The shift interlock system in your Honda Accord is designed to ensure the proper operation of your automatic transmission. The interlock is comprised of two signals, one from your brake switch and the other from your shift interlock solenoid. When your Honda Accord won’t shift, won’t come out of park, or your Honda Accord key won’t come out of the ignition, you’ll need to learn how to service a Honda Accord Shift interlock.
Our DIY guide on how to service a Honda Accord Shift interlock is broken up into two different segments. If you have an issue with your shifter not being able to shift from PARK position, or stuck in gear, continue reading. If you are reading our guide to find out how to remove your Honda Accord ignition key, skip down to the solenoid test section below.
Today we’ll be showing you how to service a Honda Accord Shift interlock in a 1999 Honda Accord EX. This vehicle has a lot of issues with the shifter being stuck in park, and today we’ll be dealing with the Accord shift interlock solenoid.
What does the shift interlock do?
The shift interlock is simply a safety mechanism that makes sure you aren’t going to destroy your automatic transmission. Certain safety steps are part of this system, such as depressing the brake before shifting, or removing the ignition key with the shifter in PARK. When you start having issues removing your key, or shifting your Accord, you can save a lot of money by learning how to service a Honda Accord Shift interlock.
Where is my Honda Accord shift interlock?
This vital component of your drivetrain is located in the center console of your Honda. You will need to remove the shifter head as well as the center console all together to access the Honda shift interlock.
How To remove the Honda Accord center console
You’ve got to remove the head of your automatic Honda Accord shifter.
To do this, there’s two screws on either side of the shifter, remove these to slide the shifter and shifter button of your shaft.
Once you’ve got these screws out, go ahead and pull off the head of your Honda Accord shifter.
In order for the center console to come out of your car, the cubby hole under your Honda Accord stereo must be taken out. To do this, remove the screws that point upward through the cubbyhole mount points and into your Accord dashboard.
Remove these two screws, and carefully remove your cubbyhole by pulling down and out. If you are still having problems, you can remove your shifter plate. This shifter plate has the gear selector built into it, and it can be taken off your Accord by simply sliding it up and off your shifter base.
Now slide both seats forward as much as possible to reach the screws in the back of your Honda center console. These screws must be taken off in order for you to pull up on the back of your Accord center console.
Pull up your ebrake, and then remove the screws that are installed under your Accord shifter plate. With all these screws taken out, you can now remove the center console and access your Honda Accord shifter base as well as the shift interlock.
Testing the Honda Accord shift interlock
Now it’s time to temporarily reconnect your shifter head, and attempt to shift your Honda Accord with the engine off. To do this, you may test the shifter release ( the large green square ) on your Honda Accord shifter base. Depress this large green square, and your shifter should now be free to move.
If your shifter in your Honda Accord is stuck, and depressing this cable does not help, you may need to adjust your shifter cable.
While depressing this large green button, your shifter should move freely and easily. If this is okay, then move onto the white box on the driver side of your shifter base.
This white box is your gear release for your ignition, you will need to pull back on the white arm to see if the shift interlock is working correctly. When you put your shifter into PARK, this white lever gets pushed back, which tells your Honda Accord ignition switch that it’s okay to let go of your key.
If the white lever does not solve your issues of shifting or replacing your Honda Accord shift interlock does not resolve the problem, try your brake switch. This is a two pin unit under your dash in your Honda Accord, and if it’s bad your shifter will not move, your ignition key will not come out no matter how to service a Honda Accord Shift interlock.
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