'05 Forester Not shifting out of 1st

[Haplessone]

I'm an Auto Idiot, I normally work in IT (this will come up with one reason I'm an Auto-idiot) and I hit a problem with my forester. I had just arrived in my driveway. Pulled into my parking spot an tried to shift to Reverse after coming to a stop and giving it a second to shift tapped the gas and went forward, so I shifted down to drive and tried to shift again waited a second and tapped the gas, bet you can guess what it didn't do. If you said move in reverse you would be correct. After some more trial, error, and general futzing on the driveway I have blocked someone in, and...am in general confused.

So I do what comes natural to an IT person...(And I can already hear the auto experts, groaning and shouting you idiot)...I turned it off waited 10 seconds and tried to turn it back on again.

After checking Youtube I found my fuse box, and checked the fuses, those are all fine, I tried doing the screw driver thing to get it into park or Neutral at the very least so I could move it...nothing.

So now I'm asking you all, What the hell is wrong with her? Listed below is the Too Long Didn't Read Version

• Owner is an idiot
• Car is stuck in drive
• Was shut down because see 1 (Thought to try turn it of then on again)
• Won't start
• Makes buzzing noise when key turned to on.
• Checked fuses, those are fine
• Screwdriver trick not working.

Any idea what is wrong?

[Crvett69]

you can't move the shifter into park or neutral to try to start the car? its possible your shifter cable is bad or your battery voltage is too low causing issues

[somick]

I am a little confused. I assume it is automatic.

What do you call s "screwdriver trick"?

On automatic transmission:

There suppose to be some kind of a button next to the shifter. Sometimes it is hidden under a cover. Let us call it a release button.

Press on the brake pedal,

Push on the release button,

CONTINUE HOLDING BRAKE PEDAL!

Shift the tranny into the Neutral.

Start the car.

The car will start either in Neutral or Park only.

Good luck,
Sam

[Haplessone]

Originally Posted by somick

I am a little confused. I assume it is automatic.

What do you call s "screwdriver trick"?

On automatic transmission:

There suppose to be some kind of a button next to the shifter. Sometimes it is hidden under a cover. Let us call it a release button.


Shift the tranny into the Neutral.

Start the car.

The car will start either in Neutral or Park only.

Good luck,
Sam

What you have just described there is exactly the Screwdriver trick. That didn't work. Called the Screwdriver trick because you need to stick a screwdriver down into that button to get it to hit and release. In my case the Gear Shifter nob moves freely though all positions. It isn't caught but as I move it, it doesn't actually do anything in the Tranny, it doesn't shift gears, the tranny (not the gear shifter) stays put.

[Haplessone]

Originally Posted by Crvett69

you can't move the shifter into park or neutral to try to start the car? its possible your shifter cable is bad or your battery voltage is too low causing issues

Well the shifter moves freely, with no effort at all, much less effort that normally, So I had a family friend look at it while I was at work, and you were right it is the shifter cable which snapped. I'll be figuring out how to install one of those if I don't hear back from said family friend by Tuesday. Possibly also figuring out how to get the shifter because...well might as well replace that too, and hell the car stereo while I'm at it.

[fetchautoparts]

Yeah, I am agree with you...!!!

Originally Posted by somick

I am a little confused. I assume it is automatic.

What do you call s "screwdriver trick"?

On automatic transmission:

There suppose to be some kind of a button next to the shifter. Sometimes it is hidden under a cover. Let us call it a release button.

Press on the brake pedal,

Push on the release button,

CONTINUE HOLDING BRAKE PEDAL!

Shift the tranny into the Neutral.

Start the car.

The car will start either in Neutral or Park only.

Good luck,
Sam