My 2005 XJ8 L is stuck at a gas station. I stopped to buy something and when I got back in my car, I started it and put the gear selector in reverse. The transmission did engage and go into reverse. Then someone drove up behind me and I stopped and put the gear selector in park but the transmission remained in reverse. At that time, I was unable to move the gear selector. I had to wait a while for the person behind me to move so I eventually shut off the engine. Almost immediately I realized my mistake. The transmission is in reverse and will not allow the engine to be started.

The gear selector won't move out of park, the engine won't start and I am stepping on the brake pedal when I try to change gears.

I am not sure but I think this may be a gear selector thing and not a transmission thing.

Any ideas? I did search the forum and came up empty.

Biff

 

If you look under the car, there are supposedly two screws attaching the gear selector knob to the actual transmission. Apparently these screws can fall out, causing the car to be stuck in gear.

I say supposedly because I have never been under there, but I have read about it many times on this forum. Do a search and you should be able to find it!

Good luck!

 

From a prior post, just search "stuck in gear" for the full threads...

"One will be loose, one will be missing. I found mine laying on the ground right where the car stopped, got lucky and put it back in. (with lock tite)"

"Passenger side, no under carriage parts to remove. You will see it on the side of the transmission between the trans and tunnel."

 

There was actually a recall in Japan to get this sorted (see attached).

At least I know my car should be OK as it is a Japanese import.

 

Cool, nice that that recall instruction has drawings!

 

good add
u102768 !

 

My car has been fixed. It was the two automatic transmission selector cable fixing bolts as described in the Japanese recall.

Getting that specific of an answer to my problem was the best possible and always hoped for outcome.

Thanks,

Biff

 

Glad it worked out for you so well!

 

Fantastic, thanks for following up!

 

I'll join the club today. Put gear in park and I noticed the car rolls backwards. Looked at the gear selector and it stays in "R". I could not move the gear selector.

Looked under the car and there it was one of the bolts. Do I need to do anything besides tighten the bolts?

 

No, just tighten it. If you want to stop it from happening again, put a little locktite in there.

Mine hasn't had this gear selector problem yet, but maybe I'll go ahead and do this repair preemptively since it seems very common. Do I need to jack the car up?

 

All fixed. Bbtw. the bolts are on the driver's side on US cars.

 

arrggh, same problem here, car stuck in parking lot, already paid to have it towed to dealer. didn't think it would be something simple, guess i should have checked the forums first! at least now I'll find out how honest my dealer is...

 

just fixed my jag thanks to you guys. very happy man.
Thanks

 

So, I have the same problem. I've only got one of the bolts though. I'm going to go to the parts store to see if they carry the type of bolt I need. (I went ahead and took off the other, it was really loose). After I put both bolts back in with lock tite do I have to do anything else to get it out of Reverse or will I have control of the shift knob once I'm done?

 

Happened to me New Years Eve! Not a good start to the New Year. I have a thread going about it on here.

 

I bought a similar bolt to replace the one that fell. When I was under the car trying to put both bolts back in the holes did not line up. When I pushed on it to line them up the it clicked over to where it was suppose to be. Screwed on the 2 bolts, got the car off the jack stands, turned the key and she turned on!!!!! I'm assuming that when it clicked to line up back up it changed the gear selector to "P". I'm no grease monkey so it felt pretty good to get her back up and running

 

Just had the same problem. Shifter was a little stiff when I put it in gear, but I attributed that to the unusually cold (for North Carolina) weather. I put it in park, and when I came back out to the car the lever was in park but the indicator showed Reverse and the lever wouldn't move. A short walk home through the snow and I returned with a jack and a wrench. Yup, one bolt missing and the other halfway out. I clicked the lever on the transmission back into park and the bracket lined back up with the bolt holes. That's an 8mm bolt, by the way - luckily I had tossed a monkey wrench into my pocket.
I guess this weekend it gets a new bolt and some Locktite!

 

Sorry to awaken a three-year-old thread, but I had this problem over last weekend. I asked Siri and this thread was the first thing that popped up on Google. Unfortunately I didn't scroll forward enough replies, so I spent 15 minutes looking for this bracket on the wrong side of the car! LHD cars have this on the left side.


For those who have this same problem: shimmy under the car, you won't even need to jack it up. Feel from the trans pan bolt on the front corner, count that as "one". Count pan bolts back until the fifth one, right above that is the linkage. If you're lucky like many of us, the bolt will be on the ground where the car malfunctioned. You will have to click the lever into place. Put the bolt back in and tighten. The OEM bolt is an 8mm head. If an idiot like me can do this so can you.


This thread saved me a tow, thanks Jaguar Forums.

 

It keeps affecting people on various of the jags (i.e. with the same trans) so a revival looks a good thing.

Check those 2 bolts at every service!