Stuck in park
 

My e53 2004 wouldn't release from park. I was able to lift the gear lever surround and lift the cam allowing me to move the lever and select drive, reverse, and neutral. I still had to have my foot on the brake pedal in order to release the lever from park. The key will not release from the ignition. The car driver fine.

it sounds as if you are describing a proper operation of the interlock feature on the automatic transmission E53.

What are you trying to accomplish?

I had Hondas and Toyotas where this is normal too.

Don't think I am making myself clear. I have to poke a screwdriver underneath the selector lever in order to get it to move into r n d , and the key wont come out. The car would be stuck in park I'd I didn't prise off the lever trim surround and manually release it with a screwdriver

There is a cable running from the ignition to the transmission selector lever that provides an interlock. It sounds like that cable is your problem, particularly if you have a problem with the ignition key not releasing, and the transmission selector not moving.

Any more details on this cable ?

Does the key release from the ignition when the gear lever is in P?

No. The key stays .

Either the bowden cable is broken or out of adjustment. Sticking a screw driver down there probably didn't help either.

Here's the part

Bowden cable. ZF . Shift interlock automatic transm. BMW 530i (1992 - 1996) # 25161218708

The cable in the steering colum had worked loose. I re seated it and all is fine.