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03 trailblazer stuck in gear

68K views 28 replies 19 participants last post by  vansmack 
#1 ·
i have an 03 trailblazer. This morning my wife was backing out of the driveway. It appears that it is stuck in reverse. it is an Automatic transmission and it was driving fine in reverse but it will not shift to any other position. I turned it off and now i can not crank it because it is stuck in gear. What do you think my problem is?
 
#4 ·
i have an 03 trailblazer. This morning my wife was backing out of the driveway. It appears that it is stuck in reverse. it is an Automatic transmission and it was driving fine in reverse but it will not shift to any other position. I turned it off and now i can not crank it because it is stuck in gear. What do you think my problem is?
There is a little plastic grommet that connects the gear shift assembly to the transmission shifter. It sounds like this little piece of plastic has broken. If you crawl under the car, you should be able to see this with no problem and even put the transmission into park or neutral by hand. Parts + installation at the dealership is about $250 or so.
 
#8 · (Edited)
Shift Lever - Cable - Repair of Grommet

2003 Trailblazer 152K Miles

Issue: Truck was stuck in the parked position despite the shift lever moving when the brake pedal was depressed.

Potential Resolution: Dealer (Dealer Labor), Website (Your labor), Home Depot (Your Labor)

Tools needed: Adjustable wrench, Wire Cutters, Duck tape and Crazy glue.

I was missing the white grommet that goes inside the shift lever.

• Dealer - $92 for the part plus labor = Ridiculous went and actually got the part from the dealer. The little grommet was the only thing that I needed to get fixed, but they only sell the entire cable system.

• Website - http://www.atfspeed.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=21 Cost = $20. Require you to take the shift lever off and grind out the original pin. If you don’t have a grinder…this is not for you.

• Home depot - $2 + glue and duck tape…I actually only used one washer for 12 cents.

Before attempting any fix make sure you secure the wheels with a brick and use emergency brake.

The breakage:
The Shift Lever Grommet that comes inside of the Shift Cable was broken so the cable popped off the lever. When you move the lever back and forth it will not shift.

If you need to get the lever in to the parked position push it towards the front of the vehicle. I used duck tape and a zip tie to hold it in place until I could get a permanent fix. May last a couple days…Maybe.


Once I got to Home Depot I removed the shift lever

Below is a picture of the lever looks w/out the grommet. I recommend taking this in with you to home depot to make sure your sizes match perfectly.

Once it is off the vehicle you push the hose on to the end of the pin after applying glue to the head and shaft of the pin.


I also put some duck tape around the end to hold it in place and allow the glue to set. I always recommend having duck tape....it's a life saver.

Clip the end off the hose to only allow a ¾ to a ½ inch or so to stick out.

Reattach the shift lever and then attach the cable, add the washer and use the clip to secure the washer on to the hose. Make sure the hose has clearance to move back and forth.

Problem solved for $2

 
#11 ·
what kind of hose did you use?



kingfil, thanks for posting this alternative fix for the shift lever problem.

my '05 denali has experienced this issue last night.

can u please clarify what kind of hose you used. also, what
size it was.

thank you in advance for your help.

fyi...the dealer quoted me $72 for the shift cable replacement part.
 
#12 ·
Hose was from a sprinkler connection

The hose was just a sprinkler connection. Look at the picture or print it out and take it with you to the store. The code number is on the receipt screenshot.

It is a hard plastic. Only push it on once with glue. The way the plastic has to bend only makes for one good tight fit. The good thing is that you have an entire foot of it.

Mines has been working since this post. No issues at all.

Be your own man and take that savings of $72 plus labor and treat yourself to something nice. You deserve it. MONEY SAVED!:yes:
 
#13 ·
thanks, kingfil

for the quick response, the clariification, and most importantly, the
encouragement.

i plan on tackling it first thing in the morning.

the truck is currently stuck in a shopping center parking lot
so it's going to be fun jacking it up and working on it there. :D

i'll take the picture of your receipt to home depot with me.

i'll update you tomorrow.

thanks, again.
 
#14 ·
update

first, my apologies for the delay posting the outcome of my repair.

secondly, i'd like to thank kingfil for the excellent posts especially
the pictures which included the receipt showing the parts that he used.
and thanks, kingfil, for the encouragement to do it myself.

my gal's envoy denali was stuck in a shopping mall parking lot. not
a desirable location to fix a vehicle.

i used strapping tape to secure the lever in position so the shift selector
would actually shift the transmission. (i'm not including pictures because
kingfil's post and attachment served the purpose magnificently)

got home safely.

took my xterra to home depot and secured the parts.

in the essence of "there's many ways to skin a cat", i deviated from
kingfil's exact parts, but used his repair technique.

instead of kingfil's hose, i purchase a flexible hose that, in my opinion, fit the nipple on the shift lever better. the one downside is that the hose is flexible. the hose i purchased was 18" long so at that length it is flexible, but when using only an inch of it, it is extremely rigid.

kingfil's hose, and the one i purchased, can be found in the automatic sprinkler section of home depot.

the other variation is that i used hitch locking pin to secure the cable from
separating from the shift lever. i did use a locking washer too, but just felt
the hitch pin added more security. this can be found in the hardware aisle.

my repair was a little more expensive - $11 - because i purchased the parts kingfil used and ones i thought would work. wanted kingfil's as a backup in case mine failed. also, i need to buy glue (to glue the hose to the nipple on shift lever) which was the most expensive item at $5.

thanks again, kingfil.

and thanks, trailvoy. this is my 2nd repair i did myself on my gal's truck,
which has saved me over $1000 already. i would not have been able to do
it without the input of this great community of trailvoy owners.
 
