DoubleHoo

My girlfriend has a 2003 Pathfinder with 57K miles. Just yesterday she could not get the car out of park for the first time. The Shift Lock override switch lets her get the car out of park, but now we're trying to figure out what the problem is. I found threads on older models that referenced a shift lock fuse (not on this model that I've found) as well as shift lock switches and solenoids. The brake lights and tail lights function, so I am concluding that the brake/tail light switches are separate from the shift lock switch. I haven't been able to find the Haynes manual for her vehicle yet, so any help on tracking down this problem would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

One more thing....her driveway is on a steep incline, so even though she parks with the parking brake on, there is still strain on the transmission. Could this be a contributing factor to this problem? If so, could she have transmission damage in addition to whatever switch/solenoid may have gone bad?

golfer

Actually your conclusion is incorrect ... the stop lamp switch ( located at the brake pedal lever ) is part of the interlock system... the fuse that would come into play would be 7.5amp # 11 .

With the key ON and by depressing the brake pedal the stop lamp switch combined with the park position switch completes the circuit to energize the shift lock solenoid.

Here is a description as to how the interlock works

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The majority of automatic transmissions ( including yours ) have a park gear with a device called a parking pawl which prevents the output shaft from turning ... basically it locks the transmission so the vehicle won't move while in park. While on an incline there is stress on this pawl/gear and it helps to alleviate this by applying the park brake before putting the shift lever into park.

Search the forum as to where and how to download a factory service manual for the Pathfinder... it's free.