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gear shift button broken and car stuck in park HELP!

145K views 33 replies 18 participants last post by  ProShdeTree 
#1 ·
hello i am a new user
i have a 2002 accord ex
due to the heat in florida the button to engage my transmisson has literally crumbled and now my car is stuck in park. i ordered a new part put with the car in park it is almost impossible to get at the screws and they are very stiff im guessing due to the heat as well. ive seen how to change the part but it shows the shifter in 1st so there is easy access to the screws, well mine wont move out of park. ive put the key in to activate the transmission on the console but it looks like you have to push in the button, which is gone) to change gears.
i really need some help with this please as i am renting a car to get to and from work.
thanks in advance!
paul
 
#3 ·
Mine crumpled also. You can stick your finger in the hole :paranoid: and press down on the lever over you can also use you key to engage the shift lock override. Its the little key hole looking thing next to the shifter. You'll have to pry the cover off.
 
G
#24 ·
thank you!



i know this post is old but it SO helped us today! we live in houston and the inside of my gear shift button was gooey from the glue melting and broken apart as well (was stuck in a parking lot much like the initial poster). for future seekers of help , the lever that you depress is the first piece of plastic your finger hits - i didn't realize that bc it never budged for me, but my husband got it to budge. the key hole thing didn't work for us but we didn't need it anyway. we picked up the button at the nearby honda dealership (was 15+tax for the button only. keep the spring from your old one else they will charge you for it. i wish they just sold the part that "clicks" into the silver button since it was the only part that was destroyed). amazon was selling the button and spring for about 17+tax etc). anyway, fixed it back to brand new in less than 10 minutes...a big thank you for this post...years after your posting.
 
#4 ·
i have put my finger in but dont feel anything to depress. also ive put the key in the shift lock override but it doent go in very far, it looks like there is a white peice in there that is covering it up? i have used it before and seemed like the key went almost all the way in but now the key wont go more than half way in. this is very fustrating...
any more help is greatly appreciated as i dont want to tow it and get it fixed at dealership. it seems like it should be an easy fix.
thanks!
 
#5 ·
push the key in as far as it will go
then move the shifter into reverse or drive as needed..
 
#7 ·
Broken gear shifter

Yep, I live in Miami, I have a 2003 accord ex v-6 and the insides of my gear shifter has crumbled too. Is the fix a simple matter of removing two screws and installing the replacement? Or should I leave it to the pros? Of course, money is an issue...
Thanks in advance for anything you may have to offer.
 
#8 ·
Yes it's real simple to install. You remove the 2 screws and then pop the front of the shifter off. Clear out all the residue and then re-install the new chrome piece. The dealerships should know exactly what part when you go in. They told me it's common. Where in Miami? I can help if you would like.
 
#9 ·
Hey, thanks a lot for the quick response and info! I was all set to order a complete replacement which cost much more, in addition to having to wait for delivery. Instead, I called the dealer, and as you said it's a common problem. I just have to replace the button, spring mechanism, and possibly the "sideplate", depending if it breaks during disassembly. I'm on my way over to South Motors Honda now. I'll let you know how it goes. Thanks again!
 
#10 ·
Thanks again for your quick response! The fix was as you said, very simple and straightforward. The parts guy was well aware of what I needed as it seems to be a common problem with this car, at least in these parts(Miami). I bought the shift button plus inner workings, and a new side-plate. Total cost- @ 35 bucks.

On a side note: I had to borrow my mom's 2003 Camry for a few days before I got a handle on how easy this issue really is(Thank you driveaccord.net!), and after I got back into my Honda of the same model-year I was shocked at how much more substantial the accord feels compared to the Toyota. Steering, braking, handling, interior, etc....no comparison. Honda rules. Granted, the Camry was a 4-cylinder, which by the way was butter-smooth with good low-end torque, but in every other regard it felt terribly inferior. Anyways, that's all I've got.
 
#12 ·
yeah i have a 2003 honda accord lx with the same problem. I know you cant use the overide mechanism because you have to be able to press in the button. i was wondering if anyone knew how to temporarily fix the problem without buying a knew kit, because i have to get my car out of the school parking lot before it gets towed!
 
#13 ·
If possible, remove the silver button from the shifter console. Don't worry, it's already broken. Then, because there's probably some disintegrating black plastic in the housing causing it to jam, use your finger to remove those broken bits. And do so until you're able to manually depress the internal button. Now you should be able to drive your vehicle as simply and freely as you would otherwise, except of course in order to shift you'll have to horizontally place your finger inside the console and push down on that rod-like button allowing you to change gears. Good luck and keep us posted.
 
