# Shift lock button not working **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** toyota, landcruiser\ **Created:** [February 9, 2025, 3:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shift-lock-button-not-working/199045 "2025-02-09T15:54:22Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![davidwilliam79x\_192784](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@davidwilliam79x\_192784](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davidwilliam79x_192784)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2025, 3:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shift-lock-button-not-working/199045/1 "2025-02-09T15:54:22Z")
I have a 2015 landcruiser,it is a queen on the road and had only driven 73000kms,its toyota maintained. I bought it from a friend about an year ago,it had the interior upgraded to the 2017 look. I tried to use the physical shift lock button today ,just out of curiosity and to my dismay, it didn’t work at all, I pressed the button all the way to the bottom and tried to shift from P to N but it didn’t budge. What may be the issue? ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2025, 8:11pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shift-lock-button-not-working/199045/2 "2025-02-09T20:11:04Z")
> [@davidwilliam79x\_192784](#): > > What may be the issue? Considering I have nothing else to consider, I’d say this… > [@davidwilliam79x\_192784](#): > > it had the interior upgraded to the 2017 look. Might be the problem. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2025, 8:22pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shift-lock-button-not-working/199045/3 "2025-02-09T20:22:26Z")
Someone please explain what is thee shift lock and what is it supposed to do? If it prevented shifting, seems like it works. Maybe I even have one myself. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2025, 8:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shift-lock-button-not-working/199045/4 "2025-02-09T20:35:39Z")
Remove the console cover and check if the release lever is properly aligned with the service opening in the bezel. ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2025, 9:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shift-lock-button-not-working/199045/5 "2025-02-09T21:08:22Z")
> [@bing](#): > > Someone please explain what is thee shift lock and what is it supposed to do? If it prevented shifting, seems like it works. Maybe I even have one myself. It’s more like the shift “unlock.” Most (all?) auto trans equipped cars have them. It’s a manual override of the lock that keeps you from being able to shift out of park without the brake on and, sometimes, the shifter button pressed in. I had to use one recently on a car with no battery power. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2025, 10:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shift-lock-button-not-working/199045/6 "2025-02-09T22:36:35Z")
I think on mine you insert a key into a slot. It’s in the manual ---
**Author:** ![cigroller](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c68b51/32.png) [@cigroller](https://community.cartalk.com/u/cigroller)\ **Post date:** [February 9, 2025, 10:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shift-lock-button-not-working/199045/7 "2025-02-09T22:44:31Z")
> [@bing](#): > > I think on mine you insert a key into a slot. It’s in the manual That sounds about right. Or usually anything will work (like a screwdriver). You’re basically just needing to depress a lever hidden under a little pop-out trim plate or the like. I learned about them when my old Escort’s shift interlock was so crudded up it wouldn’t work in the cold. The little solenoid just couldn’t do it, so until I cleaned it all up I had to manually override it. ---
**Author:** ![davidwilliam79x\_192784](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@davidwilliam79x\_192784](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davidwilliam79x_192784)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 1:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shift-lock-button-not-working/199045/8 "2025-02-10T01:09:47Z")
Yes i used a screw driver to push it all the way to the bottm ---
**Author:** ![davidwilliam79x\_192784](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@davidwilliam79x\_192784](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davidwilliam79x_192784)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 1:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shift-lock-button-not-working/199045/9 "2025-02-10T01:10:28Z")
The thing is,the upgrade only introduced a cover for the shift lock,the button is under the cover.Nothing else ---
**Author:** ![davidwilliam79x\_192784](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@davidwilliam79x\_192784](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davidwilliam79x_192784)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 1:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shift-lock-button-not-working/199045/10 "2025-02-10T01:12:22Z")
If your car doesnt start incase you need to tow it or take it back to a mechanic,you need to shift from P to N but because you cant start it the gear would be locked in P.The shift lock allows it to override this so that you can put your car in N to tow it ---
**Author:** ![davidwilliam79x\_192784](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@davidwilliam79x\_192784](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davidwilliam79x_192784)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2025, 1:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/shift-lock-button-not-working/199045/11 "2025-02-10T01:12:59Z")
I can see the button go all the way to the bottm through the cover