Hi ,
i have a problem with my Acura 2003 3.2 TL. The stick gets stuck in park.I have a screw driver, which i use to unlock. Is there a way to debug through the issue, i went to the dealership a week back, for an airbag safety recall. I wonder if it has to do with anything with replacing the air bag. How should i go through checking this issue, how much a typical fix cost, please help. I will check the brake light and update the post.

 

Brake switch is usually the culprit

 

Hi thoiboi, Thank you. Can i find this by hitting the brakes and checking the brake lights?
And how much would it cost to replace the part?

 

Yes you can. And it's no more than 10-15 bucks IIRC

 

So, did the break light test, and the stop lights are not coming on.
i checked the fusebox under the hood. the Fuse for Stop Light is 20A, it was fine. No broken fuse observed.
I Opened up the dash under steering and was able to watch the contraption in the attached image. As we press the brakes , the switch opened up fine and the connection is firm.
Now i am not sure if i need to replace this part.. is there any way to know if i should replace this part and if i can jump onto check a different area.
Any inputs are greatly welcome. There was a WD40 solution that worked for @texashonda, not sure how WD40 would help me.

 

Do a continuity test if you really don't want to replace the switch.

 

@thoiboi, thank you. I just took my car out for a test and the issue is resolved. This looks like a loose connection. When i did the fuse test earlier, i had reached down under the steering and pressed hard on all the connections.. looks like that fixed the issue as of now. Will reach out to the kind acuraezine forum..

 

I'm having similar issues
​​​ with my shifter being stuck but my radio and car charger do not work Acra Tl...any ideas?

 

It's probably the brake switch down by the brake pedal. Recently, my brake light wouldn't go out and I bought a new brake switch. It still stayed on. Next, I noticed that the plastic deal that depresses the switch plunger had a hole in it and the plunger went right through the hole.

 

I have a similar problem with my 2006 TL. I was unable to shift from Park to Drive. Also, although I was able to turn the ignition key off, I was not able to turn it all the way off so that I could remove the key. I spoke to a service advisor who said it likely was the brake lights not coming on but that wasn't the case. Then he advised me to remove the shift lock release slot cover (located to the left of the gear shift) and to insert something such as a key into the shift lock release slot and to push down on the key and then move the shift lever to neutral, etc. That worked for me. I later located these instructions in the owner's manual; however, the manual says, "If you need to use the shift lock release, it means your vehicle is developing a problem." My question is: Does anyone out there know what could be causing this problem?

 

Replace your break switch under your steering column you will see an switch right on your pedal

QUOTE=acj003;16111895]I have a similar problem with my 2006 TL. I was unable to shift from Park to Drive. Also, although I was able to turn the ignition key off, I was not able to turn it all the way off so that I could remove the key. I spoke to a service advisor who said it likely was the brake lights not coming on but that wasn't the case. Then he advised me to remove the shift lock release slot cover (located to the left of the gear shift) and to insert something such as a key into the shift lock release slot and to push down on the key and then move the shift lever to neutral, etc. That worked for me. I later located these instructions in the owner's manual; however, the manual says, "If you need to use the shift lock release, it means your vehicle is developing a problem." My question is: Does anyone out there know what could be causing this problem?[/QUOTE]

 

I had a similar problem tonight with my 2003 Acura TL. I started my car, and I could not shift my car out of Park. I used the bypass (directions found in Acura Manual - remove the cover, and push a screw driver into the slot to dis-engage the shift lock) to get my car home and found this thread to research the ultimate fix. The issue was solved by using the information provided by thoiboi (check the brake switch). When I was depressing the brake, the little black pointy thing (aka sensor) was stuck and not coming out of the cylinder due to accumulation of 15+ years of dust and grime. I depressed the brake peddle, gently pulled the little black pointy thing a little out of the cylinder and pumped it a few times to ensure it bounced back out of the cylinder. I then started my car up, pushed the brake, and wallaa! the shift lever easily came out of Park.

Sorry for all this non-technical language, but I am not a car geek. Cudos to thoiboi for providing the details and picture showing where to look for the sensor (based on brake cabling, etc...it is actually above and in front of the the brake (right under the dash).

I hope this post helps other non-techy people.

 

I had the same problem but for a very different reason. There are several videos on Youtube that all have different solutions.

The very first video explained there are three different solonoids and whenever one of them goes bad, you will experience this problem. But there may be other causes as well.

I suggest you Google something like this: "2008 Acura MDX gear shift will not move out of park"

Then check the shortest video (it's under 2 minutes) and it explains about the solonoids.

Here is the link:
https://www.google.com/search?client...39.44gSV21o29U

 

My key is stuck in ignition wont switch to off or release and also my automatic gear shifter will not release from park unless i manually reset it with another key i own a 2004 acura tl

 

I experienced a similar problem with my 2008 MDX. It happened today for the second time. I tried to start my car and found I could insert the key into the ignition but could not turn it. The steering wheel appeared to be frozen and the gear shift lever would not budge. I read about a similar problem from someone who said they fixed it by rapidly stepping on the brake while trying to turn the key. I tried that but no success.

I called my repair shop and the owner suggested I insert the key and try to turn it while at the same time trying to wiggle the steering wheel. Also no success. But in trying that, I stumbled onto something that did work.

Before I tell you exactly what I did, I want to say I suspect the problem may have been related to the fact that I had parked my car with the front wheels turned all the way to the right. I had parked it by reversing into a spot that I had to turn into while the front wheels were turned to the extreme and I didn't think it would be a problem to leave them that way. I did not park on any kind of incline. It was a flat surface.

While trying to wiggle the steering wheel, I found that if I tried to turn it very hard, it would move just the tiniest little bit in one direction (sorry but I don't remember which direction). But as I held the steering wheel and turned it hard in one direction where I could feel it move just a tiny bit, the key turned in the ignition and it started.

I should say that I also held my foot down on the brake pedal hard during this time and I believe that it is necessary to hold down the brake pedal to start the car or move the shift lever out of park at all times.

I hope this post may help some other poor soul. This was a very scary situation for me and I'm very happy I didn't have to go through the expense of having the car towed into the repair shop.

I also want to say I really love this car. It is the best car I have ever owned or driven. It runs like a clock and most everything about it is just wonderful. I will not part with this car until they rip it out of my cold dead hands. I love my Acura MDX.

P.S. I apologize for posting this in the 1G forum. I looked for similar problems in other forums but could not find any. Strange because the first time this happened, I seem to recall seeing several other reports. Oh well. I guess I'm getting old.