Honda Car Forum

Hi, I just had my 2007 Civic lock itself in park several times and I
was barely able to get it back to Drive so I could get to and from
work today.

I dug through the manual and found the little trick called the Shift
Lock Release, which is a little slot right above the shift lever. You
remove this cover - about 1/8" x 3/4" and push the key into it and
then you can move the lever into neutral, start the car, then put it
into reverse or drive.

My question is, how common is this problem, what causes it, and why is
it SO common that Honda even put this little slot there so you can
deal with the problem relatively easily? Apparently this is a problem
they have been having for some time, so they invented this little slot
to help the owner over-ride the problem at least temporarily. So how
long has this been going on?

The manual says this is an indication that something is going wrong
with the transmission.

What should I expect when I take it into the shop on Monday?

I bought Honda because it is supposed to be so reliable. Having a
problem like this one year in, isn't a good sign...

mindfulnessnow@gmail.com wrote:
> Hi, I just had my 2007 Civic lock itself in park several times and I
> was barely able to get it back to Drive so I could get to and from
> work today.
>
> I dug through the manual and found the little trick called the Shift
> Lock Release, which is a little slot right above the shift lever. You
> remove this cover - about 1/8" x 3/4" and push the key into it and
> then you can move the lever into neutral, start the car, then put it
> into reverse or drive.
>
> My question is, how common is this problem, what causes it, and why is
> it SO common that Honda even put this little slot there so you can
> deal with the problem relatively easily? Apparently this is a problem
> they have been having for some time, so they invented this little slot
> to help the owner over-ride the problem at least temporarily. So how
> long has this been going on?
>
> The manual says this is an indication that something is going wrong
> with the transmission.
>
> What should I expect when I take it into the shop on Monday?
>
> I bought Honda because it is supposed to be so reliable. Having a
> problem like this one year in, isn't a good sign...
>

you know you're supposed to have the brakes on when you try to release
it from "park", right?

[the slot is there so the vehicle can be released and rolled or towed,
even with a flat battery.]

In article
<bcb7635f-309c-4f6f-8bb2-37f4e8bfd320@f10g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
mindfulnessnow@gmail.com wrote:

> Hi, I just had my 2007 Civic lock itself in park several times and I
> was barely able to get it back to Drive so I could get to and from
> work today.
>
> I dug through the manual and found the little trick called the Shift
> Lock Release, which is a little slot right above the shift lever. You
> remove this cover - about 1/8" x 3/4" and push the key into it and
> then you can move the lever into neutral, start the car, then put it
> into reverse or drive.
>
> My question is, how common is this problem, what causes it, and why is
> it SO common that Honda even put this little slot there so you can
> deal with the problem relatively easily? Apparently this is a problem
> they have been having for some time, so they invented this little slot
> to help the owner over-ride the problem at least temporarily. So how
> long has this been going on?

Um....let's see.....over 20 years now, ever since 60 Minutes
manufactured the Audi "problem" so they could sell advertising.

You never, ever noticed this before? You never read your owner's
manual? You never wondered "gee, why do I have to put my foot on the
brake just so I can pull it out of Park?" You never heard the "click"
as you put your foot on the brake, the sound of the trans lock solenoid
releasing?


> The manual says this is an indication that something is going wrong
> with the transmission.

Quote that for us, please.

It's MUCH more likely a problem with the brake pedal switch.

Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
> In article
> <bcb7635f-309c-4f6f-8bb2-37f4e8bfd320@f10g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
> mindfulnessnow@gmail.com wrote:
>
>> Hi, I just had my 2007 Civic lock itself in park several times and I
>> was barely able to get it back to Drive so I could get to and from
>> work today.
>>
>> I dug through the manual and found the little trick called the Shift
>> Lock Release, which is a little slot right above the shift lever. You
>> remove this cover - about 1/8" x 3/4" and push the key into it and
>> then you can move the lever into neutral, start the car, then put it
>> into reverse or drive.
>>
>> My question is, how common is this problem, what causes it, and why is
>> it SO common that Honda even put this little slot there so you can
>> deal with the problem relatively easily? Apparently this is a problem
>> they have been having for some time, so they invented this little slot
>> to help the owner over-ride the problem at least temporarily. So how
>> long has this been going on?
>
> Um....let's see.....over 20 years now, ever since 60 Minutes
> manufactured the Audi "problem" so they could sell advertising.

They didn't manufacture the problem. They reported it. And, I think,
having the lock is a good idea.

