So I bought a non running sidekick.  Paid $700 to get it running.  Now it is stuck in park.  I can start it, but I can't drive it!! I'm busier than a one legged man at an ass kickin contest at my two jobs. AND my wife wants to take it to MT hood this weekend.   I've tried the 3-4 tricks to try to get it out of park. I think all the wires are hooked up, the brake solenoid actates, I've flipped the mecanical lever, checked the button on the shift lever... still nothing.  1995 4 door, 4 speed automatic.  Is there any chance a suzuki genious in the Portland / Tualatin area could stop by to help me figure out WTF is wrong?  I want to get this thing going so I can beat the sh*t out of it (in the nicest of ways)

Just to verify, when you move the shifter is it actually shifting the transmission into gear?

There's a lockout cable that goes up into the steering column... I'm pretty sure the your rig would have that and that could be causing your problem.

-Eric

There is also a screw in the back of the shifter handle, that if you remove it the handle
screws on and off, this is an adjustment so if the handle was removed, it might need to
be re adjusted to allow the shifter to work properly

Wild

thanks for the help, Wild got closest.  I finally made it home while there was still a little light. I noticed no matter what I did, the pin was not sliding down far enough to allow the shift lever to move.  I took the shifter handle off and found the white plastic piece on the top of the sifter stalk was rotated in a direction that did not allow it to slip down into the notch on the shift stalk.  I haven't figured how to put the handle on so that the button pushes everything down far enough to work properly, but I was able to shift and move the 'kick under its own power for the first time in the 9 months I've owned it.  Now I have to somehow put enough of the bits bck together so I can get an oil change, SeaFoam engine, smog, and license before Sunday. In between work Friday and Saturday.

  Just keep spinning the T-handle clockwise, pop the screw in and try it,
takes a few tries to get it set right, too far on and it will not stay in park 
and not far enough it will not go into 1st.

When you push the side button it pushes the center rod in the lever down
and that operates the pin in the notched metal gizmo, ultimately this is what
keeps the Trucklet in the various gears, or keeps it stuck in park.

Good work getting home 

Wild

Actually, I believe you want to spin the handle counter clockwise...this will make the button push the rod down farther, therefore disengaging the rollpin from the park slot.

just a tip for those with the 4 speed auto - and the overdrive button on the Shift handle- the wire going to the button will prevent you from spinning the handle. Slid the handle off and spin the white plastic piece on top of the exposed rod