Q: Car stuck in reverse kinda

asked by on October 07, 2016

Yesterday i was changing my radio bezel so i had everything removed (including cig lighter) and i had dropped a small clip and i reached to get it and as i was reaching for it my hand moved the line thing that connects to the PRNDL, but i didnt move it so much that i think i messed something up, i barely grabbed/ moved it. Anyways about 3 hours after changing the bezel and putting everything back togethor i wanted to go to the store, and so i put it in reverse but it didnt work so i tried putting it into nuetral then reverse again and it worked, but when i put it in drive it was still in reverse, so i wanted to put it in nuetral to push it back in my driveway but not even nuetral worked, it was still stuck in reverse. i had to put it on the L for it to drive forward. I should also note that the car had not been moved at all that afternoon, so it was working fine before i changed out the radio bezel which leads me to think i messed something up. Im new with cars so i know nothing.

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The symptoms you describe suggests that the linkage between the shifter and the "gear position indicator" (PRNDL) is no longer correctly connected, and possibly the neutral safety switch/transmission range selection sensor (don’t know which since you did not indicate the year, make and model of your vehicle) has lost it’s alignment with the shift linkage. All modern automatic transmission vehicles won’t start if not in Park or Neutral.

I would recommend having YourMechanic perform a shifting issue inspection to properly diagnose this problem, provide an accurate assessment of damage, and estimate the cost of repairs. YourMechanic can dispatch a mobile, professional mechanic to your location for this diagnostic and repairs.

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