Other/Misc: How To: Fix locked key due to parking switch - Automatics only
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From: Iowa
How To: Fix locked key due to parking switch - Automatics only
This how-to actually does alot more than what the name says. I will cover:
1. Making the red underneath the drive letters/ numbers RED again
2. Changing the light bulb that illuminates the drive letters/ numbers
3. Fixing the issue where the key is locked in the ignition due to a "bad" parking switch.
First we need to take off the plastic console around the shifter. To do this, simply lift the plastic around the parking brake. The console is held on by clips, so just pull hard. You will need to pull the parking brake up to get it off. Then take out the cupholders. I find it easiest to get my fingers on the back side (closet to radio) and pull from there. Then you will need to put your car in nuetral and lift off the console piece around the shifter. It should like like this.
Then we need to get the shifter knob off. To do this, make sure the car is in nuetral and twist the chrome underneath the shifter about 1/2 a trun. Pull down. It should go down, if not, keep twisting until it does. It will then reveal this little hex screw. You will need a 3/32 hex key to loosen this. The knob will then easily slide off. Go ahead and also slide off the chrome piece.
You then need to get the black plastic cover off the assembly. To do this, I suggest using your hands, not a screwdriver, and pushing and pulling at the front left corner, then the rear left corner until the plastic holds come off. The other side should be much easier. It is a pain.
Now take off the little plastic piece that has the drive letters/ numbers on it. This should come off easily.
Then slide out the black plastic track piece by first sliding off either the front or the back, then the other half. This is where I realised that the reason the "red" under my drive letters/ numbers wasn't "red" was simply because of dust. Just wipe off the little red plastic piece.
You can also access the drive letters/ numbers light bulb at this point. Pull the white box to the lift of the shifter out of its notches slowly. Remove the light difuser. The bulb is right underneath.
To continue on to fix the locked key, your assembly should look like this.
Now, I need to point out how I think things work in here. If I'm wrong, I'm sorry! I just know that this works, but I don't know technical names for everything. If you look to the left of the shifter, you'll see a pin that sort of sticks out. Also, you should notice a plastic black piece that moves freely when you touch it. By the time I decided to rip my car apart, the shifter knob button was stuck in, all the time. To fix this, pull on the pin on the left hand side and shift into park. It should go up and push the black plastic piece forward.
When in park, it should look like this.
Now, there is also a pin on the right hand side of the shifter. You will also notice a switch that looks like this. This picture is when the car is not in park.
When I pulled the pin on the left side out, it did three things. 1. It moved itself out. 2. It moved the black plastic piece inside the stick that attaches the shifter knob up so it engages the button. 3. It moved the pin on the right side out. Now when you shift into park, the right side should look like this.
That fixed the issue for me, and I'm happy. My car is no longer under any warranty and this would have cost alot to fix. Chevy wants to replace the entire shifter assembly, but I'm not sure why. I can't gaurentee this will last forever obviously. Maybe there is something mechanical still wrong with my shifter inside, I'm not sure. But for now this is a great fix. All you need to do now is put it back together.
To view larger versions of the pictures, check out my gallery. These are the only pictures in there right now.
nwalke's Images - Chevy Cobalt Picture Gallery
If you have any questions or have trouble taking something apart, post here or pm me and I'll try to help.
1. Making the red underneath the drive letters/ numbers RED again
2. Changing the light bulb that illuminates the drive letters/ numbers
3. Fixing the issue where the key is locked in the ignition due to a "bad" parking switch.
First we need to take off the plastic console around the shifter. To do this, simply lift the plastic around the parking brake. The console is held on by clips, so just pull hard. You will need to pull the parking brake up to get it off. Then take out the cupholders. I find it easiest to get my fingers on the back side (closet to radio) and pull from there. Then you will need to put your car in nuetral and lift off the console piece around the shifter. It should like like this.
