More car problems...

[mgdavis]

I know that I mostly only post car stuff here. My appologies, I'm happy lurking most of the time.
Got a new issue, this time with my girlfriends 1990 Honda Accord DX. It is a 2.2L(IIRC) with an automatic transmission. A couple days ago we took a short, uneventful drive. When we got to our destination she shifted into Park, then turned off the car, leaving the key in the On(?) position. She noticed the gear indicator on the dashboard was blank, the P should have been lit up red. The rest of the dash was lit up. She tried to shift the transmission out of Park, to no avail. I had her cycle the key off, then back to On. This caused the gear indicator to light up in Park, and she was able to shft. We were able to replicate this problem a couple times. Sometimes trying to shift while the indicator was out would cause the indicator to come back momentarily, I can't remember if she was able to shift then.
Does anybody have a clue? I'm thinking perhaps a bad switch or corrode contact somewhere. Maybe the transmission pump? The engine wasn't running durring this, so I don't think it was the pump. Help, please. 

[Brad Johnson]

Sounds like the park location switch is getting flaky.  Don't know if it's in the tranny or the linkage assembly in your Honda.  Might pay to go buy a Chilton or Haynes manual for it. Most larger auto parts stores carry them.

Brad

[Monkeyleg]

On most cars, there's a switch on the tranny that controls all sorts of things.

I just had a garage replace that switch on my 1991 Saturn because the car wouldn't start unless I held the key in the start position, then shifted from Park to Reverse and back.

Your car is old enough for the switch to become corroded. It cost me $60 for the switch for my car, and an hour of labor.

Oh, for the days of points and condensers and carbeurators.

[mgdavis]

Oh, for the days of points and condensers and carbeurators.

Tell me about it.
I do have a manual, just haven't had a chance to break into it. In my experience they aren't great for trouble shooting anyhow. (Makes note of Park Location Switch).