Difficult to change gears, will not go into park - 2006 Double-Cab, Automatic, 4X4

This just started today... start up the truck, go to change the gear selector from P to D and MAN it's difficult to change (to any gear). When I get it in Drive is moves fine, same if I put it in Reverse, no problem. However, it will not go back into Park. I can move the selector up to that position, but the P light does not light up and the truck is not in Park (wants to roll).

Any ideas?

 

Brake light switch or damaged shift cable maybe.

 

Is that brake light switch basically what allows it to shift out and into park?

 

Yes

 

I honestly think I need to replace mine soon. It's so obviously there while shifting in/out of gear, it's almost like a plunger getting stuck. I can hear a ka-ching!often when shifting in/out of park. Especially if I pull back the shift lever before tapping the brake... not even putting up or down torque yet.

I'd mentioned this in the past, how clunky my brake-shift safety switch is. I'm wondering if it's poorly adjusted or just busted.

 

When I remember looking at/for mine, it didn’t seem to have any adjustments, and it’s just a small micro switch. Is your driveway flat or slopped?

 

Virtually everywhere I park at work/home is flat.

 

I feel like someone had this issue recently and it ended up being a bushing in the steering column for the shift lever or something like that. Easy test would be to disconnect shift lever at transmission and with key on engine off with parking brake set and wheels chocks to see if it shifts fine without the shift lever itself involved.

 

My 2000 has a spring loaded plunger that holds it in Park. I found a little corrosion prevented mine from unlocking. Fixed it with a little grease on a cotton tip applicator and working the plunger with a long flat blade screwdriver

 

Mine is now doing this,

I got to work and my shifter went limp and was stuck in R. I found it was the bushing shifter linkage just dry rotted and fell apart.

Put the new bushing in and now it wont go to park. I have to disconnect the rod and manually push it in another 3/16" to get it to go into park.

Anyone ran into this issue?

 

What trans do you have? We can help if we have more info on your truck.

This is such a key piece of info when asking for advice or help, so be sure you update the truck info in your forum user profile to indicate which cab type you have (and engine, and drivetrain). It'll help others more-easily help you and give advice.

Edit: I see for your other posts here that you have the A750 trans

It may be best to ask this in your other thread as you already have tons of info in there regarding your tuck and all that's been done so far.

 

2006 v8 4.7 auto 2wd double cab

 

I don't have experience with the A750E. All I can ask is have you checked the shifter lever for play? May not apply to your 06. Just throwing it out there.
Also what linkage bushings did you purchase and do you have any pics that may assist us?

• Sloppy shift lever OR truck doesn't shift into gear but the lever moves: Here's your thread but you may also want to see this commentary.

• Broken shift lever: This was stupidly common in the earlier trucks, to the point there surely must be a TSB on it. If your shift lever is super sloppy but it's not the problem above, your shift lever base plate may've snapped off. Info on this problem and part numbers to fix info are linked here. Some 2000-2001 owners here are on their 2nd repair at this point... seems like a design flaw!

 

The base is what i assumed broke but it seems to be intact

The bushing inside of the black push arm is what dry cracked and i replaced.

Shifter had minimal slop in it before it broke. Just kinda happened all at once

 

Just spit balling here...
Double check your torque specs of what you removed and replaced. ft lbs is the far-right column






Also verify that you performed the adjustment procedure properly. See DI-384 in the FSE

 

I didnt have to remove any of that stuff so nothing should have adjusted when i replaced bushing. I will try that out this weekend though, I did have the engine out a few months ago.

 

Perhaps it's an optical collision but that circled area just does not seem right, like a bushing is missing there or are you saying that's what you replaced

 

This was posted by hand model a few years ago and looks same.

 

Someone on here had the same issue as you in the past week. IIRC, they followed steps #1-6 (midpage) in @The Black Mamba 's reply above and solved the problem.

I thought they said they had to make the adjustment at the transmission side, but maybe what TBM posted was the actual solve and I misunderstood.

 

Thank yall, it was the bracket to my linkage on driver side of transmission lost one of the 2 bolts and was pivoting when i shifted.

Thats probably why it broke the bushing in the first place.

 

Thanks for following back up with the solution. Future FGT owners with similar problem will thank you.

 

If it wasn’t you I was thinking of in my last comment, that makes two people with the same problem in the past 3 weeks or so.

 

Seems that is an area of interest I need to take a look at.

This was same/similar issue from few days ago.

Column shifter becoming sloppy | Page 3 | Toyota Tundra Forum

 

Thank you @The Black Mamba I have been dealing with a similar issue and those directions for the transmission lever will help a lot. I can start mine in Neutral but not in Park right now. After adjusting the cable to the lever on the transmission last night. I was finally able to get it into park and not have it roll. But I still can't start it in Park. I will try the adjustment on the Neutral switch next once this rain moves out over the next two days. Looks like a weekend project.

 

I worked on the neutral safety switched. Loosened it up and rotated it as far as it would go trying to align it to the mark. I can now start the truck in Park or Neutral but sometimes it still won't start and I have to run the gear shifter up and down a few times and then it works again. I'm going to replace the switch at some point and clean up the bolt as it is rusted like crazy. Had to hit it with PB Blaster just to get it loose. On to getting the oil changed, new gas, checking out the timing belt (still trying to find out if dad replaced it at 90k but it is probably over 9 years old if it was anyway 124k on the truck right now), I have new lower control arms put on with the new frame, and work on sealing the axle cover leak.