I have a 98 C5 coupe and sometimes I have trouble getting the shifter out of park, well I was gone for 2 weeks and got home and wanted to take the vette out and started it up and got it warm then tried to put it in reverse and could not get it out of park, I push the brake and push the shifter button but cannot move it... Now when I push the shifter button it is hard to push down... Sometimes it would just go no problem sometimes I would have to push the button a couple of times and it would click then go down easy...
You got about 4 areas that can go wrong. First is the shifter, not much to take apart, pull the "U" shaped retainer from the front of the knob. Remove the knob and check to see if anything is obstructing its movement. I've seen some that the spring will break and get into the works and bind it up. If so any hardware store spring of the right size with good pressure will work. Shifter number is
12562753 or 12564519 for the Z4Z option, Pace car. If not then you need to remove the consul cover and then remove the shifter and check it out. Lots of cheap parts inside to go south and I don't have a good picture of them, just a general view of the assembly. If it's not there check out the cable next, you're going to need to get the car up so you can get under it. If it's not there check the lock out switch # 12450016 to see if it's broke and restricting movement. Last, but not what you want to hear, is the transmission its self, dealer time. If for some reason it's the parking pawl it can be replaced without removing the transmission.
Not much help but then I have 173 pages of diagnosis and 2 for the mechanicals. ;-))
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