Transaxle stuck in park, can't even go in neutral

I have a 1995 Buick Lesabre with shifting problems. It is front wheel
drive. When I start the car and apply brake to shift out of park to
drive/neutral/reverse doesnt matter, you can hear the car like it
engages in gear but stays in park. The car wont move in any gear. If
I play with the shifter going from neutral to drive it will eventually
leave park and fully engage in Drive. Now if I want to go in reverse I
need to put it in neutral and slowly shift to reverse. If I stop
completely in reverse it locks up in park again and I have to go back
to playing with neutral and drive. If I go from reverse to neutral
after rolling a bit in reverse I can then go back to drive. At any
point if I go from drive directly to reverse or park it gets stuck in
park again.

Another note that when I am able to get it in reverse from neutral it
makes a clicking noise. The faster I go the more it clicks (the sound
when you go from drive to directly to park without stopping).

Before this happened I was able to shift from park to reverse but it
would make that clicking noise while I were to back up. I would tap
down a bit on the shift lever and the clicking would silence.
Eventually I couldn't get it to quit making the clicking. Then I
couldnt get the car into any gear including neutral.

Anyone out there with any suggestions would be great. I checked the
linkeage and it seems to be fine.

Thank you!!!

Years ago when I took automatic transmission overhaul classes, the
instructor
emphasized that you always double and triple check the shift linkage
adjustment...
This is still a good thing to do, whether or not it helps your particular
case.

If adjustment doesn't do it, you are probably going to have to go inside the
tranny. It could be something like a sticky valve body or suchlike.

I have been told that the automatic x-missions are susceptible to having
the shifting mechanism, overtime, - crater.

that could or could not be true / the problem.

mho
vƒe

Thanks for the info. except I don't understand completely what you are
telling me with the commas. If you get a chance could you reply with a
little more explanation. Thanks

Yeah I hear ya on the linkage. We took the link off and actually
turned the gears with a ratchet and then turned the gears with the
links connected. It seems to pan out just fine by trying to go into
gear but stays in park. It does shift gears when you shift but it does
not come out of park. It has the feeling of going in two gears at once.

>If you get a chance could you reply with >a little more explanation.
====

be glad to, when my x-mission become hard to shift into gear, I thought
it was just
a matter of lubricating the linkage, but the shop said there is no way
to lubricate the

linkage, and that eventually, due to wear and tear, the x-mission's
interior mechanism would - go to pot. (they used the words, drop down.

I'm not sure I buy this remark, but have no proof it isn't so, and could
apply to anyone.

mho
vƒe