Hi all,
I didn't find a thread about this problem anywhere on the Internets, at least not with specific reference to a Micra let alone the K12, so I thought I'd share my story and quick fix for this stupid problem so that others can find this solution.
The problem came about yesterday, when I found that I couldn't shift out of Park for some reason. Turns out that [it appears that] the shift lock solenoid has stopped working. Not receiving the signal from the brake pedal that the brake pedal was being depressed, it wouldn't release the shift lock. I had to press the shift lock release (SLR) button in order to shift out of Park. How annoyment.
Online suggestions indicated that if it were indeed a dud solenoid, it could possibly be cleaned to resolve the issue; I had no luck in finding anything that could be cleaned, so that didn't work for me. Another "solution" was to have a dealer/mechanic replace the solenoid, at a cost of around $500-600. Bugger that for a joke.
Here's what I did, which seems to have worked.
Oh and don't worry, this is safe to do. You will still need to depress the shifter button in order to go from Neutral to Reverse and from Reverse to Park, so you're not going to accidentally shove your shifter from D into R while doing 70 mph on the motorway.
Cheers,
-Hugh
I didn't find a thread about this problem anywhere on the Internets, at least not with specific reference to a Micra let alone the K12, so I thought I'd share my story and quick fix for this stupid problem so that others can find this solution.
The problem came about yesterday, when I found that I couldn't shift out of Park for some reason. Turns out that [it appears that] the shift lock solenoid has stopped working. Not receiving the signal from the brake pedal that the brake pedal was being depressed, it wouldn't release the shift lock. I had to press the shift lock release (SLR) button in order to shift out of Park. How annoyment.
Online suggestions indicated that if it were indeed a dud solenoid, it could possibly be cleaned to resolve the issue; I had no luck in finding anything that could be cleaned, so that didn't work for me. Another "solution" was to have a dealer/mechanic replace the solenoid, at a cost of around $500-600. Bugger that for a joke.
Here's what I did, which seems to have worked.
- Remove the bit of plastic clipped into the centre console underneath the park brake. No tools required.
- Move both front seats as far forward as you can.
- Locate and unscrew the two screws holding the entire centre console in place. They're towards the back of the console – one on each side.
- Carefully pry up the front of the console. It clips down at the front end.
- Remove the console, taking care to clear the park brake before rotating the console ~90 degrees to get around the shifter knob.
- Move the seats as far backward as you can.
- While peering underneath the shifter mechanism from the driver's seat, press down the SLR button.
- Notice that the SLR button is just resting on another bit of plastic, which in turn sits on a spring.
- Realise that you just need to SHOVE SOMETHING in between the SLR button plastic and the lower bit of plastic, in order to trick the mechanism into thinking that the SLR is permanently depressed (the poor dear).
- Shove something into said orifice/opening/gaping hole/etc. I used a bit of rolled up reinforced tape, about 5-6mm in diameter.
- Optionally, use more tape to secure all the bits together. It's a bit hard to get big man hands into this area; taking the seats out would definitely make things a bit easier.
- Reassemble the console.
- ...
- Profit!
Oh and don't worry, this is safe to do. You will still need to depress the shifter button in order to go from Neutral to Reverse and from Reverse to Park, so you're not going to accidentally shove your shifter from D into R while doing 70 mph on the motorway.
Cheers,
-Hugh
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