Another learning experience with this transmission today. Tried to push the truck a foot or so. Just put it in neutral and push, right?

Wrong.

You cannot get the darn thing in neutral without starting the engine.

 

There's a manual release on the parking prawl. It's a lever under a bottom dash panel.

 

You don't have to restart it you just have to turn it to the auxiliary power position (at least on mine). I have done it numerous times also. I have the bigger screen in the middle of the dash and when I do this it states that it is auto correcting the shift selector (or something like that). I do know what you mean coming from a manual also. I just about have it down now.

 

Now I'm heading back out to see. That "manual release" would be nice to find as I have often pushed my truck a little bit back and forth to do things in the garage.

As for using the accessory position, I tried. No go. Even sat in the truck, as I think there might be something with seat pressure, pushed on that darn brake and tried to move the shift knob

No. I had to start the engine. At that point mamma didn't make "no" dummy. I drove the thing the foot I wanted rather than shut it off in neutral and push. Of course, if I had shut it off in neutral I wonder if the thing would have made a conscious decision to really get into me and go into park automatically?

All seriousness aside, I am longing for my old truck back because of this transmission thing. Going to have to get over it as the new buyer in Kentucky just contacted me to tell me how much he loved my Cummins.

Learning to hate that guy.

 

"This is how you do it". That's not a song but the facts. Amazing how much you can learn if you actually read the owners manual. Wish I had done that before buying.

You can push it. No amount of keys, turning the knob, pushing on the brake etc. will work. A screwdriver and scratching the dash panel above the parking brake works. Take that panel off (bummer), trip a release with the screwdriver you used to pop the panel, then pull the cord and lever out. Now you can push the truck.

Reverse the procedure and you get back into its automatic park position. No need for a key.

Also, if you try to turn off the engine in neutral, it does that same auto-correct and puts you back into park. Then you need to fuss around with the brake, starter etc. to get the key out. No more editorial comment. Time to ride an old Harley and get back to some driving sanity.

 

Hope that 'old' harley is old enough to have the shift lever at the side of the gas tank!

 

So you can start the truck with it in gear? Auto or Stick? 2WD... 4WD... HI or LOW LOCK? I could see this being a big plus while you're offroad.

 

Don't think you can start it in gear. Never tried. That lever was to get it OUT of gear so it can be pushed or towed without running the engine. Otherwise, unless the engine is on, you cannot get the truck OUT of gear.

 

I love everything about my truck so far, but the one thing I HATE is that rotary gear selector! Give me a big ol shift lever anyday. I also dread the day where that transmission shift actuator blows and my truck is stuck in gear.

 

Have many like that. Grew up riding foot clutch and hand shift with ignition advance/retard on one lever and throttle on the other.

I have some English bikes that shift with the right root and brake left. Indians clutch left but reverse the normal Harley/world pattern for the pedal and the shifter is on the right side of the tank.

Now or really trick I have a 1937 BMW that has a shifter lever for the right hand on the right side of the transmission behind were you sit. It is where most kick starters are located. The kick starter is on the left side. With throttle also on the right you are forced to take your hand off the throttle, reach back and hopefully find a gear, then get back on the throttle Levers pivot at the END of the bars so they actually swing out away from the bike at that point.

In a panic we go to what we are used to. When I approach a stop light I slam my left foot into the floor of this Eco. and reach for the floor shifter to downshift. On motorcycles, with all the varied control possibilities, I just crash.

 

Never had to do restart to switch to start to get out of drive into park, bet I do it 25% of the time I shut engine off. Maybe because my tranny is German made not the clone used now. Other then that I love the little knob on the dash, it doesn't take up console space. Trucks only hiccup was caused by me dumping water in fuel tank. Starts easy, great fuel economy, lots of power, and after 20,000 miles I still love it. Only thing close to it would be another E Class MB diesel.

 

Capt- In my youth I had an Indian 45 flat head ex-Army courier motorcycle that had the bass-ackwards clutch you describe as well as hand shift on the right (3 gears and lots of neutrals LOL) throttle on the left hand grip and spake advance on the right. I was told the left hand throttle allowed mostly right handed soldiers to fire their handguns while riding the bike.

 

Crashed a beautiful 1936 "upside down" Indian 4. Used to riding Harley Davidson. Ignition on left grip, throttle on right, clutch on left foot where you push in to activate, shifter on left of tank and throttle on right. The Indian had it like you said - throttle on left, ignition on right, shifter on right clutch on left foot but let up to engage ( or rock back). I lost it hit a curb and spent over a grand to fix the paint damage I did. AT the time I had an Indian 30-50 and still did stupid cause I rarely rode that bike.

Run my current BSA single into a jagger bush hitting the right shifter thinking it was a brake. My S8 Sunbeam and Triumphs, Royal Enfields, AJS etc all were "backwards" and I just do not pattern learning well. Standardization is nice, unless it's a flat track racer going left.

