[bgraham]

Hello,

after telling my wife I needed to do some work on the car and getting the eyeroll, I made her take it yesterday and she got stuck!

Turns out she pulled up to a parking spot where she needed to back out, and reverse wouldnt engage. I drove over there and come to find out she was right and we needed to get the car towed. I tried pushing the car with it in neutral while it was running and could not. When the car is off, I can push it in neutral. When in neutral, the car acts as if its in drive. And obviously, when in drive it does the same thing.

2007 CTS 140K, auto w/slapstick, transmission fluid within last few years, but is likely low. The tranny had been slipping a little prior to this, I just hadn't had time to add fluid.

Could this be the transmission linkage? I did some searching and that popped up. I had been noticing when shifting into reverse, or shifting into drive for the first time of the day I needed to rev it to get the tranny to engage.

 

[RyanY]

I would start by making sure the ATF is in good condition and at the right level. Until then, it is hard to tell whether the trans has additional problems.

 

[Kingoftypos]

There is a mechanical linkage from the shifter to the transmission. There is a set nut on it that you can adjust. This is a two person job and best done on a lift.

One in the car and selecting all of the shift points; reverse, neutral and drive. While the person under make the proper adjustments.

I only know if this after I got into a head-on crash and that set nut got out of wack. Or something else did and the set nut was just the easiest thing to fix.

KOT

 

[bgraham]

Can I have some more information on this? I'm going to do some research myself, but I was leaning to that linkage anyway. The car is on ramps/jackstands and I added almost a gallon of transmission fluid while the car was in drive raised up. I looked at the linkage and everything appears to be tight, including the bushing on the front side of the linkage. Additionally, while the car was raised, and I shift it into park I hear a loud metal on metal "click" or "bang", and it appears to come from where the linkage is.

 

[Kingoftypos]

I just know the linkage is on the passenger side. And the nut was still tight. So something else could’ve shifted in the head-on crash. But moving the set nut was easier than trying to figure out what shifted. I drove her for an other 120k miles after the crash.

KOT

 

[bgraham]

So I've taken the linkage off, it doesnt appear to have any worn bushings, both look fine. It's also clear the linkage either was adjusted prior or somehow came out of adjustment based on the worn paint on the linkage.

When looking at the shifter. It appears as if my lever is a little lower than it should. Like it doesnt all the way go into park, it sorta just catches enough. Which conversely means I'm "going past" reverse when I bring the lever down, and then miss neutral entirely, because neutral is acting like drive. Would a junkyard shifter possibly help me out? Is there a way to remove and adjust the shifter itself? When not connected to the linkage it appears to catch normally.

Also. Sorry to run on like this but the BMW people have had this problem for years and a lot of people suggest the TCC solenoid, and other work on the valve body. I'm going to try that, because the other suggestions were deep inside the tranny, something called a D clutch that can break.

Worst case I get all new fluid in there and drive her with no reverse until I'm left stranded somewhere I suppose.

 

[Kingoftypos]

I don’t understand why you are anything else but the linkage... you said it yourself that it looked like it was previously moved or it jumped out of place...


So why not do what I suggested? Have someone in the car while someone else makes the adjustments on the nut. Then have the one in the car go through the shift points. If it’s lined up great, if not then keep making adjustments until it’s lined up.

KOT

 

[bgraham]

I had made adjustments to the linkage to no avail. But....randomly after about 300 miles, reverse has returned. I will say I probably need to replace the solenoids in the valve body though, the 1-2 shift is pretty firm, abrupt even.