Abu Dhabi Off-Road Club Forums

Hello, AD4X4ers!

I'm here with a general repair question that I can't get answered anywhere else (so far), and since this group has always been such a wealth of knowledge...

In the last week, the button on my automatic shifter was sticking a bit. Today, the car turns on, but I can't move the shift out of park. The brake lights are working, so I think that rules out a faulty brake light switch.

I know most cars have a place close to the shifter where you can remove a bit of plastic, stick a screwdriver in and release the shift lock. I cannot find this on my car! I think I've looked in all other obvious places. The service manager where I take the car is perplexed.

Naturally, the car is in the underground garage which complicates towing (or getting it onto the truck).

Thanks in advance for tips. I have checked the manual, Mitsubishi and pAjero forums, YouTube...I just can't find the spot. Is it possible my car doesn't have one?

every car with automatic gear box has a shift lock relase.. based on manufacturer recommendation some are not accessible with a button next to the gear lever

However please try the following tips it might work

1. Look for "hold gear" button or "O/D : over drive" press and hold for 20sec while the break padel depressed, hopefully this would work

2. Takeing your words the breaking system working fine and related fuses working fine, you may have to take the internal cover of the gear lever. beneath it you need to look for shift lock plate and try to relase it or move it.

3. Under the cover of the Ignition you will find lock pin attached to parking lock cabel relasing it might relase the shifter lock p.s not sure but the ignition key must be turned to ACC position.

Hopefully first step will resolve the issue however as last resort if your car stuck in underground parking let us know we might have some other ideas.

Best of luck

Thanks, M! I'll try today after work and report back.

Access to the online manual suggests it might be more complicated than those suggestions. http://mmc-manuals.ru/manuals/pajero_iv ... dex_M1.htm

Update: Yeah, well the recovery team had to do it. It involved pulling out the cup holders and taking out 2 screws. Then they had lift the plastic that covers the gear shift and get in there with screwdriver to release it. So, in short, this is really a 2-person job(one to pull up the plastic around the shift while the other triggers the release)...not a simple release like many cars have.

Thanks for the input, Murad!

Sorry for the trouble and glad to hear that you got it out at the end.

Next time make sure to pull the hand break tight then shift the lever to parking. This way will avoid putting the car weight on parking gear lock only which results to that ;p

It's parked on a flat surface, so it wasn't the weight of the car. The recovery team speculated it might be a faulty sensor. Car shop, since it had to be moved to N and D...reverse and park are not options at the moment.