I have a '87 Iroc-Z with a 305 and an automatic transmission. The car seems to be stuck in first gear. The shifter still moves, and I can feel the grooves for each gear, but no matter what I put it in, the car stays in first. When in reverse, the reverse lights come on, but it's still in first gear.

It happened while I was at work. Parked the car, and when I went to go home, turned it on (car still starts, despite being in gear???) and it wouldn't shift out of first gear even though the gear selector is in Drive. I checked the linkage, and it doesn't appear to be kinked. Do you think the whole tranny is blown?

I had no problems with it until this happened, except about a week beforehand, the Park stopped working. (Put the selector to P but the car would stay in Reverse.) What could be the problem?

 

Bad cable?, shift linkage came apart?, linkage inside tranny came apart? Your gonna have to climb under and have a look at what moves when someone moves the shifter. If everything looks ok, then you can drop the tranny pan and see whats going on with the linkage internally. You may find a few parts or a clip in the bottom of the pan.

 

What he said. Sounds like you car was letting you know the linkage was coming a part with the parks thing then failed completely. You can have a tranny failure that will cause the car to lock in first gear but the results are normally a locked up tranny when you put it park. Park should work cause Park is a mechanical connection that should work as long as the linkage is working.

 

i had a similar issue with my car. i lost park, then i lost the manual control of first, neutral was 4th, etc. i had the car in a week prior for tires. someone deciced to loosen the pan bolts that held the shifter linkage assembly together. 2 more bolts fixed it right up.

also check and verify the tv cable is still on the throttle body. if this comes disconnected or broken, the trans will not shift from first gear, and will cause premature failure in about 500 miles