Hi all, I'm new here and have a 1997 Protege LX 1.5 w/auto trans. Here's the story - I parked the car in June, it worked just fine. I go to start it up a month or so later and it starts very hard...the alternator had seized up completely and pulled the belt off. Ok, minor problem...until I try to drive it into my garage...it's stuck in park. I tore apart the console around the shift lever, pushed on the override switch to no avail. It feels like an interlock of some sort isn't releasing, it doesn't feel like there's a tranny problem. We tried rocking it and hitting the brakes etc, it made zero difference. I installed a new alternator and fired it up - no difference. I have no idea where to go with it at this point, I have an unusable car sitting in the driveway and winter is coming. I'd be happy to even take it somewhere for repair...but I can't! Any ideas are appreciated.

Dave

 

I fixed this problem by "pushing" the reset button on the console to the right of the shifter, under a little dime sized flap. I had to "push" the button with a sturdy punch and a big hammer, repeatedly.

 

That's pretty much what I ended up doing last winter. I tore out the safety lock, just snapped it and ripped it out. I sold the car to a good friend who knew about the lack of shifter interlock and didn't care about it. The car wasn't worth much and there was no budging that interlock. Problem solved, car is gone!