Auto Transmission park fault

radar51, Oct 3, 7:50pm
Honda 1998 Torneo . I have to put the key into the transmission slot and push down to move it out of park and into neutral before i can move the car. Any ideas please?

ema1, Oct 3, 8:43pm
Yep normal thing this is, Toyota's too some have a release "red" button down beside shift lever press that and release the trans from park, used when car immobilized or if it has flat battery. and engine can't be started.
Some you need to plonk foot on brake to shift out of park as well, Honda could have this feature too.
You'll probably find you have to have car in park before you can remove the key as well=safety feature.

radar51, Oct 3, 9:22pm
Ive had this car for years. has got worse recently, push hard on brake would release park but not now. But thanks for reply. Im sure its some sort of electrical switch issue.

ema1, Oct 3, 9:42pm
Sounds like some electrical issue for sure( lock out switch or similar possibly or ignition barrel fault in electrics possibly. it needs a hands on diagnoses could be a combination of things). auto sparky would be the place to go have it sorted/checked out . either there or Honda agent workshop. wear and tear of components could be a factor here?
Could be something simple as a loose item in there some place. haven't dealt with the Honda set ups as back in my day they were comparatively new and problems of this sort were virtually unheard of?
Bits should be available from a wrecker if there are any with your model of Honda as new items might be a problem getting a hold of.

radar51, Oct 3, 10:46pm
brake lights dont work either

snoopy221, Oct 3, 10:49pm
Yip seem to recall it is no big FUSS
Juss a simple thang made o plastic in da fuss box
**FUSE**

ema1, Oct 3, 11:09pm
Fuses yep but stop light switch could also be faulty there my man, could be both stop tail bulbs might have blown stop filaments as well.
Trans being difficult to get out of park is or could be more than a fuse snoops?

ema1, Oct 3, 11:33pm
Bulbs could possibly not be grounding in their sockets either as I found in my Corolla the other day, often used to see bulbs with both filaments blown particularly in cars that travel on unsealed roads and on long distance farm roads/tracks, very common in fact.
Failed flasher bulbs too for same reasons. common seems more prevalent in winter conditions we get down here actually.

snoopy221, Oct 3, 11:34pm
My recall is they simply run a solenoid on the brake light circuit ema-and age and mileage and honda and a circuit not intended to carry the load of a solenoid originaly

ema1, Oct 3, 11:37pm
Could be right, but back then matey I never had to investigate a brake light circuit fault in them when the cars were near new apart from bulbs or bulb sockets oddly enough, stop light circuits were surprisingly reliable in them.
I always understood them to have a grounding type switch mounted above the pedal like most other cars mate and had an adjustable double nut system on the lug mounting set up. switch could be loose or possible out of adjustment, easy to check and fix if that's the case. could be wiring at switch unplugged or broken wire?

mack77, Oct 3, 11:40pm
I believe that it is likely that one fault is causing both of your problems. I suggest that you check the brake light switch and/or the wiring to it.

ema1, Oct 3, 11:47pm
Could be right in thinking brake light switch circuit working trans park lock out as well. it does on some cars.
The Honda may have a shift interlock solenoid that acts whenbrake pedal is used.
Also some cars Toyota is one that won't allow you to withdraw the ignition key from it's barrel until trans is actually in park.
Shifter interlock solenoid might be faulty also, if it has one. I have never ever had to deal with that problem on a Honda as I said earlier.

snoopy221, Oct 3, 11:47pm
LOL sheesh ema
Gor blimey
Surely ya recall the old days honda civics and the electric fan temperature switch in the radiator wired DIRECT with no relay and what happens?
mmmmmmm
hot switch fan motor load etc.
Akin to a solenoid sitting in a trans shift lever console with years of hair, minties wrappers, dust LOL
[Hey-been wrong before-but fuse would be good EASY start point]

ema1, Oct 4, 12:01am
You have stirred my old memory banks snoops yep vaguely remember that but never had an issue with one actually, most were newish back then and pretty much the local Honda agents dealt with them we had very few and far between Honda's in our shop mate. . I agree fuse would be a good start point for sure. but. usually there's a reason a fuse pops and reason for such needs to be found out too. IMO.
Sneaky stuff electricity when it goes places where it's needed/not needed or not at all snoops?
Surprisingly I rarely had an issue with auto trans interlock systems, auto sparkys tended to land those jobs, most GMH and Ford, Chrysler and English stuff back in the day mate didn't have interlocks in em mate.
They were only coming in on Japanese stuff around the time I left the trade. became common on Japanese imports around the time they started coming into NZ.
My current cars have interlocks in em but no probs have shown up yet .

mechnificent, Oct 4, 9:22am
You shouldn't need to push the brakes down hard. The interlock should come off when the brakes light come on, and the brake lights should come on with minimum pressure. Check the lights are working, and if they aren't, check the adjustment on the brake switch. It probably needs adjusting.

mechnificent, Oct 4, 9:25am
Yup. out of adjustment.

radar51, Oct 4, 6:15pm
Thanks all. Mack 77 is correct. Auto electrician was busy so the boys at work decided to take out the brake switch to test it. Found a connection had come loose. So all problems now fixed. Surprised the traffic officer made no mention of brake lights when he pulled me over the other day. So now I drive with my nav man on to warn me over 60 Km/hr . Cheers,

ema1, Oct 4, 6:37pm
Funny I also mentioned brake light switch as possible fault plus wiring faults one post before mack 77's post . but good on you for finding the fault . and fixing it.

lusty9, Jan 1, 9:53pm
the sellector solenoids probably fc%ked, runs off the brake. Excuse the French