Dakota stuck between Neutral and 1st gear
 

I have a Dakota Quadcab 5.9L 4wd AT with 112,000miles that is having a transmission problem. About a week ago it started to have a problem shifting from 1st to 2nd. I had to let off the gas and try to baby it into second. It then had no problem going into 3rd and 4th. If I remember correctly 1st and 2nd are the same gear they are just reversed that is why 3 and 4 are unaffected. I think it was going into 2, it could have been jumping 2 and going into 3 though. So a few days of that go by then as I go to back up and the shifter wont go past neutral. I can move forward fine with the problem still occurring between 1 and 2. The shifter functions normally between N and 1 but won't go to park or reverse. I'm guessing it's somewhere in the linkage, probably at the transmission side.

So the next next problem is that being stuck between N and 1 means I cant get the keys out, I can start it in N but the keys are still in the ignition. So I turned the key off and let it sit till I could get to look at it. So after a few days now the battery has died. I learned before that when the battery dies the doors lock. Knowing this already from a dead battery before I wasn't there when the doors locked themselves.

So after my story I have 2 questions.
1. Is there a way to unlock the doors with a fuse or relay under the hood by putting 12v
to it, or by charging the battery will the doors unlock on their own?
2. Has anyone got any advice on what the frozen shifter could be? Cable Linkage
problems? And could the linkage be why the thing wasn't shifting into second properly?

Anything anyone has got on this would be great, cuz you know the mechanic will tell me I need a new transmission.

Chris

call your local police department, tell them you locked your keys in your truck. They will usually come over or send someone over to jimmy the lock. That's the easiest way.

make sure the cable linkage isnt out of adjustment, as soon as you get in your truck that is