Gear stuck in Park; main fuse blew during battery installation

ANSWER : From the information provided, it leads me to believe that your RAV4 is experiencing quite a few electrical issues. It is possible that the cause of the main fuse blowing has caused damage elsewhere in the vehicle as well. You may have other fuses that are bad or the problem may lie with the fuse block itself. To be 100% certain, it may be time to enlist the assistance of a certified mechanic to go over your Toyota with you. They will be able to inspect your vehicle and determine why your vehicle is stuck in park and check your car’s electrical system.

ANSWER : Hi there. Typically when this issue occurs, damage will be instant – meaning if it’s going to damage the ECU, replacing the fuses would not help start the vehicle. So, at first glance, I would assume the ECU is OK. What is more likely is that you have an exposed wire somewhere that is causing the fuses to pop. Trying to diagnose these issues can be tricky sometimes, so it might be a good idea to have a professional mechanic complete an electrical problems inspection to isolate why you’re having these issues and recommend the right repairs.

ANSWER : Hi there. It’s quite possible that you have one of two things causing the drain to the battery. First, you have a bad ground somewhere in the main relay or fuse box or an exposed wire somewhere that is not allowing the circuit to complete from the alternator to the battery. This can cause a battery draining issue as you’re describing, but it could also be one of multiple other electrical problems. The best way to pinpoint the exact source is to have a professional mobile mechanic come to your location and complete a battery will not hold a charge inspection.

ANSWER : From what you’ve described, it sounds like the shifter cable came off at the transmission or the shifter. I’d suggest checking the shift linkage on the transmission to see if the cable came off. This is due to the connector end bushing falling apart and not being able to hold the cable on any longer. Some cables have to be replaced as a whole and as with others the bushing can be replaced to fix the cable. I’d suggest contacting a certified technician, such as one from YourMechanic, who can come diagnose your shifting issue and make the necessary repairs to your vehicle. Good luck.

ANSWER : Hi there, thanks for writing in.

It sounds like you most likely have a broken shift cable, or a failed shifter assembly. A failure of either part would allow you to move the shifter handle to park, while the transmission actually remains in drive. Because it could be either of these parts, I would recommend having a qualified professional, such as one from YourMechanic, diagnose your shift issue.

ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. The vehicle is likely having a connection issue somewhere around the switch. Since you have a voltmeter or test light, you will want to test for power leading up to the fuses, and then after the fuses. If you have power when pressing the light after the fuse (this means the power is making it through the fuse), continue to trace that voltage until you find where it stops. This voltage drop is most likely going to be at an electrical connection or terminal, a broken or frayed wire, a faulty switch, or a bad ground connection. Currently the vehicle is in a safety mode, and tracking down the cause of the brake light switch issue needs to be the main focus. For more help resolving the issue, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.

ANSWER : If the clutch mechanism is releasing properly, and the shift linkage is not malfunctioning, your transmission will have to be removed from the vehicle and inspected. Once a transmission has been removed from a vehicle, if the problem is a broken or worn part or parts, and the transmission has 100,000 miles or more, the most cost effective approach is to just simply rebuild the whole transmission. There are transmission rebuild kits that are sold just for this purpose. Rebuilding a transmission is no big deal and is indeed easier in many respects than rebuilding an engine. You can rebuild your transmission right in your own garage. You can NOT rebuild an engine in your own garage due to the highly specialized, and extremely costly, machine shop equipment required. Occasionally, mobile mechanics will take on a transmission rebuild job especially as once the mechanic removes the transmission from the vehicle, it is just simply a modular unit that can be easily transported to a mechanic’s shop and rebuilt right there and then returned to your vehicle. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

ANSWER : Hi there. It is quite possible that you have an exposed electrical wire or a short somewhere in the electrical system that is the root source of your starting issue. A fuse or relay will continue to break when the circuit is unable to complete. This is typically due to a wire that is pinched, frayed or a ground wire connection that is faulty. Due to the multiple possible sources of this problem, I would recommend having one of our experienced mobile mechanics come to your location to complete an electrical problems inspection, so they can determine the root source of this issue and recommend the right repairs.