My wife's 2011 XC70 (89,250 miles) won't shift out of Park - it has happened on two different days when the temperature is very cold. Yesterday there was no problem, but today it would not shift. Car starts fine, but just won't shift out of Park. I did check yesterday when it was working and could hear a click at shifter, today I can't hear it. I was able to press the shift lock button behind the console and shift it.
Based on the limited information I can find online, my guess is either the brake pedal switch or shift interlock solenoid. Why would this not work only when cold? Is there any information on removing the shift interlock solenoid to test?
Thanks for any advice.

 

cold can certainly make a solenoid sticky. Curious what happens if you do the manual release (should be a button or a small screwdriver port to release the shifter). You can grab a picture from a dealer web store of how the console is put together but the proper source for removing/testing is in VIDA. You can check eBay for a black market CD if you want to go that route.

 

Thanks for the response. I did do the manual release and that worked. After manually releasing, it seemed to continue working. When it warms up a bit, I will dig into the console and check the solenoid.

 

I've experience similar on our 2006 XC70. This worked

• "If you are stuck on an incline this could be your problem...try to turn your key and also your steering wheel AND put your foot on the brake (emergency brake off) and see if it will engage."

It's happened twice in the past few years and this worked both times. Don't think it was related to cold weather. Hope this helps. Good luck

Bob

 

Thanks, car was parked on a level surface and only happened in extreme cold, plus this has a key fob that pushes into the dash. When it happened there was no click from the shift interlock solenoid, so that is the suspected cause.