Sticking shifter button

[95GS]

My 95 Regal w/ console shifter.

The lock button has been hard to depress since I've owned it.

Sometimes requires two thumbs.

 

Last fall when I had the car underbody oil sprayed (rust prevention), the button became super smooth

(normal) for a week or two. Then back to obstinate.

 

How does one solve this issue - i.e. where does one lube the cable/lock mechanism?

[Imp558]

I would think that to be a coincidence, the lock mechanism should be almost immediately below the shift lever inside the cobsole.

If you jiggle the shifter or influence it forward does it bind less?

[94 olds vert]

Wd40. I sprayed mine when I had my console apart.

[95GS]

I would think that to be a coincidence, the lock mechanism should be almost immediately below the shift lever inside the cobsole.

If you jiggle the shifter or influence it forward does it bind less?

Hmm - I don't think any amount of jiggling, pushing or pulling has worked in the past, but

I'll try tomorrow. Yes it would be a real coincidence - only time it's operated normally in 7 years, 

so I assumed it was an underbody connection.

 

Not ready to dismantle the console yet, brakes first.

[jman093]

I seriously doubt you have to disassemble the whole console. On Luminas and Grand Prix at least the shift knob comes off in about 5 seconds. There's a horseshoe shaped clip on the forward side of the knob. Pry it out with a screwdriver and the knob comes right off. Then check if the button is sticking or if the shaft the button pushes on is sticking.

[White93z34]

I've had an automatic shifter assembly fail before. It was weird the button would not release.

 

In your case though it sounds like it might be a bad shift cable, not the worst job to replace, but not fun either.

[95GS]

There's a horseshoe shaped clip on the forward side of the knob.

 

Thanks, will check that.

[95GS]

I've had an automatic shifter assembly fail before. It was weird the button would not release.

 

In your case though it sounds like it might be a bad shift cable, not the worst job to replace, but not fun either.

Hmm. You could be right. It's only the unlocking (from Park) that's stubborn, shifting is fine.

But I sense a correlation with the oil spray. Will check that cable.

[GabsOlds]

Do it already! 

[oldparts]

I have the same problem too....I used a white lithium spray and it made it stickier...I am going to put grease in it...I had to replace the key ignition lock cylinder because it was not shutting all the way off, and ran the battery down....linkage may be the problem but, it seemed harder to get into park after I changed the key ignition lock cylinder...

[94 olds vert]

Turbine oil, can make anything move again. I love that stuff.

[Galaxie500XL]

Rem Oil works for a lot of things...it's got Teflon added to it--I use it on my guns, and occasionally on other sticky items.  You can find it in the sporting goods department at Wal-Mart---good news is, even if it doesn't solve the problem, it won't hurt anything.

[rich_e777]

If you are referring to the mechanism that holds the shift lever in park then you might have a bad wire connection like my GTP does. There is a 5 or 6 wire connector with a green and white wire that likes to break making the driver manually release the shift lock. If its anything like my GTP that plastic rod that links the button down to the lever may have come dislodged.

 

Its cold right now but Ive got my center console apart so I can get to this pain in my ass but I`ll take some pics later.

[rich_e777]

If the 1995 Regal has the same locking mechanism that the 2nd gen GPs do here is the other end of the button. There is a plastic rod about 3.5-4 inches that relays the movement of the button to depress the end of the white plastic lever I`m pointing at to pull a locking pin out from the right side of the black box. This is how you manually release the shift column on the floor.

 

Dont mind the rust thats another project, one interior at a time.

[95GS]

Thanks Rich - I haven't messed with it yet.,

[oldparts]

Hey Galaxy, I put REM Oil on it and it freed it up the lever button immediately, but still didn't quite fully get the lever in to park so I could get the key into a lock position, then I heard a click in the steering column and the ignition was able to click over to off. I think something now is sticking in the column....anybody have that problem...When I bought it the key was stripped out in the ignition and the battery went dead 2 days later....so I replaced the ignition key lock cylinder and made the shifting from reverse into park, almost impossible.