Pelican Parts Forums - BMW 525ti (e39) shift linkage prblem...help please

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BMW 525ti (e39) shift linkage prblem...help please

BMW 525ti 2002 model auto trans....put in drive and off I go. Notice it doesn't shift out of second. Look at dash and it appears its in the sporrt manual shift mode. Move lever over to Drive mode. Doesn't come out of sport mode. Move shift lever back to sport to see if I can shift manually. Nothing,,,still in 2nd gear.

Pull over, stop and try to put it in park. Shift lever won't come out of dive position (yeah I had my foot on the brake). Turn off ignition...ooops...its stuck in drive so it won't start. Get under it and put it in park at the tranny. Start it. Get under again and put in Drive (yeah someone was in it holding brake). Drive to buddy's shopt. APPEars shifter cable maybe problem. Real problem is dealer says cable not sold separately....have to buy entire shifter as an assembly to the tune of $1200 +. Pulled consiole cover and nothing looks amiss.

Seems I've hear somewhere this may be something to do with steering lock solenoid when it is turned off....or matybe I;m crazy.

Any thoughts?

Have you kicked the tires?

OK...even a BMW master tech has neverr seen this exact problem. Has given me a way to ty and allow it to go into park. Any ideas guys....tech doesn't think its a cable.

At least I've confimed parts are available and I don't have to buy the entire shifter assembly.

Also maybe related to brake light switch off all things that is on a circuit with th the lock out solenoid.

Jim, post your question here in this E39 forum and hopefully you'll get a solution... 1996 - 2003 (E39) - Bimmerforums - The Ultimate BMW Forum

have you dumped your coffee, or a soda down the center console recently ?

I have not run into this on a BMW yet, but I had an SL 550 where the park interlock went wonky, and it was not serviceable. I had to purchase the entire shifter mechanism. I called benz, and it took me a few minutes to catch my breath after hearing the $. I found one used on car-part.com and grabbed it up. I bet you are having similar issues . It was a miserable sob to replace as well.