Still think the dial shifter is junk.

 

... Still think the dial shifter is junk.

Speaking of the shifter knob, who else has cranked the blower fan on high when putting the truck into drive?? Surely I'm not the only one

 

My first bike was a '41 Indian 80 incher, but the throttle was on the right side and he suicide clutch was exactly that.... I then had two 1950s Triumph 30-50s and a BSA, followed by too many Hondas to count. After I discovered airplanes I pretty much lost interest in bikes, though a V-Max is still on my shopping list.

 

Dtyree...

Welcome- 1st post.

There are old posts around where many speak of doing knob turning. some get radio, fans, and whatever other thing is down there near that silly shifter knob. You are not the only one to mess up.

 

Almost put the truck in r while trying to lower the radio volume. Knob moved but I put it back into d super fast. Trans didn't have time to shift. Scary thing is, it allowed it while I was moving.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

The knob will move, but it won't shift. Still scary though.

 

No disrespect meant towards anyone here, but I think you are making a mountain out of a molehill. It's an electronic shifter knob vs. the old linkage style shifter. It is the wave of the future, whether it's in the form of a button or a knob. I can count on one hand the amount of times I needed my automatic tranny in "N" while the engine was off. Yes, I have turned up the radio volume or fan speed, thinking it was the shifter knob. I even twisted the shifter knob thinking I had the fan knob while driving. The knob ended up on "R" & the dash dinged & said something about safety override to "N" - no harm done. That could have been bad, but thankfully, an engineer thought about me making dumb mistakes

Anomoly,
I find the V-Max a fascinating & highly sophisticated machine. It's too sport-bike-style for me, but I respect it. While my Victory was in the shop getting reprogrammed, they gave me a Star Stratoliner to ride. That 1900 air cooled v-twin has serious grunt. I decided that if they couldn't fix my Victory, I was going to trade for the Star. I liked it THAT much! I had several HD fans ask me about my Harley, only to be duped that it was in fact a Star motorcycle & not a HD.

 

Bad design that it moves. I'm ok with the knob over a shifter though.

Sent from my SM-G900T using Tapatalk

 

A few times, while maneuvering the truck to get it lined up to lift on a hoist, I have placed the transfer case in Neutral. it takes 5 seconds to do, and it allows you to turn the truck off, and still move it back and forth. This is less of a PITA than pulling out that dash panel, and yanking the neutral strap. Just an FYI for 4X4 guys.

 

...and that works?

Good tip. You know I will have to try that.

Well I just came back in from trying. No!

I pushed buttons "till the cows came home". At times the whole cheap panel pushes but all I could get were 2, 4 and 4 low. There is an "N" there but that doesn't seem to press. Tried that with the shift knob in "P", "N" "D" and "R". R you believing even with engine both off and on. Turn off the engine and it locks up to "P" anyhow.

Will look at that manual sometime later but for now - that "N" on mine is inoperative.

 

it works cap. the trick is to use something small to depress the little dimple on the "N" button. you have to hold it in for about 5-7 seconds. this has to be done with the transmission in Neutral. once the TC is in neutral, you need to shift the transmission into both drive and reverse to confirm that the transfer case is disconnected. once this is done, the engine can be turned off once it is placed in park, and you can roll the truck back and forth. to put it back in gear, you simply press the 2WD button, and once the light stops flashing, you need to select drive and reverse in order to confirm that the TC is re connected. It is in the manual somewhere for sure. good luck! let me know if you get it work work. its really convenient when you need the truck in neutral and want to shut it off.

 

Hey Captain, You can simply do as OilBrnR suggested (thanks) or make it more complicated by reading the owners manual (holy smokes).

From the Owners Manual:

NOTE: The transfer case NEUTRAL position is selected
by depressing the recessed button (with a ballpoint pen
or similar object) located in the center of the 4WD Control
Switch. The transfer case NEUTRAL position is to be
used for recreational towing only. Refer to “Recreational
Towing” in “Starting and Operating” for further information.

