Can't shift out of park when ready - just peeps once

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by jreynolds, Sep 19, 2015.

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  1. jreynolds

    jreynolds New Member

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    When I start the car and get the Ready light, I try to shift into P or R, or anything, it doesn't shift. Then it beeps once. I've tried turning everything off. Exiting, locking, unlocking and retrying.

    I get the Ready light and the gas engine even starts, it just won't shift. But beeps once after I try to shift into any gear.
     
    #1 jreynolds, Sep 19, 2015
  2. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    Hmmm. I have some thoughts.
    • You've already stated that the car was [READY] so we can eliminate that.
    • We know the brakes must be depressed when shifting gears, so let's consider:
      • You might not have been pressing the brake
      • There's a problem with the brake sensor and the car can't tell that you're pressing on the brake.
    • I would proffer that perhaps there's something wrong with the shifter, but the presence of the feedback beep indicates that the car knows you're attempting to shift but is telling you that it's not going to let you.
    Let's see what others come up with.
     
    #2 TonyPSchaefer, Sep 19, 2015
  3. valde3

    valde3 Senior Member

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    Try to press brake pedal harder while trying to put it in gear. If it then gets into gear maybe it has some problem with brake pressure sensor? Does it go into ready every time you try? If it sometimes goes into ACC like you did not press brake pedal then it also indicates problem with brake sensor.
     
    #3 valde3, Sep 19, 2015
  4. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Can we get a little history of the car? How long you've had it? Assuming you are pressing the brake while shifting, I would have to say the shifter is the problem. You are able to start the car multiple times and get it to Ready, there shouldn't be an issue with the brake.

    Try and see if you can get it into "neutral", while the car is NOT IN READY MODE.
     
    #4 JC91006, Sep 19, 2015
  5. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    One weird point is that the car beeps ONCE. I tried to shift without my foot on the brake pedal and the car beeped TWICE.
     
    #5 TonyPSchaefer, Sep 20, 2015
  6. goldfinger

    goldfinger Active Member

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    Try holding the shifter in gear. There are spring loaded plastic vanes that keep dust out of the shifter assembly. If these stick they can throw you into neutral.
     
    #6 goldfinger, Sep 20, 2015
  7. jreynolds

    jreynolds New Member

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    It was the shifter. Found one on craigslist for $30 and that fixed it.

    Thanks for all of the suggestions!
     
    #7 jreynolds, Sep 21, 2015
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