Then we need to get the shifter knob off. To do this, make sure the car is in nuetral and twist the chrome underneath the shifter about 1/2 a trun. Pull down. It should go down, if not, keep twisting until it does. It will then reveal this little hex screw. You will need a 3/32 hex key to loosen this. The knob will then easily slide off. Go ahead and also slide off the chrome piece.
You then need to get the black plastic cover off the assembly. To do this, I suggest using your hands, not a screwdriver, and pushing and pulling at the front left corner, then the rear left corner until the plastic holds come off. The other side should be much easier. It is a pain.
Now take off the little plastic piece that has the drive letters/ numbers on it. This should come off easily.
Then slide out the black plastic track piece by first sliding off either the front or the back, then the other half. This is where I realised that the reason the "red" under my drive letters/ numbers wasn't "red" was simply because of dust. Just wipe off the little red plastic piece.
You can also access the drive letters/ numbers light bulb at this point. Pull the white box to the lift of the shifter out of its notches slowly. Remove the light difuser. The bulb is right underneath.
To continue on to fix the locked key, your assembly should look like this.
Now, I need to point out how I think things work in here. If I'm wrong, I'm sorry! I just know that this works, but I don't know technical names for everything. If you look to the left of the shifter, you'll see a pin that sort of sticks out. Also, you should notice a plastic black piece that moves freely when you touch it. By the time I decided to rip my car apart, the shifter knob button was stuck in, all the time. To fix this, pull on the pin on the left hand side and shift into park. It should go up and push the black plastic piece forward.
When in park, it should look like this.
Now, there is also a pin on the right hand side of the shifter. You will also notice a switch that looks like this. This picture is when the car is not in park.
When I pulled the pin on the left side out, it did three things. 1. It moved itself out. 2. It moved the black plastic piece inside the stick that attaches the shifter knob up so it engages the button. 3. It moved the pin on the right side out. Now when you shift into park, the right side should look like this.
That fixed the issue for me, and I'm happy. My car is no longer under any warranty and this would have cost alot to fix. Chevy wants to replace the entire shifter assembly, but I'm not sure why. I can't gaurentee this will last forever obviously. Maybe there is something mechanical still wrong with my shifter inside, I'm not sure. But for now this is a great fix. All you need to do now is put it back together.
To view larger versions of the pictures, check out my gallery. These are the only pictures in there right now.
nwalke's Images - Chevy Cobalt Picture Gallery
If you have any questions or have trouble taking something apart, post here or pm me and I'll try to help.
Last edited by TommyP; May 17, 2012 at 09:29 PM.
New Member
Joined: 02-01-10
Posts: 1
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From: NJ, USA
I am having the same issue, and figured out a similar fix myself. Curious, did your fix last, or have you had to repeat it a few times. I seem to be having trouble with the pin moving to the left or right a little bit and getting stuck. It's frustrating to have to pull out my cup holder and fumble with the thing to get it right again.
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Joined: 04-14-11
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: in the boonies
Thanks for posting this! Nice writeup with great pictures!
My girlfriend's '06 Cobalt had a similar issue and I found that the metal lever of the micro switch on the right side of the shifter was bent up a little.
Here is nwalke's piture of the switch:
You can see the little metal lever in there.
Therefore, it didn't engage when it should (when the shifter is in Park and the shifter button is released. I carefully bent the metal lever back down a little and that fixed it. The switch engaged in Park and the key got finally released.
I think this metal lever gets bent up over time from the metal rod hitting it when the shifter button is released quickly.
Hopefully, this will help someone avoid having to pay $$$ for having the dealership fix this common issue ...
My girlfriend's '06 Cobalt had a similar issue and I found that the metal lever of the micro switch on the right side of the shifter was bent up a little.
Here is nwalke's piture of the switch:
You can see the little metal lever in there.
Therefore, it didn't engage when it should (when the shifter is in Park and the shifter button is released. I carefully bent the metal lever back down a little and that fixed it. The switch engaged in Park and the key got finally released.
I think this metal lever gets bent up over time from the metal rod hitting it when the shifter button is released quickly.
Hopefully, this will help someone avoid having to pay $$$ for having the dealership fix this common issue ...
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