HELP! Single Mom Stuck in Park!

EMSCHICK638

MEMBER
HYUNDAI

I have a 200 hyundai Elantra that is an automatic. Today someone borrowed my car and now my gear shift is stuck in park. I noticed a little "hole" with some treads (like nuts have) that read shift lock override. So I stuck my car key in it and turned the key while I began to shake the gear shift. It came out of park once, then I put it back in park and put my key back in the ignition to start the car and try to shift gears. Well it was stuck again. Someone told me that it might be some kind of safety switch. My question is what is this switch called and can I bypass it? I was told that to replace whatever this switch is called it would be around 400 dollars. I also tried to press the brakes over and over again and could not disengage the gear shift! Help! I am a single mom! :D

1 Reply

MHPAUTOS

MECHANIC
31,938 POSTS

Hi there,

These safety locks cause a great deal of trouble, I can not advise you how to disarm the safety lock. But you will have to have the trim removed from the gear selector to access the lock, and also check if the solenoid is working when the brake is depressed, it should click. This is a system that should be working as the ramifications of a child playing with the gear shifter is not worth thinking about, get it fixed properly that's the only advice I can offer.

Mark (mhpautos)