I have to put my key in the little keyhole next to the gearshift to get it to reverse. My brake lights don‘t come on but my headlights do. Any idea what could be causing this? Thanks for any help.
The way the shift interlock on your car works is that for the control to know that you have your foot on the brake in order to take the car out of Park, the system looks to 'see' if the brake lights are on. So the inop brake lights are the reason you can't take it out of Park without using the emergency key release. In almost 100% of the cases, the problem is with the brake light switch. It is at the top of the brake pedal lever under the driver's side of the dash. if you look under the dash and follow the brake pedal up to the top you'll see it. You'll need to have that switch replaced. You should be able to buy the switch at any auto parts store; they are usually about $20. If you are going to have someone else do the repair, call around and ask for quotes to replace the brake lamp switch. Hope that helps
There is a safety switch attached to the brake pedal. It must be activated by pressing on the pedal to activate the safety switch for the shifter. Seeing that the brake lights are not working, I'd start by looking for a blown fuse. Then progress to having that switch replaced.
