Hi! Welcome to CEG.
One problem at a time:
- Temperature gauge: There is a sensor on the engine that tells the gauge how hot your engine is. That sensor may have failed. The sensor isn't terribly expensive and is usually easy to replace. However, if your car really is overheating, it could damage the engine. The heater in the car will still work, even if the car is overheating, so that isn't a good test.
- You have an electric fan right behind the radiator that helps cool the engine. It doesn't run all of the time - a sensor tells it when to turn on and off, depending on how hot the engine is. It isn't very hard to check the fan. If it isn't working correctly, it could be either the fan itself or the sensor.
- You mentioned topping off coolant. Has the coolant level changed since then? If you're consistently adding coolant to keep the level within the normal range, you have a leak somewhere. A coolant leak that doesn't create puddles on the ground could be a head gasket failure (expensive and lots of work to repair). Do you know when the coolant was last changed? If not, get the engine coolant system flushed and filled.
- Shifter: There is a solenoid that prevents you from moving the shifter lever *out* of park unless the brake pedal is pushed. However, I haven't heard of the solenoid preventing the shift leverl from going back *into* park. I'd be more suspicious that something is wrong with the linkage that connects your shift lever to the transmission. Did this problem appear about the same time your transmission was replaced?
My suggestion? Do some reading on the topics I've mentioned, then find a reputable, local shop that will look at each problem independently and help you understand what's really going on - and the best way to repair it. If you aren't comfortable with what they're telling you, or how they're treating you, find another shop.
Best wishes! Enjoy driving your Contour!