#14 ·
I have the same exact problem. It just happened to me now! I live in Miami as well (107th ave and nw 7st). It's 9:17pm and everything closed. Need to take the kids to school in the Morning. AGGGGHHHHH!!!:thumbsdow
 
#19 ·
Where can I purchase the replacement knob for the gear shifter on my 2004 Honda Accord..? Does Advanced Auto Parts carry the part..?
And how much is the part..?
-- If I take the car in to the Honda Dealership (here in Tampa, FL) for them to conduct this 5 minute fix, how much will I end up paying for parts & labor..?
Thanks,
TJ (from Tampa)
 
#20 ·
Broken gear shift

Okay, I'm a woman who is clueless about cars so someone please help me with this one! I tried to put my car in to gear and the screws at the bottom of the gear fell out, THEN the silver knob fell out right along with the spring. I was able to drive my car to my home (using a butter knife to shift gears) but now I can't even get it out of park. Can anyone help or give me direction on how to get this thing to working again? Money is low and I'm a fast learner so if there is a way that I can fix this myself, PLEASE let me know!! I really have no other option :dunno:

Tanks!
 
#25 ·
Don't know what year you have, but maybe this will help.

Thanks for posting. I'm a little confused still though. So the chrome button (just the button) where the driver's thumb sits, which is also the button you push "in" to engage to shift into Reverse/Drive/etc. has fallen out. The inside (so behind where the silver/chrome button once was) has disintegrated almost entirely except for the lever (referenced by Sandy) that I can push in to engage the gear shift. With those facts, do I just need to get item #29 in your image, or do I need to ask for items #9, 10, 11, and #13? In other words, can I just unscrew the screws at #25, and then just get a knew "top", which would be everything above the two screws at #25 in your picture?
 
#22 ·
help please

seems like this is happening to all of us ladies driving Honda Accords here in Miami! I am currently on hold with Aventura Honda to tell me if they have the part and how much they intend to gouge me to buy it if they do have it. My chrome button broke off yesterday and I was terrified I wasn't going to be able to get home. Great, they don't even have the part and they want me to pay $60 for it. HELP please!
:dunno:
 
#26 ·
Number 29 is for a different year model which has the button on the front of the shifter instead of the side. Will not fit without modification. I know, I tried.

You should only need number 10. That is the part that falls apart. The spring #11 should be reusable as well as the leather knob #9. The button cover #13 is a maybe. Will depend on if you can remove it without breaking the clips or not.
 
#29 ·
You're welcome. Glad you got it fixed.
 
#30 · (Edited)
You all keep talking about an internal button. I don't feel one at all. I have to get a check to the bank in order to get the part but cannot get my car out of park. How can I do this? I've cleared out all the broken black parts but cannot get the stuff behind the silver rod inside. It's stuck there. Plus, the screws on the gear shift are stuck. How do I loosen these? Cannot afford a mechanic. Am 60-yr old woman with no help who needs to do this herself. I have a 2005 Honda Accord. The button just fell out and all the plastic black "stuff" disintegrated. There is a silver rod that will not shift cos it seems that there is plastic stuck behind it that will not budge. What do I do?
 
#31 ·
I had this happen, and for a long while I just drove around using my finger to lush down the rod. However, recently I had the shift knob fixed. However, now parking won't fully engage. The car stops and goes into park, however there appears to be an interface error because the key won't release. At times I have been abke to restart the car, drive around, slowly park and get the key to release. However now the key won't release, and I know it is related to the shift knob change. The forst time it happened, the mechanic said he needed to clean out all the debris from the old plastic, but less than a week later I am having the same problem.
 
#32 ·
It's possible that it wasn't installed correctly. The rod has to sit in there just right. I know when I first replaced mine, I got it backwards and it wouldn't work right. Once corrected, it worked fine. If you had a mechanic fix it for you, take it back until he gets it right. Don't except the "Debris" excuse. He should of cleaned it out first.
 
#34 ·
H
Not sure about the screws falling out. Seems a little odd if u are talking about the screws that hold the shifter knob on. But anyway, if the push button on the shifter has completely disintegrated as mine did, then u can use your left thumb to push that little metal "prong" down (in the hole) to move the shifter. The left thumb makes it "ergonomically" easy to push that prong while u move the shifter with your right hand. It is quite easy to do. Also, the car will not shift into park unless u have the key turned all the way to the "run" position and your foot on the brake. The car does not need to be running. Safer if not of, course. I am assuming that was your problem for not being able to shift out of park, if this was not a problem before the push button broke. U can use the old spring, as I did. It should be ok.
I just purchased a new button from Honda (about $23). The part stores didn't have it. Would have been much cheaper if they did, I'm sure...for a little blob of plastic. It was fairly easy to install after u get ALL the broken plastic pieces out of the shifter knob. There are a few good Utube videos if u need help. I'm still puzzled about those screws u said fell out. But there are 2 small screws that hold the shifter knob on. U will need them if they are the ones u are talking about. And it is much easier to get those screws out or in if u move the shifter all the way to the lowest gear position. More room to get phillups head to those 2 screws. Hope this helped somewhat.
 
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