that they are on the road again, they don't have time to stop and say, f*@k U get that computer?

1 people found this helpful.

Me? mix in an extraordinary crowds? No way, I'm just hanging out here at the moment. But I bought a piece of crap engine, and found out latter what wasn't readily viewable that it needs a complete rebuild contrary to what he swore to, and his wife keeps bugging me for the money, can't even trust so called friends sometimes so I thought this suited the fact that I got, how did I spell that, F#@ked !

2 people found this helpful.

@llregal- you must look at this as a learning experience. Be grateful for the amount of ground you've covered in your short life and be nice to everyone, so they would like to share company with you...still. You're a cowboy. You don't need anyone. Smile once in a while to show that you still love life.

2 people found this helpful.

Bob, everybody needs someone. Except me. My philosophy for the day, But short life? That dude llregal is like 95 or so. He is wise with age, that happens

2 people found this helpful.

@DavidH25, solitary confinement is where they really want to punish someone, bouncing off the walls, you'll be if you insist. In a temporal sense a human life IS quite short. Think of the characters that you've watched shine with brilliance, tnen become tasty, like a fine wine....then to vinegar with ye- Zen then, in the zen den, it must be then-

1 people found this helpful.

Speaking about hanging out with a bunch of hookers, oh boy, you guys are way over my head, and what about that damn buggy? That bugs me. Go to all the trouble to help out someone and what you get? Three guys sitting here talking about everything but what started this whole thing. Oh ya, machinery's handbook 22nd edition, now I'm a 95 year old cowboy too . That's right, back in the day we didn't have these conversation, and the cars were as hard to fix in 1918 as they are now can you believe that? Everybody kept thinking, what do you mean 4 horse power, that's impossible, my last buggy only had one horse power and on and on and what kind of rims or I mean spokes you running on that buggy, they are so cool looking. So, funny how things suddenly got so technical.

5 people found this helpful.

By the way llregal that picture of me was supposed to be non public. You put that pic of me up just spitefully

Also, I can't get my car out of Park. can you guys give me any advice?

3 people found this helpful.

llregal, YOU UNDERSTAND. yay. I knew that someone would. This book is invaluable to a mechanical designer. The fact that you've had one ALL this time tells me alot about you! my wife Claudia is also driven crazy by these intrusive ghetto blastin' Denali's and so forth. They keep tryin' to be hip with various chrome castings. Claudia always jokes, 'Hey, that car's got wagon wheels" and would not be too surprised if the old engulfs the new, as there seems to be a critical lack of imagination in popular culture....damn, what ever happened to trombones?...school music??

1 people found this helpful.

David. Think like a Japanese designer. He thinks that he's going to impose his will on us by making us adhere to the procedures. If you've been a good little customer and done what the book says, have nothing usefull more to present to you. I apologize for garbaging up your post with auxilliary none-such...you HAVE TO explore all the avenues and streets if you want to speak with any authority.

2 people found this helpful.

Dave, I'm sorry I really didn't mean to use your most recent picture as, well it just doesn't do you justice from back in your younger days, when frankly you were much more handsome, so I thought out of fairness to you I'd re-post from back in the day when you had a little more going for you.

3 people found this helpful.

Ah, yes what ever happened to the trombone? Well being I know all I know what happened to the trombone, go to this link for explanation. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rNdXezVKeOA

2 people found this helpful.

And Dave for you my friend, the best way for you to get out of park is first just stand up and if that doesn't work try this......

2 people found this helpful.

Well fella, Mom's awaiting and I can't come up with anymore excusses about all this important and technical things I am involved in at the moment, so I will hurry back as I assure you, I don't want to miss a thing, believe that, if not just out of self defense... thought I'd send a little clue on how I come up with some of the answers that I do

1 people found this helpful.

I am convinced that kima414701 is long gone thinking she got in to a lunatic asylum where some 'residents' got hold of a laptop and the Admin's WiFi

Ya, Mom let me off the hook but had to promise I'd be there tomorrow, so now I can get back to that serious work I told her I was up to, god I hate to lie to my Mom. And, yep your right about that Kima being gone, like way gone.

1 people found this helpful.

I know that is not your new room, I know it's embarrassing, but we are all stuck in the same room, but we'll be out soon..... how sad for them

1 people found this helpful.

our friend Kima is still sitting there in park, y'know fellas. What did we collectively decide was the correct course of action for Kima anyways?

did she read the seventh post down before we all started acting goofy?? That should be the correct answer and I can't fix it for her..?

1 people found this helpful.