#17 · (Edited)
Thanks to all for the great info on here.

I repaired mine today, following roughly the guides given previously, but doing it slightly differently.

So lets look at the whole story. My daughter called me yesterday afternoon, to say she'd just arrived home, and when she went to park up, the Envoy got stuck in reverse. I told ther o kill the engine, and wait with the vehicle.
I consulted the forum, and my search brought me to this thread. I read, inwardly digested, then went down to my garage and got some safety wire, and pliers. Twenty minutes later, a temporary repair was in place, and the vehicle was drivable again, by the simple expedient of locking the cable end on with wire. It worked, but wasn't exactly smooth going in and out of park.

So today at work I got to thinking about it, and figured it would be better just to have a nut and bolt to hold it on. So when I got home, I inspected my stock, and liberated a couple of 10-32 bolts, some washers, nyloc nuts, and a couple of inches of 5/16" grease line (Sometimes it's good to be a field Service guy, you keep all sorts of items "just in case").


Once I got the Envoy at my garage, jacked and on axle-stands, I got under and cut the wire I'd previously fitted. Next I removed the remainder of the original grommet, inserted the grease line, and marked it for length (width of the cable end +1/8"), and cut it.
Then I removed the shift lever, and not having a grinder handy, but a convenient drill, I drilled out the original pin.
Next I put the bolt (with a flat washer) through the shift lever, fitted the grease line, another flat washer, and a nyloc on until it was two threads of being fully tight. I then cut the bolt to exact length.
After that it was just disassemble what I had, put the shift lever back on,place the grease line in the grommet space in the cable end, then align, push the bolt through, washer on, and a fresh nyloc to secure.

You could use any low friction stiff tubing you wanted, as long as it fits the grommet hole. Just make sure you leave it a little long to prevent pinching when you secure the bolt, leaving the cable able to pivot. The principle is the same.


Also, please note that I did think of using a 3/8" shoulder bolt which would have done the job perfectly, but I would have had to have waited until i was back in the plant to use a drill press to enlarge the hole in the end of the shift lever to suit....and I'm not that patient. I wanted it fixed today!

But if you have the tools and materials available to you, a 3/8"-16 by 3/4" Cap headed shoulder bolt would fit perfectly with this. You could use a 1", and a couple of nylon washers as well.

This forum, and this thread have helped me out a lot, and hopefully this may help someone else, by increasing there options for this repair.

:thx
 
#18 ·
One week and holding! I went to Ace Hardware. Best fit seemed to be a 3/8" opaque tube, and i believe a 7/16 e-ring but dont take that ering size to the bank. I found smallest washer that wld fit over tube. Had to be very careful about trimming the tube. Too short and u cant get the washer n ering on reliably. Too long and the tube will smack into the adjacent pan. I wiped clean the grommet pin as best I could and applied a good dollap of henkel contact cement. Wasnt sure if tube or cement could handle the heat but so far so good. Did about 2 hours of highway driving in fl heat with no issues so far. Havent looked underneath to check condition. No news is good news :O

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App
 
#19 ·
You saved my family from a very long night.

This post got me home tonight after an outing with my family. Same issue as described before, I had put the Envoy (2004 XUV 2WD) in drive but it went in reverse coming out of the parking lot. Tried to shift into park to see what was wrong and it was still in reverse. Then it would not shift at all but still in reverse. So I shut off the engine and then it would not restart. The shift lever was in park but the reading on the dashboard showed it was still in reverse. I called a friend to come pick my family up and get them home. While sitting there waiting, I searched the forum and found this thread.
When I looked under the vehicle I saw the cable dangling there. I followed the instructions posted by Kingfil and just placed the cable on the lever and by pulling the lever forward got it started again. I had some electrical tape with me that held it in place long enough to allow me to shift into drive and get my family home.

I will work on getting the fix tomorrow but wanted to say thank you to Kingfil and this forum for helping me get my family home safely.
 
#20 ·
Good luck hotmods. For Gawds sake dont be an idiot like me when u make ur fix. Make dang sure ur e-brake is engaged rock solid and u use proper blocking and jacking. U go yanking on the lever underneath the transmission and - surprise - u just took ur ride out of park. Ever been under an SUV when it starts rolling? ill share my stupidity if saves others some grief.

Sent from AutoGuide.com Free App
 
#21 ·
Good Tip and hope you did not get hurt! I have blocks for the tires and parking break will be applied. I actually had someone sitting in the driver seat pressing the break while I checked underneath last night as a precaution. Can't ever be too safe!

