How to select Neutral when the engine won't start?

[Toasty]

As far as anyone has seen, it's not possible without the engine running, unless someone were to crawl under and manually disconnect the shift mech from the trans and manually move the shift lever.

 

[G-Frog]

Sorry for taking a while writing back. It has been quite the experience. Got a hold of a young service adviser at my dealership who told me he would look for the procedure and get back to me. After 3 days and multiple calls, emails and text messages, my dealership Service department is not talking to me. I have no idea why.

All is not lost though. During my efforts to find something online, I did discover the procedure for those 2020 and prior models here: GM Transfer Case to Neutral.

I tried the same procedure on mine, but could not select neutral on the push-button selector. Pressing the 2 High switch 5 times does try to place the Transfer Case in Neutral but after 10 or 15 seconds of trying ( 4 wheels indicator in dash flashing a red N ) it would revert back to 2 H.

Now! for the truly embarrassing part...

I called CAA in hopes that they would find a way to tow the beast out of the garage. A couple of guys arrived tried to start the truck. It wouldn't start of course. Then I noticed the guy sitting in the driver seat fiddling with something near the gas pedal. He finally got out of the truck, removed my weathertech mat, got back in and started the truck. ????

Now the embarrassing part. I had taken the floor mat out to wash it. When I placed it back in I couldn't see under the dash because it was too dark but I had done this many times and thought I knew how to re-install the mat. It turns out that a corner of the mat was improperly installed over the gas pedal pushing all the way to the floor. I must have turned as red as my truck . Oh the shame and embarrassment!

All is well that ends well... however we still don't know how to place the transfer case in neutral other than by manually disconnecting the transfer case shift lever connector on the transfer case itself and manually move it to Neutral. Thanks @Toasty and You Tube!

I will be paying a visit to the dealership to find out why they didn't return my calls and try to obtain the procedure.

 

[Brandon2489]

What a story for the books. It happens to the best of us. Glad your vehicle is fine though. Let us know how the dealership visit goes.

 

[G-Frog]

I will be paying a visit to the dealership to find out why they didn't return my calls and try to obtain the procedure.

Update: I managed to get in touch with the service manager who said he was very sorry for the communication mix-up.

He explained that the young service adviser had talked to him last Monday about the issue and that they had agreed to send someone to my residence to help place the vehicle transfer case in Neutral and have it towed. But it seems like they both thought that the other would make the call. In the end nobody called.

In any case, the service manager said that he talked to the mechanics and they were not aware of any special method for this new transmission other than removing the link to the transfer case control arm and moving the arm manually.

I'm convinced that GM must have made a provision for setting the TC to neutral. Maybe they just forgot to publish it in the maintenance manuals.

 

[Toasty]

Update: I managed to get in touch with the service manager who said he was very sorry for the communication mix-up.

He explained that the young service adviser had talked to him last Monday about the issue and that they had agreed to send someone to my residence to help place the vehicle transfer case in Neutral and have it towed. But it seems like they both thought that the other would make the call. In the end nobody called.

In any case, the service manager said that he talked to the mechanics and they were not aware of any special method for this new transmission other than removing the link to the transfer case control arm and moving the arm manually.

I'm convinced that GM must have made a provision for setting the TC to neutral. Maybe they just forgot to publish it in the maintenance manuals.

I would not be surprised in the least if it was done intentionally to supposedly thwart would be thieves from easily shifting a vehicle out of park

 

[Doubeleive]

a extended family of mine has a 21 tahoe, they have been having some issue's with it and are going to lemon law it but in the mean time they are stuck with it, last weekend we all drove up to a lake a couple hours from here and they towed there jet ski's and when we were all waiting on the boat launch they put it in park, got out and about 30 seconds later it suddenly lurched forward about 6 inches and stopped again, pretty scary I just can't put my faith in a push button transmission I backed them in to launch and drove it back up the launch and parked it and made sure the parking brake was engaged! (which is also electronic btw)

 

[Toasty]

a extended family of mine has a 21 tahoe, they have been having some issue's with it and are going to lemon law it but in the mean time they are stuck with it, last weekend we all drove up to a lake a couple hours from here and they towed there jet ski's and when we were all waiting on the boat launch they put it in park, got out and about 30 seconds later it suddenly lurched forward about 6 inches and stopped again, pretty scary I just can't put my faith in a push button transmission I backed them in to launch and drove it back up the launch and parked it and made sure the parking brake was engaged! (which is also electronic btw)

nobody in driver seat?

 

[2591tdj]

Sorry for taking a while writing back. It has been quite the experience. Got a hold of a young service adviser at my dealership who told me he would look for the procedure and get back to me. After 3 days and multiple calls, emails and text messages, my dealership Service department is not talking to me. I have no idea why.

All is not lost though. During my efforts to find something online, I did discover the procedure for those 2020 and prior models here: GM Transfer Case to Neutral.

I tried the same procedure on mine, but could not select neutral on the push-button selector. Pressing the 2 High switch 5 times does try to place the Transfer Case in Neutral but after 10 or 15 seconds of trying ( 4 wheels indicator in dash flashing a red N ) it would revert back to 2 H.

Now! for the truly embarrassing part...

I called CAA in hopes that they would find a way to tow the beast out of the garage. A couple of guys arrived tried to start the truck. It wouldn't start of course. Then I noticed the guy sitting in the driver seat fiddling with something near the gas pedal. He finally got out of the truck, removed my weathertech mat, got back in and started the truck. ????

Now the embarrassing part. I had taken the floor mat out to wash it. When I placed it back in I couldn't see under the dash because it was too dark but I had done this many times and thought I knew how to re-install the mat. It turns out that a corner of the mat was improperly installed over the gas pedal pushing all the way to the floor. I must have turned as red as my truck . Oh the shame and embarrassment!

All is well that ends well... however we still don't know how to place the transfer case in neutral other than by manually disconnecting the transfer case shift lever connector on the transfer case itself and manually move it to Neutral. Thanks @Toasty and You Tube!

I will be paying a visit to the dealership to find out why they didn't return my calls and try to obtain the procedure.

I saw this on one of the “Customer Said” type YouTube videos. Could that have been your vehicle?

 

[Doubeleive]

nobody in driver seat?

nope, the drivers door was open and we were all standing on the left hand side of the truck, we were waiting in line for other people to launch, nobody was in the vehicle for about 15 seconds or so when it suddenly lurched forward.

 

[THOLL223]

I would think those two guys would have some Go Jacks, put them under the tires and push the vehicle out