I have 2 problems with my beautiful 1998 Cadillac Catera:

1. Locked key in car. I had a locksmith open our door, and make us a spare key just for the door (not for ignition , due to the sensor ). To make a long story short, we accidentally used the 'door key' to start the car, and after a bit of sputterin' we figured the problem out and got the good key. ... BUT! The car will only go in R, N, D, 3, and 2nd gear. It wont go in PARK or 1st gear!

Is there something that needs to be reset to get it to go in park again? Thankfully it'll start in Neutral and can be parked using the handbrake.


2. This problems stems off #1. My trunk and fuel door wont open. Its almost out of gas! How do I get my fuel door open? (the 'fuel door' button doesnt work, of course). I kinda looked around in the trunk (via the emergency trunk release thru the back seat) , but couldnt find an emergency fuel door release.


Thanks in advance for your much needed wisdom!

Welcome to the forums!! Thanks for signing up :wave:

for the first problem, Id say something is messed up with your shift lock system... Usually the lever has to be pulled in order to go into P, but that wouldnt explain it not going into 1st (unless its setup different)... The other option would be that the shifter needs adjustment.....

Without knowing how the setup works, id say youd be able to take off the switch and jump the wires (with a paperclip or something) to get it to activiate.... Without the wiring diagram in front of me its kind of a crap shot... The only other option that I can think of would be to pry open the thing and figure it out later, but that would be very unfortunate if it was only a $5 switch....

Take the switch out, and unplug the harness connector.. If its a 2 wire setup, I bet it can be bridged this way.... If its a composite for the trunk and the gas door, you can just keep trying combinations until something works!

98 catera owner here... have the same problem with gas tank...

open the trunk... gas inlet side, open the side panel in trunk...reach in and grab the slider rod and just pull back on it aloowing the gas tank door to open from outside.

Mine will auto lock when the car doors lock again.

pain in the ass, but I plan on getting the 3 manuals and gm parts list order the solenoid, I here the clicking of the solenoid but no motor actuation of the locking rod... looks like it would be pretty easy to replace all from the inside of trunk...

good luck

DO NOT PRY OPEN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! you will break the welded tab on gas tank door

Hey, thanks alot!

The other day I looked around for a switch of sorts in the trunk, but I suppose I didnt look hard enough. I'll have a look tomorrow when I get to the office for the SuperBowl party (yeah, I had to leave her parked there... cant get gas! :( ).


thx again!

Hey, thanks alot!

The other day I looked around for a switch of sorts in the trunk, but I suppose I didnt look hard enough. I'll have a look tomorrow when I get to the office for the SuperBowl party (yeah, I had to leave her parked there... cant get gas! :( ).


thx again!



Sweet, now she's got gas!



Now on to the tougher problem: Why it wont go into PARK. :(