> You never, ever noticed this before? You never read your owner's
> manual? You never wondered "gee, why do I have to put my foot on the
> brake just so I can pull it out of Park?" You never heard the "click"
> as you put your foot on the brake, the sound of the trans lock solenoid
> releasing?

I have never heard the click, myself, when I drive an automatic.

>> The manual says this is an indication that something is going wrong
>> with the transmission.
>
> Quote that for us, please.
>
> It's MUCH more likely a problem with the brake pedal switch.

That's true. It can also be a problem with the solenoid, the wiring or
operator error.

Jeff

In article <LBZoj.214$xE.131@trnddc01>, Jeff <kidsdoc2000@hotmail.com>
wrote:

> > Um....let's see.....over 20 years now, ever since 60 Minutes
> > manufactured the Audi "problem" so they could sell advertising.
>
> They didn't manufacture the problem. They reported it.

No, they manufactured it.

Such has been demonstrated since, by experts in the field who don't have
yellow journalism to deliver.

Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
> In article <LBZoj.214$xE.131@trnddc01>, Jeff <kidsdoc2000@hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>>> Um....let's see.....over 20 years now, ever since 60 Minutes
>>> manufactured the Audi "problem" so they could sell advertising.
>> They didn't manufacture the problem. They reported it.
>
> No, they manufactured it.
>
> Such has been demonstrated since, by experts in the field who don't have
> yellow journalism to deliver.

Your evidence, please.

<mindfulnessnow@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:bcb7635f-309c-4f6f-8bb2-37f4e8bfd320@f10g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
> Hi, I just had my 2007 Civic lock itself in park several times and I
> was barely able to get it back to Drive so I could get to and from
> work today.
>
> I dug through the manual and found the little trick called the Shift
> Lock Release, which is a little slot right above the shift lever. You
> remove this cover - about 1/8" x 3/4" and push the key into it and
> then you can move the lever into neutral, start the car, then put it
> into reverse or drive.
>
> My question is, how common is this problem, what causes it, and why is
> it SO common that Honda even put this little slot there so you can
> deal with the problem relatively easily? Apparently this is a problem
> they have been having for some time, so they invented this little slot
> to help the owner over-ride the problem at least temporarily. So how
> long has this been going on?
>
> The manual says this is an indication that something is going wrong
> with the transmission.
>
> What should I expect when I take it into the shop on Monday?
>
> I bought Honda because it is supposed to be so reliable. Having a
> problem like this one year in, isn't a good sign...
>

Those clever little Nip spin-meisters ! They've had everyone fooled for the
last 25 years--- selling all those rice burners that fall apart two weeks
after the warranty ends and no one but you sees through them!

On that transmission release key slot, that was a specially installed
feature on your car only. Ya' see when the salesman entered your order, he
ticked the box for "Buyer is a whiney nitwit, " So the guys in the back
dropped in a defective tranny with release slot....

On 2/2/2008 6:45 AM Jeff spake these words of knowledge:

> Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
>> In article
>> <bcb7635f-309c-4f6f-8bb2-37f4e8bfd320@f10g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
>> mindfulnessnow@gmail.com wrote:
>>
>>> Hi, I just had my 2007 Civic lock itself in park several times and I
>>> was barely able to get it back to Drive so I could get to and from
>>> work today.
>>>
>>> I dug through the manual and found the little trick called the Shift
>>> Lock Release, which is a little slot right above the shift lever. You
>>> remove this cover - about 1/8" x 3/4" and push the key into it and
>>> then you can move the lever into neutral, start the car, then put it
>>> into reverse or drive.
>>>
>>> My question is, how common is this problem, what causes it, and why is
>>> it SO common that Honda even put this little slot there so you can
>>> deal with the problem relatively easily? Apparently this is a problem
>>> they have been having for some time, so they invented this little slot
>>> to help the owner over-ride the problem at least temporarily. So how
>>> long has this been going on?
>>
>> Um....let's see.....over 20 years now, ever since 60 Minutes
>> manufactured the Audi "problem" so they could sell advertising.
>
> They didn't manufacture the problem. They reported it. And, I think,
> having the lock is a good idea.

I personally owned a 1979 Audi 5000S, and a little later a 1980 Audi
5000S. As a result, I got to know a fair number of other Audi owners
and drivers. I never once had a problem, nor did I ever hear of anyone
else who had a problem with 'unintended acceleration' outside of the
news stories.

This is anecdotal, I understand. But it seemed clear to me that there
wasn't any problem with the cars; the problem, if it existed, was with
the drivers. It seemed to me.


