Jump to content
  •  
Advertise here

Recommended Posts

Good day!

This is my first time posting here, and I really hope other Cherokee owners can offer some advice on a problem I have with my 2010 Jeep Cherokee.

Last week when I tried to leave for the office, the gear shift was locked in "Park". Nothing I did could release it, so I called the Jeep experts who said he could not tow it, because the transmission was locked. 

Only thing done to this point was diagnose a trouble code - P0931- but he says he cannot find the reason for the code. Has anybody else had this issue on a Jeep Cherokee? Any help or advice would be great.

Thanks guys! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The vehicle will have a park lock override on it somewhere. It's just a matter of pressing it and shifting to N. Problem is, you need to know where it's at. Have you got the owners manual?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Check your battery if its low, then change it as weak battery show lot of weird issues in modern cars as whole car is controlled electronically these days. I am assuming here: If gear oil in cherokee is electronic oil then it doesnt get enough battery juice to function properly and when this get reported to car ECU it locks the shifter to prevent any further damage (fail-safe mode).

Quick google with your code OBD P0931 result in " Gear shift lock solenoid -circuit high". Causes: "Wiring, short to positive, gear shift lock solenoid, ECM/PCM/TCM "

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Jimmys,

Technician is right in saying that almost all Jeeps made over the last five or six years have an emergency release mechanism on the shift lever, but it is sometimes difficult to get to, and anyway, manually releasing the shift lever only treats the symptom and not the “disease”, which in this case is a problem with the control circuit that locks the shift lever.

The presence of the code the dealer found - P0931 – has this definition; “Gear Shift Lock Solenoid/Actuator Control Circuit “A” High”. In plain language this means that there can be problem in any part of the control circuit (including the locking solenoid itself) but in general terms, the most common cause of this code is a high electrical resistance that prevents the release solenoid from working.

Note that on some GM products, code P0931 is sometimes defined as “Gear Shift Lock Solenoid/Actuator Control Circuit “A” Low”. This does not make much difference, since many of the causes of this issue can cause low input voltages as well, which will also prevent the solenoid from releasing the shift lever.  

The actual problem could be anything from a defective solenoid, to a bad connection, to damaged wiring, to a problem with the ECU, although ECU failures are rare. The only reliable and long term solution to this problem is to have the control circuit checked out by the dealer, and for them to replace the entire control circuit harness. It often happens that repairs to wiring in this circuit can cause similar issues later on, and especially when joints in the wiring are not crimped correctly.

In fact, there is now an active recall on 2016 Jeep Cherokees that have this very same problem. In this case, the problem was caused by a defective tool in the factory that damaged wiring during the crimping process, thereby causing a high electrical resistance in the control circuit.   

I hope this helps you, but please keep us posted on what the dealer finds, since it may help other members that own Jeeps.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of use