Likely a very stupid question, but I'd love a more knowledgable opinion than my own.

My 2004 Volvo V70 occasionally sticks in park. It got stuck frequently for a while. So I watched and read all the vids and posts about that shift lock button, slot for a tool or loop-de-loop but they are all missing on the P2 versions. Fun.
And none of "tricks" to put it into gear after it's started worked.
So I discovered, with car off, I pop off the penholder, open the top and carefully push down the plastic white thing that won't budge if car is on and I slide the shifter into neutral. Then I start the car.
The whole shifter has now been fondled and lubed by professionals and does works better, but once in a while it'll stick in P. The Vo only boys said if it continued, I'd need a whole new shifter. I'm hoping I can nurse the ole gray nag along until the wallet is a tad fuller.

Am I hurting the car if I manually slide the shifter into neutral to start the engine on occasion?
And just in case, will it hurt the car if I had to do it daily?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts, ideas, or utter disdain I'd abuse my vo so badly!


My iridescent ole gray nag!

 

i never could find the one on my 01 either..
you should only need the shift button, it's like $15.
and sure, it'll be fine, until it isn't. theoretically it should not be an issue. in practice volvo engineers only let you do any 1 thing an arbitrary number of times before they punish you for it.
and youd need a dice to read that number off of the RPM in the back.

 

Thanks for the info. Will check that button out.

Yes, the Ford-Volvo engineers likely got a bonus for leaving a shift-lock button out of the P2 cuz they saved the company some 20¢ per car. Wadda boon.
So far, I've been able to get it out of park into neutral with no problems which is good because it just happened again in the woods far from phone service just yesterday.

As far as What would actually hurt the car...starting in neutral, or pressing the plastic bar doo-hickey under the shifter?

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question, is the key also stuck in the ignition at times during this?

 

I'm not sure if you are talking about in neutral or when it gets stuck.
The key is not stuck when starting car and finding it stuck in P.
I do leave key in place but off when I open compartment and slide into gear. This is due to the fact neutral and reverse are in close to the same plane on gears and I need to look at axillary light first to determine I'm in neutral. I don't think I ever tried without the key in ignition.
Once in neutral, it is pretty much start it up as it seems to be unable to turn back to remove, not that I'd want to or really tried to.
However, before starting the car, I can put shifter back into P and remove key. I did this several times as I was trying all the varied online ideas to get her unstuck.
This is when I discovered I can easily move it into gear while car is off, and proceeded to call the Vo boys to ask if I could start her in neutral without harm.
I'm asking here because it may be some time before I can afford repair.
I'm not much for repair work beyond easy stuff (which changing the cabin filter is NOT!!) I know my limitations and doubt I could pull off the shifter **** as described as a 'good yank' (tried it once on my old 850's crumbled **** and failed miserably) so will have to pay for the kindness of experts to do the job!

 

at the end of the trip after shifting back into park not being able to remove the key would be indicative of the interlock cable issue.

I haven't been able to yank my shifter off yet either, if I figure out a solution ill let you know

 

Thanks, you truly have helped clear up what is NOT wrong, too! Glad to better understand what folks were talking about with key and shifter locked up.
I understand my limits...old arthritic lady will likely not be working on shifter **** without the Vo only folks!!
I have trusted them with 3 Volvos so far, though the 850 was diagnosed with a head gasket rebuild which they refused to touch...29 year old engine doesn't bode well as a simple head gasket replacement...but the guy that bought it from me for a song claims the head gasket is fine. Glad he likes it and is making good use of it for his family. Hope it lasts well beyond the scant 126K miles as a pre-99 Volvo should.
No worries, I like my V70 that replaced the 850, am just dumbfounded Volvo chintz out on the shift release button.
Again, thanks and Happy 4th!

 

there, I did it.

I read the good book (VIDA 2014D repair manual) and did exactly what it said, got it in one.

it says " Stand astride the center console. grasp **** with both hands and give a quick yank straight up"
I put it in neutral or some other gear first, so I wasn't yanking into the radio. my car is up on blocks, so I wasn't worried about rolling. the shifter can just be pushed back into park once it's out. it says it can be removed and put back on up to 4 times before it needs replaced with a new one.