RFT!!!
Dave Kelsen
--
"So much of what we call management consists in making it difficult for
people to work." -- Peter Drucker

On Sat, 02 Feb 2008 08:53:23 -0600, Dave Kelsen
<invalid@invalid.invalid> wrote:

>On 2/2/2008 6:45 AM Jeff spake these words of knowledge:
>
>> Elmo P. Shagnasty wrote:
>>> In article
>>> <bcb7635f-309c-4f6f-8bb2-37f4e8bfd320@f10g2000hsf.googlegroups.com>,
>>> mindfulnessnow@gmail.com wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hi, I just had my 2007 Civic lock itself in park several times and I
>>>> was barely able to get it back to Drive so I could get to and from
>>>> work today.
>>>>
>>>> I dug through the manual and found the little trick called the Shift
>>>> Lock Release, which is a little slot right above the shift lever. You
>>>> remove this cover - about 1/8" x 3/4" and push the key into it and
>>>> then you can move the lever into neutral, start the car, then put it
>>>> into reverse or drive.
>>>>
>>>> My question is, how common is this problem, what causes it, and why is
>>>> it SO common that Honda even put this little slot there so you can
>>>> deal with the problem relatively easily? Apparently this is a problem
>>>> they have been having for some time, so they invented this little slot
>>>> to help the owner over-ride the problem at least temporarily. So how
>>>> long has this been going on?
>>>
>>> Um....let's see.....over 20 years now, ever since 60 Minutes
>>> manufactured the Audi "problem" so they could sell advertising.
>>
>> They didn't manufacture the problem. They reported it. And, I think,
>> having the lock is a good idea.
>
>I personally owned a 1979 Audi 5000S, and a little later a 1980 Audi
>5000S. As a result, I got to know a fair number of other Audi owners
>and drivers. I never once had a problem, nor did I ever hear of anyone
>else who had a problem with 'unintended acceleration' outside of the
>news stories.
>
>This is anecdotal, I understand. But it seemed clear to me that there
>wasn't any problem with the cars; the problem, if it existed, was with
>the drivers. It seemed to me.

It may well have been the drivers - probably was. But that is scant
consolation when you just crushed your kid to death.

Based on the frequency which this type of accident occurred with the
5000, something was wrong with it. Might have been 100% ergonomic but
there was a problem and it wasn't unique to Audi. The shift interlock
was a good solution. Cheap, effective and it in no way interferes
with normal operation of the car (barring mechanical failure which can
occur with any system in the vehicle). Note that unintended
acceleration accidents have practically disappeared from the news. How
many lives have been saved by the 60 Minutes expose, even if the
actual cause was not strictly mechanical?

Some people just like to bitch and moan about how this is
idiot-proofing, but as long as we are allowing idiots to drive cars...
If this (idiot-proofing) is really such a problem, we should ban
automatic transmissions altogether. If you are too stupid,
incapacitated or uncoordinated to drive a manual transmission, take
the bus.

On 2/1/08 8:59 PM, in article
bcb7635f-309c-4f6f-8bb2-37f4e8bfd320...oglegroups.com,
"mindfulnessnow@gmail.com" <mindfulnessnow@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi, I just had my 2007 Civic lock itself in park several times and I
> was barely able to get it back to Drive so I could get to and from
> work today.
>
> I dug through the manual and found the little trick called the Shift
> Lock Release, which is a little slot right above the shift lever. You
> remove this cover - about 1/8" x 3/4" and push the key into it and
> then you can move the lever into neutral, start the car, then put it
> into reverse or drive.
>
> My question is, how common is this problem, what causes it, and why is
> it SO common that Honda even put this little slot there so you can
> deal with the problem relatively easily? Apparently this is a problem
> they have been having for some time, so they invented this little slot
> to help the owner over-ride the problem at least temporarily. So how
> long has this been going on?
>
> The manual says this is an indication that something is going wrong
> with the transmission.
>
> What should I expect when I take it into the shop on Monday?
>
> I bought Honda because it is supposed to be so reliable. Having a
> problem like this one year in, isn't a good sign...
>

Be glad you have a Honda with the slot. On a Nissan, you have to remove the
entire trim piece around the shifter and then guess at what to prod with a
screwdriver to get it to move.

The problem is a stuck shift lock. The cure will either be a simple
adjustment of the switch on the brake pedal that releases it or maybe
replacement of a part.

Should be quick and easy repair. Has nothing to do with the transmission
itself and the warranty should cover it --- unless its "Pepsi Syndrome".
You didn't perchance spill a drink in there to gum it up?