🚨 2005 Acura RSX: Emergency Neutral
The 2005 RSX automatic uses a traditional floor-mounted console shifter with a button on the handle and an electronic shift-lock mechanism.
🧰 Drafted with AI under the editorial review of Chris Hackleman & Jeff Moore — cross-check against your owner’s manual when possible.
⚠️ Chock the wheels first — neutral means the car can roll. Set the parking brake while you work, never stand downhill of the vehicle, and try a 12-volt jump before any override: power fixes most stuck-in-park problems instantly.
The procedure
- Ensure the parking brake is firmly engaged and the vehicle is on level ground or properly chocked.
- Turn the ignition key to the ON (II) position if battery power is available; this may release the shift lock if only the brake-light switch has failed.
- If the shifter remains locked, locate the shift-lock override slot—a small rectangular opening covered by a removable plastic cap on the left side of the shifter base, near the front of the console trim.
- Use a flat-blade screwdriver or the key blade to pry off the small cap covering the override slot.
- Insert a small flat-blade screwdriver, pen, or similar tool straight down into the override slot while simultaneously pressing the shifter button and moving the shifter to Neutral.
- Once in Neutral, the vehicle can be rolled or steered onto a flatbed.
Shift-lock override location
Left side of the shifter base, near the front of the console; covered by a small rectangular plastic cap.
With zero electrical power
With a completely dead battery, the ignition cannot be turned on. The mechanical shift-lock override slot will still function—insert the tool into the override slot and manually release the lock to shift to Neutral without any electrical power.