Hey, Scotty I have a 1998 Toyota Corolla and I accidentally spilled Coffey in my car and some went into my instrument cluster. Now sometimes when I turn my car on the tachometer dose not work and my car won’t let me put it into gear, help. What could it be?
Thank You,
Scotty or moderator
Ok. On your car there is a switch called the brake light switch. This switch senses when pressure is applied to the brake and activates the brake lights but it also sends the same signal to the ECU and the TCM. The brake pedal must be pressed before the car will go in drive. This is a safety measure to prevent cars from lurching forward from being shifted into gear with the brake pedal not depressed. You could try cleaning this switch or replacing it. Here is a link you can use to try and locate the exact switch you need:
I would say this is most likely your problem.
Where all did you spill coffee? Primarily on the dash/front etc.? Did any coffee run through the instrument panel down under the dash? There are a couple things in that general area that can result in the car refusing to shift.
@inthedetails
Near the ignition and wires under the steering column.