Hey guys,

A friend recently bought a 2003 dodge stratus R/T, 3.0 and with the autostick automatic floor shifter. After getting the car home we found out we could not remove the ignition key after parking it. After a little investigating and talking to the kid he bought it from it turns out the kid removed an aftermarket shifter handle and put (what i think) is the original handle back on. Problem is the shaft inside the shifter is missing and the kid replaced it with a coat hanger wire. Honest, im not making this up. I talked to my local dodge dealer and he tells me they dont carry that part any more. ( Gear shift lock pin/ part number MB844973).

I was just going to make a replacement shaft with a metal rod but wasnt sure of the exact length or if there is anything else i need to take into account for this to work. Im thinking its just not engaging into park with the coat hanger in place. lol Im not sure how this system works to lock the key. The original owner has moved and we cant get a hold of him.

Thanks for any insight you can give me.

 

Well,

With help from our local Dodge dealer, we found a used shifter from another car.. As that shifter was not an auto stick we gutted it to salvage the internal rod and shifter handle. Got it all back together and it works like a new one.