wolfgangss

Hi, I recently blew a fuse and along with it the shift lock control unit broke too, so I couldn't shift out of park and had to have my car towed to a mechanic.

After over four hours of him trying to figure out what was wrong (charging me $97.00 and hour) he tells me the part I need (the shift lock control unit) costs $500 something dollars and the work will easily take another 4 hours (charging me about $1500 total).

I REALLY don't want to do that...

After looking online I've seen people say they've bought that part for around $80, however I called the local dealership and they're charging around $400.

So really my main questions are;

1. Does anyone know of a place to find this part cheaper?

2. Assuming I do find the part, how would I replace it myself?

It's a 2003 Nissan Maxima GLE - any info would help, thanks!

tmuscedere

Does the car still start? If so, then all you have to do for now is to use the shift lock release which is beside the shifter. You pop the cover off and insert a long stick (or a small screwdriver) into it. It will release the shifter so you can change gears. I am assuming you have a automatic.

wolfgangss

I would definitely do that if the shift lock worked every time, but unfortunately it'll only let me shift one out of maybe 30 presses of the button :/

tmuscedere

It has to. The whole purpose of that bypass is to allow the person to shift if the system has failed. It is a mechanical bypass. If this does not work than the problem lies in the shifter itself.

wolfgangss

Turns out the key I was using to press the button in wasn't pressing it all the way (dumb) so it does let me shift while holding the button - but there's a whole plethora of other problems since the car got back from the mechanic (who I didn't let do work on it - just diagnos the problem). The key won't come out of the ignition and the turn signals don't work. Sigh.

wolfgangss

As well as the door and trunk indicator lights being on, the auto locks not working (so I have to leave the car unlocked at night with the key in the ignition lol)

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

I think the car is designed to not let you to lock the doors with the key in the ignition, so that may be something that is working correctly.

It sounds like the guy may have disconnected something. But I don't know what it might be. He may have taken the cover off that is around the steering column to look at the ignition switch. There are a couple of connectors under there. There is also a key locking solenoid that holds the key in the switch that is controlled by the transmission shift lever. There is a switch down in with the shift lever that says the lever is in park.

Wish I could be more definite.

edit:

The key lock solenoid has a little lever on it that you can move that will allow you to get the key out.

wolfgangss

Thanks a bunch for the help and diagram! I've been having trouble actually getting to it however, I took all the screws out and it still won't budge. Do I have to take the steering wheel off as well?

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

Are you talking about the plastic covers?

You don't have to remove the steering wheel for the covers. There are 6 screws on the bottom, the 4 corner screws hold the 2 pieces of the cover together and the 2 that are more in the center hold the covers to the steering column. The pieces do not simply fall off after you take the screws out, you have to pull the 2 sections apart. One of the sections (I pretty sure it's the top one) has 2 arms on it (like a horseshoe) that clamps around the steering column. But it's just brute strength and ignorance - just pull those suckers apart and off.

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

Are you saying you have a problem getting the plastic covers off?

If you are, The steering wheel does not have to come off. There are 5 screws on the bottom that have to come out. The 3 corner screws hold the top and bottom pieces of the cover together and the 2 screws more in the center hold the cover to the steering column.

After you take all 5 screws out, the cover will not come apart and fall off. You need to need to pull the 2 pieces apart.

wolfgangss

Oh Okay! The most challenging part of this was definitely working with it with the key still in there, but I did get to the solenoid and now the key comes in and out woo.

Thanks again, definitely couldn't have figured that out on my own!

wolfgangss

Would you by chance know if that means the solenoid needs to be replaced or if it could be another electrical problem? Could it be the alternator that's making all these solenoid, blinker, and other electrical issues?

DennisMik

iTrader: (2)

I think the key locking solenoid is probably OK. And the same comment for the alternator. If the alternator was bad, the battery would not get charged and the cat wouldn't start after a while.

There is a switch in the console with the shift lever. When the shift lever is in park, it operated the switch that activated the key lock solenoid. Either the shift lever is out of adjustment, or the switch is out of adjustment or maybe the switch is unplugged. Hard to say what that mechanic did. I still lean towards the idea that he unplugged something and forgot to plug it back in. But I admit is is just a guess.

Do your emergency/hazard flashers work? What I am thinking is that the flasher unit that runs both the turn signals and emergency flashers is under the dash near the steering column and may have been pulled out/disconnected. Here is a photo of the flasher unit in my car. My car is a 2000 and there is some difference the way the steering column is mounted so this photo might not exactly match your car. I hope the flasher is in the same spot. also, you would have to remove the lower dash trim panel beneath the steering wheel to see the flasher.

wolfgangss

I went to go check to see if that's where it is in my car as well and it is, but then they randomly started working again - after about a week of not working. I did just replace a few fuses that weren't blown but that was almost 24 hours ago...
Well I guess as long as they're working for the time being, I guess for the rest of the electrical problems I'll have to just take it in later. Thanks a ton for the help man

yorkhigh

I was unable to shift from Park to Reverse or Drive without using shift-lock override for couple of years. I have opened the console between the seats to reach the shift-lock mechanism under the gear shifter this weekend. The blue relay was clicking every time the break pedal was pressed but the black cylinder with piston like mechanism was not pulling plastic tab out of the way for the gear shifter. I have replaced the blue relay with the blue relay (power window relay) next to the interior driver side fuse box. It is working every time now for about a day and the clicking noise is stronger than before. Only the driver side power window was working when I used the bad relay as power window relay (specifications are the same). Just replaced the power window relay with a new relay from AdvancedAuto and all power windows are working.

Just realized that the power window relay is in the picture posted above by DennisMik!

c5tr1ker101

Sorry if this is a dead thread or something, but it seems i have a similar problem.

I have been having a parasitic draw problem, where my battery would die over the span of a couple of days, and i had replaced three batteries before i realized the battery was not the problem. I found that the amp draw went down to respectable levels when i took out the "10A-Bat-Room lamp" fuse, so i have been keeping that fuse out of the fusebox.

I have some of the same problems as wolfgangss since taking that fuse out. while my battery doesnt die overnight any more, my open door, and open trunk indicators stay on the whole time the car is on. all of the lights inside the car dont work (obviously), and the power locks dont work while the car is off (they work while the car is off with the fuse in).

Two days ago, my car (2003 nissan maxima SE) would not let me shift out of park into any other gear. I turned the car off and on a couple times, and it finally let me shift gears.

When i got home, I tried to put the car in park, but the shifter wouldnt go past neutral. It would also not let me take the key out. After turning the car off and on a couple times, it finally let me put it in park, but still wouldnt let me take the key out. So i put the fuse back in, and again turned the car off and on a couple times, and it finally let me take the key out, with the car in park.

This problem has not happened the past two days, and ive driven the car quite a bit. I have a hard time believing that this just went away by itself.