I need coffee, it's 7:45 and this is when everyone knows that I am at the moment and if you click on this picture above just what I am thinking, "is is lefty lousey or righty tighty or was right lousey lefty tighty oh crap it will come to me" AFTER I HAVE COFFEEEEEEEEE

I once had a neighbor that took a 1/2" breaker bad and a pipe and torqued off 4 studs.. broke the clean off...until I came by and showed him.."do you see that little 'L' on the stud?..That was a boat trailer

I think it was Dodge, but as you said maybe Buick to, but the first time I ran into that and only time, was with my old Dodge truck and a flat, I couldn't understand for the life of me what in the heck was the problem so I put a big length of pipe on the star wrench as a cheater bar and promptly broke the lug off, an old timer showed up on the scene and saved the day and gave me some schooling, I remember he said that this was some way Dodges bright idea that the direction on the tire rotation would keep the lugs from un-lugging or UN-tightening. Absolutely stupid idea and didn't last for long, I remember my Dodge truck was a mid 60's, I laughed when you mentioned it, thanks that odd but fond memory,,, Thanks Bob, by the way it was only on the left side of the truck also, I found this as this really started my day good along with my coffee thanks again bro, Some cars made prior to about 1960 used left-hand and right-hand screw thread for different sides of the vehicle to prevent loosening. It was later realized that the taper seat performed the same function. Modern vehicles use right-hand threads on all wheels.here's a site for you to check out, http://www.gonzostoolbox.com/Knowledge.html and I pulled out my old Motors Manual and it says that they are marked and always on the lug itself with a R on the right center of the lug and a L on the left side lug and it was mostly Mopar. Wow thanks for the GREAT blast from the past... Ha Ha Ha, just loved it and started my day with a grin, thanks Bob. Also, Mr. OCD here finds out that they are actually still in use, mostly on commercial trucks 80's f350 wow haven't they heard that the conical nut fixed that issue??, but the science doesn't add up at all, tapered seats fixed that thought pattern. More machinist info for you, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lug_nut

Hey you guys, Car Gurus said they removed some of my pics for potty mouth but didn't say which ones, so I am confused, click on the picture I made for you guys, the next one up with the insane guys, I thought I did a great job and right in the middle of our technical conversation, I am so talented,,, ha ah LOOLLLL ye ha. I did think my picture was funny and the one above it to. Can't understand what they deleted...?

LlRegal, yessir, I was givin' them a few pieces of burnt toast this mornin' when they responded to not having the datsun 610 Wagon (my favorite car....ever at the time) nor the 78 datsun 810 (precursor to Nissan Maxima), I've had both... and had to modify the seat rails by drillin a set of holes two inches back from their current location to sit comfortably for the long haul. I told them, if you delete a contrevertial thread, you'll never make any news!

Bob, you are one crazy guy, I'm surprised that gurus didn't delete the pic above about the asylum and brought to you by crazy people, I thought that would have gotten deleted and my point count which I care nothing about, would be zero or ILRegal would be banished for life for clowning them as I already had one run with them in an email and called their reviewers out by their names as idiots, I am surprised really that I am still here, they have thick skins that's for sure as I was not nice to them and their comment about a review I wrote about my GT40 replica and the fact their is a clown named TUCKER who has posted a friend of mines real 1968 GT40 on this site without his permission and this clown tucker is claiming it is his and owns it. I recognized the picture and where it was taken immediately. So, gurus and I have some unfinished business and it is about copyright infringement. And a liar

Gary, not to me mean, but we've seen this movie already. This is America, not Pakistan. We're relatevely free here. What like the FBI and the CIA will be like, what's this cat up to? You know as well as I that complaining ALWAYS falls on deaf ears. You should be so lucky that some of us think you're adorable and repeatition can spell success....ya right!

Bob you lost me, if your referring to me being pissed that some a#@Hole is putting an acquaintances car on this site and then claiming he owns it, well so be it, but if CarGurus wants a law suit, so be that to, I am trying to save these money grubbers that own this site a head ache and remove a clown from our sight. And if I am still misunderstanding what you are referring to, well that's not anything new but please explain for my feeble mind what you are insinuating, if anything at all???? I will have to reply later and I am interested in what you are saying to me! But I can't sit here all day and need to get going, this is generally my coffee time fun thing to do or when I am really bored... but please clarify Bob as the way I am reading and I do read in between the lines to much, sounds odd to me and I am confused by your comment... G

Maybe by re-reading the post, maybe I get what your talking about bob and I respect you, but I'm still confused, I think, oops here goes the OCD

I pm this gal and told her again how to do this, so no excuses and I would understand if she is confused or can't do it, then she will need to get someone there to help, I can't///

Alright, thanks I get it, gotta go take care, and I needed that so thanks Bob!!!

Im having the same problem on a 91 ls da only able to put it into drive as soon as I put an extra key in the shift lock key insert and me holding down the button

10

I have an Acura TL 3.2 and it won't come out of park how can I get it to start ? I'm stranded

1 people found this helpful.

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