Stuck in PARK- uh-oh....

[Paul Maurer 2]

ANOTHER tranny problem on the '05 I just got- had maintenance done last week- oil change, 4 new shocks and tranny service. Trusted mechanic replaced one of the tranny seals he noticed was leaking and did new fluid. Parked at store yesterday and truck would not shift out of Park- kind of funny but very frustrating! Tried pumping brake, turning wheel to no avail-checked fluid and it seems level is slightly high and clean. Let truck idle for 10 min and then "rocked" it w/my foot out the door- popped into D and off I went. Of course, I had to "test" it to see if it was fixed- did the same thing on next two stops. Mechanic says its probably some type of solenoid related to brake and trans- will check it today....ideas?:unsure:

 

[Kevin Palmer]

Check this out...



For the record, wen it says turn to off, it means one position to the right of lock. By that, put the key into the ignition and rotate it clockwise one position...



If you cannot move the gearshift lever out of P (Park) with ignition in

the ON position and the brake pedal depressed:

1. Apply the parking brake, turn ignition key to LOCK, then remove the

key.

2. Insert the key and turn it to OFF. Apply the brake pedal and shift

to N (Neutral).

When the key is in the ignition OFF position, the automatic

transmission shift lever can be moved from the P (Park) position

without the brake pedal depressed. To avoid unwanted vehicle

movement, always set the parking brake.

3. Start the vehicle.

If it is necessary to use the above procedure to move the gearshift lever,

it is possible that a fuse has blown or the vehicle’s brakelamps are not

operating properly. Refer to Fuses and relays in the Roadside

emergencies chapter.

Do not drive your vehicle until you verify that the brakelamps

are working.

Always set the parking brake fully and make sure the gearshift is

latched in P (Park). Turn the ignition to the LOCK position and

remove the key whenever you leave your vehicle.

If the parking brake is fully released, but the brake warning lamp

remains illuminated, the brakes may not be working properly.

See your dealer or a qualified service technician.

 

[Aaron Lyon]

This recently happened to my 07' and it was the shifter solenoid that went bad. Ford ended up replacing the entire shifter mechanism to take care of it, and apparently it has been a relatively common problem. If you want to confirm that this is what it is there is an easy bypass, but I WOULD NOT recommend driving with that lockout actuator bypassed for long as it is very dangerous because you will never know for sure if it is locked in gear. If your not sure what the lockout actuator is, it is the mechanical part that once you press the brake and pull on the shifter button it allows you you shift into another gear, or it doesn't if you haven't pushed the brake. If you bypass this then you can shift the Trac into gear without applying the brake and without squeezing the shifter button that's why it is NOT advised. On my 07' all you had to do to temporarily bypass it was to take off the part of the center console around the shifter, (it may be in a different location on an 03'). Once you can see the actuator you will also see a little mechanical arm that moves back and forth, that is the lockout. Just zip tie that in the forward position and it should work. AGAIN I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS AS ANYTHING BUT A TEMPORARY FIX. I would do this and drive it to the repair shop so that they can fix it and tell them that you bypassed it so that you didn't have to have it towed!



You might want to try what Coastiejoe recommended first because it would be a lot easier and safer but if it doesn't work this should get you to the shop at least unless of course it is a tranny issue and not the shifter! Any way sorry your having problems!

 

[scott degroot]

What I usually do on the Fords that are stuck in park is to slowly turn the ignition key from off to the accessory position while gently trying to shift out of park, usually between off and accessory is where the shifter will decide to move.