Sticky stick shift, reverts to neutral

Especially since money is tight and your husband apparently has some free time, you might ask him whether he feels like he can replace the shift selector himself, at a cost of <$300. I posted on how to replace it here:
http://priuschat.com/forums/gen-ii-...ing/65102-how-replace-2g-gearshift-lever.html

Otherwise, if you decide to have the dealer do the job, it is fine to hold the shift selector in D while you drive along, as long as you are not distracted by having to do so. An alternative might be to hang a small weight on the shift lever to hold it in D.

 

Patrick,
Thanks for your reply. Hubby is in Houston and I'm in Fort Worth - but don't think I'd let him replace it anyway. Remember the air filter he replace a couple months ago and my driving in the snowstorm and slush and "emergency light" - that was a costly sensor repair.
I'll just let the dealer do it and pay the $300 for the part. How much time do you think it will take to do the install - 1 hour - 2?
Any comments on my experience of the "B" shift on the freeway? Is there any way the car can go from D to B with a faulty shifter?

 

OK. Note that MSRP is $378, so that is the least that you'll be charged for the part at a dealer service dept. Some dealers (in CA, for example) are not content with charging MSRP and may multiply that price by 1.5x to 2x or more.

One labor hour should be sufficient, so that might add $100+ to the bill.

Hey, for a savings of $200, would that motivate you to DIY? :rockon:

Sure, if the shift selector is flaky, then its possible for the car to go into any gear (except for logic rules that prevent shifting into R when your forward speed is more than a small number.)

 

Wish I could get it done DIY, just not an option. The finding the gear in "B" on the freeway is definitely explained now. And it happening twice. Not that I really think about it, the gearshift has been sluggish sometimes and hasn't readily gone into gear. Have had probably half a dozen times when it didn't shift at all and I had to repeat the procedure. Funny how you remember all the little "occurences" when you really sit down and think about it. Guess mine has been failing for about 6 months, because that's when upon reflecting, I've remembered all the little "stuff."

I'll guess I'll fork it up to the Dealer. I saw you ordered yours from Champion in Houston. Guess that's an option for the part if my dealer is too high. And we do have several Toyota dealers in DFW, so I guess I can shop it. Just hate to drive holding that lever down. Guess I can weight it like you say, and it is good to know I'm not driving it and causing damage.

Gotta say, Patrick, you - and all the other great folks on here are a tremendous resource. Had the problem, came here and searched, and found the likely culprit and some advice. Thank you to everyone who contributes here, thank you, thank you!

 

(Posted this in both of the treads on this subject.)

Update: Went out this morning expecting to have to hold the shift lever in "D" to drive to the dealer. The car is shifting fine. Dealer couldn't take it till Thursday so it is back home with me.

After reading this and other posts, I'm thinking this could definitely be heat related - either warping the plastic cover on the gear shifter unit, or as mentioned heat damage to one of the Hall Effect switches, in the shifter assembly etc.

But I'm going to post the symptoms I now recollect I've been having over the last 6 months, in case anyone else is having the same problems. They may be an indicator of the same problem I am having and the start of gear shifter failure - might be helpful to know they may have a shifter going out.

Over the last 6 months:

1. On occasion, the shifter hasn't "taken" in "D". I've had to repeat the shift sequence when starting up to shift to "D" once or twice and it finally kicks in.

2. On at least two, if not three occasions on the freeway, I've discovered the shift in gear "B" when I clearly know I put it in "D" starting out. And no, I did NOT bump the shift lever. I put it in "D" to drive, then discovered it in "B", say an hour later. I have no idea how long it was in "B" during that hour.......

3. This situation last night with the shifter reverting back to neutral when attempting to put it in either "D" or "R". The car would drive if I held the shifter down in "D".

Again, thank you to everyone who contributes to these forums, we all learn from each other's experiences.

 

I encountered a similar problem a year ago, took my car into the dealer's shop and was told they couldn't duplicate the problem. A month ago it happened again a few times and I could isolate the problem to the car having been left in the sun at least 6 hrs. on two very hot (100-degree) days. Again, I called the service dept. and was told that, oddly, there had been another very similar call that same day. After checking with a mechanic, i would get a call back. I didn't. During my routine 30K check-up earlier this week, I asked about the problem again. The mechanic told me he could feel it sticking a little, stated that there had been Coke spilled into the shifter, and for $650 he'd replace it. I don't drink coke and any time anyone has been in my car with a liquid, it has had a lid. Curious as to how anything could have gotten in there--and so perfectly as to not have left any residue elsewhere. I have an appointment with the service manager on Monday.

 

Follow-up to my previous note...
The head mechanic sat in my car and told me he couldn't feel anything sticking and there was no way coke could have gotten into the shifter--essentially refuting the diagnosis by the other mechanic. He felt it was not the shifter itself but the brake switch not sending the signal to the shifter. The service manager ordered the part; I got a call when it arrived and took the car in for the replacement. No charge for the part or the labor because it was considered under the 36K warranty. Yesterday it was 99 degrees when I left work. The car had been parked for nine hours...in the sun. For less than a second, there was a delay in shifting into drive, but then everything was fine. Maybe this is the fix. I hope so, and I hope we're finished with all this hot weather.