Help! Transmission Mazda Protege 03

[newbie_driver]

I'm a newbie and I own a 03 Mazda Protege, bought used about a month ago with 71k miles on it. So far I've driven 800miles without any real problem. Then a few days ago I started to notice that when I tried to shift back to Park from Drive the shifter would be stuck at Neutral and wouldn't move further. I had to get it back to Drive and try to shift it back to Park. The 2nd attempt worked every time. There's no button on the shifter. It is interesting since it doesn't happen all the time but only every once in a while. I know very little about cars and don't wanna mess with it. So I'm just wondering if anyone has experienced the same problem and if it's expensive to fix....

This is how it looks like and what I meant is the shifter would be stuck at N and wouldn't move further to the right.

 

[tweety2300]

Could be the switch on the brake pedal

 

[exalted_one]

Mine use to do that I think it is just a bad mechanism. I use to just jiggle the shifter furiously while trying to put it in park and it would eventually go. I think I may have lubricated one of the parts below or had to tighten something. It is pretty easy to pull those covers and check on the linkages, make sure nothing is overly loose.

 

[newbie_driver]

Thanks folks for the replies.

@tweety2300: What is that switch? I bought the car about a month ago and it only started to happen about a week ago. It also doesn't happen all the time, just once in a while.
@exalted_one: Did you eventually fix it? How much did it cost?

If someone has experienced this before please share your knowledge. Thank you!

 

[tweety2300]

There's a switch on the brake that lets it know when it's pressed. Most cars have to have them pressed to go into reverse and out of park. I bypasses the one on my Buick when it went bad

 

[concept]

Newbie,

How long has it been since your tranny fluid was changed? If you don't know, do it or have it done, ASAP. A sticky mechanism could be the result of old, burnt fluid.

 

[newbie_driver]

There's a switch on the brake that lets it know when it's pressed. Most cars have to have them pressed to go into reverse and out of park. I bypasses the one on my Buick when it went bad

I see.. My problem only happens when I'm at Drive (D) and would like to shift back to Park (P) although that means going through Reverse (R). It would be stuck at Neutral (N)

Newbie,

How long has it been since your tranny fluid was changed? If you don't know, do it or have it done, ASAP. A sticky mechanism could be the result of old, burnt fluid.

Hi concept,

I do not know when it was last changed, but I will have it checked ASAP. Thanks for the suggestion!