Can't shift into D1, D2 or D3

[ggillen]

2005 Honda Pilot AWD EXL.
Tried driving on beach for 1st time w/ mixed results (sand was deep and fine - like driving on powdered sugar). After a while following existing tracks, sand got so deep I was plowing and car got stuck. My wife shifted into D2 and tried to use VTM lock while I pushed. Unfortunately, tires just spun in the powdered sand. We eventually had to get pulled out by someone in a 4WD pickup w/ monster wheels.

Car drives fine now in D, but can't shift into D1, D2 or D3 anymore. Any clues to the problem? Is my AWD shot?

[iivtecracerii]

are you shifting it right?

if you pull the lever all the way towards you, it wont go further than D. you can go from D to D3 by just pushing down without pulling it towards you. then pull towards and down to get to 2 and towards and down again to go to 1.

[jay]

...

[youbetcha]

Originally posted by jay
...

I'm in the US and so I have left hand drive, but I've been staring at that image for 10 minutes and I don't think it really makes sense. It doesn't tell you when you have to pull the lever and when you don't. The "PRNDL" image for the RH drive almost makes more sense, but not really, either.

[rocky]

Originally posted by youbetcha


I'm in the US and so I have left hand drive, but I've been staring at that image for 10 minutes and I don't think it really makes sense. It doesn't tell you when you have to pull the lever and when you don't. The "PRNDL" image for the RH drive almost makes more sense, but not really, either.

All Pilots have the steering wheel on the left side.

Sounds like its time to jump into you Pilot and learn how to shift beyond D

[youbetcha]

Originally posted by rocky


All Pilots have the steering wheel on the left side.

Sounds like its time to jump into you Pilot and learn how to shift beyond D

This is a strange response and doesn't follow from anything else posted.

[ggillen]

The diagram and the shifting advice helped. That did the trick!
(DUH!!!!)

The only time I have used this I have shifted on the fly from D to D3 etc. w/o really thinking even, so I did not even realize the move from D to D3 and D2, D1 does NOT require pulling lever forward if you are already in D.

You just can't start from Park, pull the lever forward and shift directly to D3.

Thanks guys. Makes me feel *slightly* less embarassed about getting stuck in the sand in the first place. Nice to know the car is fine.

[N_Jay]

Originally posted by ggillen
Thanks guys. Makes me feel *slightly* less embarassed about getting stuck in the sand in the first place. Nice to know the car is fine.

Don't be embarrassed by that?

Save it for posts like this:

Originally posted by youbetcha
I'm in the US and so I have left hand drive, but I've been staring at that image for 10 minutes and I don't think it really makes sense. It doesn't tell you when you have to pull the lever and when you don't. The "PRNDL" image for the RH drive almost makes more sense, but not really, either.

[youbetcha]

Hey I'm not embarrassed. It's translated from Japanese, right?

My shifter seems to work a little different. Mine will "slide" (move without pulling toward me) from R-->N-->D, and also from D1 --> D2 --> D3 -->D.

But once I'm in D, it won't slide anywhere. I have to pull towards me to get out of D.

[krygny]

I have to pull the shift lever toward me to go from P to R to D. Between the Ds, there are only detents, not stops. To get into the lower gears, it feels like I have to push the lever slightly forward.

On a trip to FL once, I rented a Mustang convertible with a 5-speed (late '80s). All week, I had a bi+chuvatime getting it into reverse; like the synchros weren't meshing. I would have to force it, it would crunch and then slam into gear. What'd I care, it was a rental. Well, the last day on my way to the airport, I'm sitting at a light with my hand on the shifter and I apply a little pressure. It sinks into the floor and slips into reverse jolting the car backward. Ahhh, so that's how you get it into reverse. And yes, there was a little indication on the shift pattern but I didn't notice it until I knew enough to look for it.