Hi. I have a 99 auto GLE. Lately it has been getting hard to put this car in P or sometimes even in D. Other times it goes in soft. Any ideas what's going on?

 

I know that bad or weak motor or transmission mounts can make the gear selector hard to put in gear. Next time you park, before you let off the brake, pull up your E-Brake so the car doesn't "shift" when you let go of the brake after you put it in park. See if that makes it easier to shift into gears, if so....

It's probably some kind of mount problem. Or it was for me anyway...

 

Correct...notice how the car rolls forward slightly after putting in park and letting off the brake? If you don't allow it to roll forward (pull ebrake before letting off brake) then the trans will be easy to shift out of park.

 

and my friends always make fun of me for putting my e-brake up in my automatic >_<;

 

Thanks guys but this actually happens before I turn off the car, when I'm parking let's say. I pull into the parking space and once I come to a full stop and with the brake still pressed down I then shift into PARK. This is where it's hard. It also happens when I'm pulling out of a parking spot in reverse then I come to a complete stop with the brake still pressed and I shift from R to DRIVE. It's also hard here.

 

That's pretty severe...I'd get your motor/tranny mounts checked out.

 

I don't think anything wrong with your transmission. Mine did the same couple of days ago. It usually did it in the morning and the button won't go. Then I read this thread http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=531360 which helped me alot. I just opened the shifter and the trim around it. Cleaned it well and lubricated the moving parts with some high temp grease. Now it works fine now.
If it does not work after you cleaned&lubricated then it could be shift lock solenoid. Hope it helps

 

The button on the shifter works fine, so I'm not sure that is the same problem.

 

wow, i never thought this was a common problem. Friends also laugh at me for ebraking in autos, until they found out how hard it is to pull from park to reverse on an incline.

 

In the winter I go out to the car start it step on the brake and go to shift. But the shift wont move out of park. I know there is a safty switch on the brake but don't know where it is..Might be called (shift lock solenoid.) Its only does this in the winter. All summer it shifts easy. I will now go back and read the link someone eles posted here and see if it helps and shows where the shift lock solenoid is . And help would be nice.

 

sift lock solidoid is on the passenger side of the car. right next to the shifter you hav to remover the cover to the shifter and i think the plate that has park, reverse, nutral etc. it should be 4 10mm bolts, one on each corner of that. i just pulled the pin on the solinoid as an easy fix but now i can move the shifter while the car off and no key, no foot on brake.
if it is your motor or tranny mount more than likely your shift would move by itself when you stop and such. if it doesnt then you motor and tranny mounts are fine

 

I know my car shifted alot smoother after a transmission flush.. wouldn't have thought it would affect shifting from D to P but it did

 

Its not my trany flushed that long ago ,Nothing wrong with it then , just thought a flush would make it last longer. And the trany runs great. Im just going to clean up the solenoid . I will try Joepino's fix first.Thanks for the help.

 

Is it safe to remove that solenoid? Some people may leave the car in D and get out and car may roll without e-brake. Also, by removing it isn't it gonna be easier for someone to steal that car? Just thinking...

 

a couple of years back i was also laughed at for using an ebrake with an auto transmission. i argued, they argued back. so we put 50 bux on it and went to the three nearest mechanics. ALL THREE mechanics said it was a good idea because it keeps tension in the brake lines. i dont know if that has to do with air in the fluid passages or just making sure things are tight, but its what they all said. additionally im from new york city where not 4 hours goes by before someone gently taps your car while attempting to park. with the ebrake off that leads to extra stress on your gears as they are stopping the momentum of your car rolling that 2 inches.

 

its not safe. i know that but it does stop the problem untill you get it fixxed. i know it isnt safe. my daughter was in my car while i opened the hood for something and she put it in neutral and hit my 69 impala behind it. it only left a scuff on the max but it still made me get it fixxed alot sooner than i wanted to

 

I have someting similar I will put my car in P then it will roll a little then the car will make this clicking noise. I believe that's the axle locking up but that's normal but when the car is in P then I will rev it in p with a loud grumbling noise coming from my left front side of the car I can feel the viberation on the steering wheel and the axle grease is leaking out. I took it to good year they have no idea. anyone thanks.

 

yeah some people dont get why you have to pull the ebrake in an auto, but be careful in the winter when an ebrake can freeze on you

 

that sounds like a pretty bad problem. i would go get your tranny checked out. sounds like there could be some metal in your tranny. time for that 5 speed swap

 

I had the same issues months ago. After a long overdue transmission flush and the hard shift went away.

 

Transmission flushed and looked under the shifting panel the solenoid is working good. So I'm now thinking its the Brown switch on the brake peddle.I hope its a easy fix.