My daughter's 2013 FL2 has developed a problem where the (auto) gear lever is very hard to get out of Park and also out of Drive (and possibly Reverse, too). Once on the road, the box makes no strange noises so I’m wondering might it be the ol' spring in the gear knob problem. It had a new gear knob fitted when she bought it a year ago as the button wasn’t working at all but presumably the spring could have failed. Can it fail/break in such a way that it’s jamming things rather than (as happened on my FL2) doing nothing at all and allowing the lever to move freely between all positions without pressing the button.

Sounds like the spring had broken fixed mine a few weeks ago. I used one off Ebay and a very very thin cable tie is needed. I used a slightly thicker one and had to cut the white retainer with a Stanley knife to accommodate it.

🤞

I am very sure that the white collar underneath the gear lever gaiter is the problem, it comes loose and drops and interferes with gear selection it has happened to me and I took the collar off and left it off.
The collar is there simply to attach the gaiter to the gear knob and serves no other function than that.

Mel.

Thanks, Mel, another line of attack! Talking to my daughter this morning she tells me that the problem isn’t apparent when starting a journey, but once at her destination it’s very hard to get it out of drive.

Still applies especially if the gear knob has been changed and the white collar has not been fitted correctly, the symptoms are varied.
It will take you les than five minutes to check it out.

Mel.

As said above take it apart check everything then carefully put it back together if it’s still not right fit a new spring.

It will not be the spring in the gear knob as the selection from d to n does not require the lever to be depressed.

Thank you, Mel, that's a good point - I’d forgotten that from when I had my own FL2.

Hope you sort it soon, it can be a bit unnerving when that kind of thing happens especially in traffic.

Mel.