gear selector switch

oxfordethan

New member
A friend of mine has a '98 2wd limited 4runner. The button on the gear selector will not press in and allow the transmission to be changed from park. Does anyone know what the cause of this might be and how to fix it?
 
Register to hide this ad
There is a switch connected to the brake pedal so when your foot is on the brake an electrical signal is sent to a small switch at the transmission lever which then unlocks and lets you shift.
So.... if the ignition is on and your foot is on the brake pedal but it still wont shift, then the problem is either in the brake pedal switch, or the unlocking mechanism.
You can also use a screwdriver to manually unlock the transmission, its the small slot at the upper left of the transmission cover.
 
If one of your brake light bulbs is out or the fuse to them is blown, the vehicle will not shift out of park when the button on the gear selector is depressed. This is a safety feature installed by toyota.

Until either the fuse is replaced or the bulb is replaced (which ever one is the problem), you'll have to get a screwdriver, pry open the clip next to the gear selector and manually unlock the transmission. (I've had to do this before on a friend's 4Runner before.)

Once the brake light issue is fixed, you will be able to shift the gear selector out of park like normal.

A friend of mine had this happen on his '98. Come to find out, it was faulty wiring on the trailer that caused his brake lights to short out, thus blowing the fuse. This in turn would not let him shift out of park.

Talk about a strict safety feature...
 
Last edited:

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
278,305
Messages
3,554,042
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Trending content

Back
Top