Hey guys,

My durango dosent like to go out in the cold. It happened a few times last year and again this week. The shifter will stick in park but only when it gets below 0 degrees or so. Its almost like the "pin" that locks the shifter until the brake is depressed is freezing. I assume this is a magnitic system. My guess is its building condensation (from breath) on it and freezing shut. Even letting it warm up for an hour sometime wont do it.

any thoughts?

 

if you uplug the brake switch in the cab(on the floor looking up its above the brake pedal) and put the truck in nuetral with the e-brake on, then plug it back in(if you want your brake lights to work lol), you will at least be able to drive the truck then.

what fixed this problem for me was cleaning the contacts for the brake light switch with an aresol can of electrical contact cleaner and cleaning both sides of the plug with that and a toothbrush and then drying it out real good (i used compressed air but we have a compressor so it doesnt cost me anything )

 

So unpluging that disables the park lock (and the brake lights)?

 

yes it seems to, i honestly dont know why, but that is how the trucks were designed, and it will at least let you get out of park so you can still drive the truck

 

Does anyone know the part # for the Brake Transmission Interlock Solenoid?

2002 Dodge Durango.

Seems like a number of us are experiencing 'stuck in park' problems with this massive cold front spreading out.

Thanks

 

i dont think you need to replace the solenoid, i think condesation gets into the plug and freezes, the contact cleaner i used is designed to flush water and dirt out of electronics, and it hasnt happened since,(been almost 2 years) just get a good contact cleaner which will displace water and clean the plugs good.


also i believe this happens because water is actually NOT an electrically conductive substance (PURE WATER im referring to here, normal water has minerals/salts and other impurities in it which make it conductive), when the water freezes btwn the contacts it stops proper conduction through the plug, or more likely(since the water is probably from melted snow/ice you tracked into the cab, it is salt water, therefor forming salt ice, but ONLY when the temperature drops well below the normal freezing point of 32F) the water (now ice) will conduct and act like a short, the contact cleaner will displace the water and prevent it from recondensing in the plug, i believe this is the problem, not the solenoid if you need more of the details about why let me know ill be more than happy to explain it, its really just basic chemistry

 

That's a tight space in there particularly when one is trying to use the distance lens or the bifocal if wearing glasses. Once I figured out there are two tabs to unlock to pull the plug, and some tape to cut to get the cable off that silly plastic tab on the bracket,I got it cleaned up.

Also, that workaround of pulling the plug to bypass the lockout is a good future reference in case it sticks again. At any rate, I can avoid the cost of having a mechanic fiddle with it and charge me for diagnostic time.

Merry Christmas.

 

no problem, and yes it is a tight space, not an issue for me to get into at 19, but i couldnt imagine my father having to try and fix it, and glad i could help save you a few bucks for the holidays, now go buy your kids something nice w/ the money i just saved you

 

Your Dad might surprise you. I'm 71 and I still manage to do some of the things I did at 20 when I was fixing tanks. But again, I do not like those tight spaces and actually, never did.

And the saved money, you might have guessed by now it will be going for something for the grandkids. But more for the food pantry so you actually did a good deed.