1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop, with the engine
running. Firmly apply the parking brake.
2. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL.
3. Press and hold the brake pedal.
4. Depress the clutch pedal on a manual transmission.
5. If the transfer case is in 4WD AUTO (if equipped),
press a selector button or rotate the selector switch to
shift the transfer case into the 2WD or 4WD LOCK
position.
• With manual shift transfer case, shift the transfer
case lever into NEUTRAL (N).
• With electronic shift transfer case, press and hold the
transfer case NEUTRAL (N) button. Some models
have a small, recessed N button (at the center of the
transfer case switches) that must be pressed using a
ballpoint pen or similar object. Other models have a
rectangular NEUTRAL switch, below the rotary
transfer case control knob. The NEUTRAL (N) indicator
light will blink while the shift is in progress.
The light will stop blinking (stay on solid) when the
shift to NEUTRAL (N) is complete. After the shift is
completed and the NEUTRAL (N) light stays on,
release the NEUTRAL (N) button.
6. Release the parking brake.
7. Shift the transmission into REVERSE.
8. Release the brake pedal (and clutch pedal on manual
transmissions) for five seconds and ensure that there is
no vehicle movement.
9. Repeat steps 7 and 8 with automatic transmission in
DRIVE or manual transmission in first gear.
10. Shift the transmission to NEUTRAL. Firmly apply
the parking brake. Turn OFF the engine. For vehicles
with Keyless Enter-N-Go™, press and hold the ENGINE
START/STOP button until the engine shuts off.
11. Shift the transmission into PARK or place manual
transmission in gear (NOT in Neutral). On 8-speed
transmissions the shifter will automatically select
PARK when the engine is turned off.
12. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position, then
cycle the key or the Keyless Enter-N-Go™ button to
the RUN position and back to the OFF position.
13. Attach the vehicle to the tow vehicle using a suitable
tow bar.
14. Release the parking brake.

NOTE: With electronic shift transfer case:
• Steps 2 through 4 are requirements that must be met
prior to pressing the NEUTRAL (N) button, and must
continue to be met until the shift has been completed.
If any of these requirements are not met prior to
pressing the NEUTRAL (N) button or are no longer
met during the shift, the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light
will flash continuously until all requirements are met
or until the NEUTRAL (N) button is released.
• The ignition switch must be in the ON/RUN position
for a shift to take place and for the position indicator
lights to be operable. If the ignition switch is not in the
ON/RUN position, the shift will not take place and no
position indicator lights will be on or flashing.
• A flashing NEUTRAL (N) position indicator light
indicates that shift requirements have not been met.

Shifting Out Of NEUTRAL (N)
Use the following procedure to prepare your vehicle for
normal usage.
1. Bring the vehicle to a complete stop, leaving it connected
to the tow vehicle.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Press and hold the brake pedal.
4. Start the engine. Shift the transmission into NEUTRAL.
Depress the clutch pedal on a manual transmission.
• With manual shift transfer case, shift the transfer
case lever to the desired position.
• With electronic shift transfer case with rotary selector
switch, press and hold the transfer case NEUTRAL
(N) button until the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light
turns off. After the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light
turns off, release the NEUTRAL (N) button. After the
NEUTRAL (N) button has been released, the transfer
case will shift to the position indicated by the selector
switch.
• With electronic shift transfer case with pushbutton
selector switch, press and hold the switch for the
desired transfer case position, until the NEUTRAL
(N) indicator light turns off and the desired position
indicator light turns on.
NOTE: When shifting out of transfer case NEUTRAL (N),
turning the engine OFF is not required, but may be
helpful to avoid gear clash. With the 8-speed automatic
transmission, the engine must remain running, since
turning the engine OFF will shift the transmission to
PARK (and the transmission must be in NEUTRAL for
the transfer case to shift out of NEUTRAL).
5. Turn the engine OFF. Shift automatic transmission into
PARK. On 8-speed transmissions the shifter will automatically
select PARK when the engine is turned off.
6. Release the brake pedal (and clutch pedal on a manual
transmission).
7. Disconnect vehicle from the tow vehicle.
8. Start the engine.
9. Press and hold the brake pedal.
10. Release the parking brake.
11. Shift the transmission into gear, release the brake
pedal (and clutch pedal on manual transmissions),
and check that the vehicle operates normally.
NOTE: With electronic shift transfer case:
• Steps 3 and 4 are requirements that must be met prior
to pressing the button to shift out of NEUTRAL (N),
and must continue to be met until the shift has been
completed. If any of these requirements are not met
before pressing the button or are no longer met during
the shift, the NEUTRAL (N) indicator light will flash
continuously until all requirements are met or until the
button is released.
• The ignition switch must be in the ON/RUN position
for a shift to take place and for the position indicator
lights to be operable. If the ignition switch is not in the
ON/RUN position, the shift will not take place and no
position indicator lights will be on or flashing.
• A flashing NEUTRAL (N) position indicator light
indicates that shift requirements have not been met.

 

Wow I forgot how wordy that section in the manual was. Thanks for posting that.

 

... or pull that lever out.

Holy cripe. I could not even read all that without brain fade. No way in ??? would I even want to try that..

I can pop that lever out in less time than it takes to find that manual in the glove box. Oh please give me a manual transmission in an EcoD.

 

Pretty quick & simple if you follow OiLBrnR's instructions. No brain fade whatsoever.

 

OILBrnR's directions DO work. It's simple like me.

Big thanks for the help and from all others who may read the simple directions above.

 

Glad it worked for you Cap. It's a simple little trick once you get the hang of it.

 

I want my column shifter back.

That is all.

 

Of course you do....Ostriches are not very dexterous.