I believe I am going the route described at the ATF site. Replacing with the part located here. http://www.atfspeed.com/store/index...cPath=21_219&zenid=736hfoqi9j7drb6dfbt0d77sv2. Rather than creating my own, and my wife being skeptical since it is her car, I want to make sure it is as safe as possible. We have over 200k on the XUV now and plan on as many as it will give us. Still running great for us and the Utility of the XUV is unmatched in my opinion.

I will update when I get it in.
 
#22 ·
ATF Repair kit installed

I got the ATF Cable Repair Kit 4L60E in yesterday and installed today. Followed the instructions they sent and reviewed the video of the install on their website (it is a Mazda as said before but works just the same on the Envoy/Trailblazer).

They sent 2 pins in the kit. They were not exactly the same as one had a thicker head than the other but I used the one with the thickest head and it worked on my 04 XUV.

Here are some picks of my install

https://skydrive.live.com/?cid=f9c893ab9df7020d#cid=F9C893AB9DF7020D&id=F9C893AB9DF7020D!3175. I have named the pictures with the instruction for that particular picture. Also there is a pic of the instructions from the ATF site and the pins that come with it.
 
#24 ·
NAPA bushing

After saving a bunch of money with this site, I just signed up to give a little knowledge back.

The wife's car got stuck in reverse yesterday and this thread had me pointed in the right direction immediately. The one thing I stumbled upon that I saw nowhere else in the thread is that NAPA sells a bushing kit (part # NOE 6151434) for about $15. The pieces seem larger and hopefully more robust than the remnants of the stock piece that I popped off with a flathead screwdriver.

If you use this kit, you may do well to disregard the instructions. The two orange pieces are what you need to fix the trailblazer. Place the small end of the orange grommet against the driver side of the shifter cable hole and force it through. Then put the cable back on the transmission. Finally, take the other orange piece and put it in the open end of the grommet and push it all the way in. Once that last locking piece is in there, everything should be nice and tight.

Well, I had a link to the product, but apparently I can't do that in my first 5 posts. Oh well.
 
#25 ·
After saving a bunch of money with this site, I just signed up to give a little knowledge back.

The wife's car got stuck in reverse yesterday and this thread had me pointed in the right direction immediately. The one thing I stumbled upon that I saw nowhere else in the thread is that NAPA sells a bushing kit (part # NOE 6151434) for about $15. The pieces seem larger and hopefully more robust than the remnants of the stock piece that I popped off with a flathead screwdriver.

If you use this kit, you may do well to disregard the instructions. The two orange pieces are what you need to fix the trailblazer. Place the small end of the orange grommet against the driver side of the shifter cable hole and force it through. Then put the cable back on the transmission. Finally, take the other orange piece and put it in the open end of the grommet and push it all the way in. Once that last locking piece is in there, everything should be nice and tight.

Well, I had a link to the product, but apparently I can't do that in my first 5 posts. Oh well.
Here you go.

NOE 6151434
 
#26 · (Edited)
Stuck in Drive. All the same as original scenario, though.

Not a mechanic, but can't afford a conventional repair which would obviously also require a tow off our mountain property and into a mechanic. (See bottom line question all the way down of this original post).

Wondering if any experienced owners would suggest I try this plastic grommet fix-- or at least investigate it in that direction. Not afraid to jack up and crawl under. Have already done that to fix something else that was rubbing on the front driveline, probably tranny cooler lines that got relocated slightly when mechanic replaced transmission. (Shade tree).

Bottom line question;
is this most likely underneath, so I crawl under, or up in the cab, so I get at the shift assembly under the shifter arm?

If I need to post as an original post instead of a reply, let me know, will be happy to comply. Thx
 
#29 ·
I had this problem, and it was a very easy fix. Yesterday I went to drive my car, and it would not start. I noticed that it said it was in reverse, and I could not shift the car. Today I jacked up the car, checked, and sure enough the shift linkage bushing had broke, and the cable was off the transmission shifter. I went to my local Autozone and asked them if they had the Dorman 14055 shift linkage bushing kit. They did not have it, but the Autozone in the next town over had one in stock, I had them call and verify it was in stock. I drove there (about 7 miles away), got the bushing, and returned home. I got some lithium infused oil spray (probably not needed), a flat blade screw drive, and a pair of pliers. I sprayed the new bushing with the oil. I used the screw driver to pry the bushing piece off the transmission shift, then tried to push the bushing into the shifter cable but could not get it to go with just the pliers, so I pushed it most of the way in with the screwdriver. I used the pliers again and the bushing popped right in. I shifted the transmission into park (toward the front of the car) and reattached the shift cable. All was fine after that. Total time working on the vehicle from jacking it up, fixing it, removing jack, and putting tools away was 30 minutes, or less. Driving time.time at parts stores was probably another 30 minutes. Price for bushing kit $12.92 with tax. I used the clear bushing that is on the right, but the other one may work too. I saved the other one in case I need it in the future.
57590
 
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