🚨 1997 UAZ Bukhanka (452): Emergency Neutral
The 1997 UAZ-452 Bukhanka was not factory-equipped with an automatic transmission; this vehicle has a 4-speed manual transmission with a floor-mounted shifter and separate transfer case lever.
🧰 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.
- Press the clutch pedal fully to the floor (or have an assistant do so).
- Move the main gearshift lever to the neutral position (center position, should move freely side-to-side).
- If the transfer case needs to be in neutral for towing, move the transfer case lever to its neutral position (consult your transfer case markings).
- Release the parking brake when ready to move the vehicle.
- The vehicle can now roll freely; no electrical power is required for a manual transmission.
With zero electrical power
No electrical power is needed to shift a manual transmission into neutral. Simply press the clutch and move the shifter to the center neutral position. The transfer case can also be shifted to neutral mechanically without power.