gear shifter wont move
Asked by GuruBWLZR Dec 16, 2018 at 09:42 AM about the 1997 Oldsmobile Achieva 4 Dr SL Sedan
Question type: Maintenance & Repair
Gear shifter on '97 Olds automatic wont move. Also appears battery is dead.
Just had maintenance & winterizing done on car. Battery 1 yr old. Lights not left
on, dont work now. No sound when key turned on, no clicking, no motor attempt
to turn over. Just dead & shifter wont move. just had 25 degree nights & snow.
Suggestions?
4 Answers
Hornet_2497 answered 5 years ago
Your Park lever has an electric safety interlock where you have to step on the brake pedal to unlock the lever. Since this works by electricity, you will have to charge the battery back up and everything should be okay. If you have time, leave it on a long (six hour) trickle charge to fully restore the battery and not burn out the alternator making it do all that work.
Thank you very much for your response and answer. A question, should winterizing the vehicle have prevented the battery discharge? Or is this something common in below freezing temperatures. Just wanted to know before I contact the shop that worked on the vehicle. Has never happen to me in any other winter. Thanks again!
Hornet_2497 answered 5 years ago
If your car sits a lot, go to WalMart and get that $10 Battery Maintainer that keeps the battery between 12.0 volts and 14.1 volts, just like your alternator does when driving. Hook it up and forget it. It will not hurt the battery, just check electrolyte (water) level like you normally would once a month. Just make sure it's a battery "maintainer" not a steady "charger". It draws very little electricity, like a night light.
Thank you very much for the response and all the help. I will follow both your advice.
