Shift lock solenoid intermittently seizes

2001 XJ, AW4.

This issue only cropped up once temperatures were consistently below freezing with humidity of 50%+, so I've been putting off starting a thread about it... Long story short, the shifter lock button will occasionally get stuck (refusing to move from 3 to D, for example, without exerting an unpleasant amount of force). Once the car gets warmer the issue goes away all-together... Oddly, it's not present when I first start it up (as I can get it into gear without issue).

Regardless, the dealership told me that lock solenoid is built into the transmission, but I have my doubts about that... My service manual references the shifter lock solenoid but I can't find any diagrams of it, nor any real details.

Is this solenoid actually built into the transmission, or is it somewhere in the vehicle's interior? Given how it's behaving, I'm guessing it either needs to be lubricated or simply replaced.

Input would be greatly appreciated, as always. Thanks!

Well they're wrong about it being in the transmission.

I'm not sure where it is, believe it's somewhere under the dash. Check the shifter itself, if it isn't there, follow the shifter cables up under the dash till you find it.

kastein said:

Well they're wrong about it being in the transmission.

I'm not sure where it is, believe it's somewhere under the dash. Check the shifter itself, if it isn't there, follow the shifter cables up under the dash till you find it.

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Thank you, Captan Logical

That'll definitely be my next step... I guess I ultimately wanted confirmation that it was not indeed located inside the transmission. You rock, buddy!