My 2012 F250 6.7 once again (third time in 2k miles) got stuck in park with no brake lights or traction control. I found that removing the shroud from the steering wheel allowed me to manually activate the solenoid and get into gear but could only drive in manual shift mode.

Something is causing the brake switch fuse to blow. When I replace the fuse all is well for maybe 1k miles then it happens again! After the second time I replaced the brake switch thinking it was the cause but no deal. It happened a third time. The dealer who fixed it the first time could not find the cause.

This is frustrating and downright dangerous! What in the circuit could be causing the short? Any ideas?

Rob

 

I hate to say it, but it sounds like there's a wire in the brake circuit somewhere that's either rugged though the insulation, or just slightly pinched. Either way, the right - or wrong, more appropriately - movement or flexing causes it to short out and pop the fuse.

 

That is a bugger. Gremlins like this are very hard to deal with.

There are a few folks who have had problems with shorted wires/systems and the problem area is above the riverside front wheel well and under that brake fluid/fuse panel.

Also, there can be issues above the passenger wheel well if I remember right. May as well remove the wheels, wheel well liners, and methodically inspect all those harnesses carefully. I'm not sure where the bcm and pcm are but I'd trace them down too.

 

Hi Rob,

How many miles are on your truck? I want to look into ways to help.

Crystal

 

Could also be in the trailer wiring circuit(s).

 

Hi Crystal,
I am currently at 42,700. The first occurrence was at about 39+K.

Thanks,
Rob

 

ARRG! I was afraid of that. This seems to be a complicated circuit and had me baffled. I will take a look there. Thank you for the hint.
Rob

 

Crystal is a huge help and should be able to get you somewhere with your local dealer. Is the truck not still under warranty? If so I'd let the dealer do the head scratching on this one. Have you tried putting 1 size bigger fuse in that slot? Although it's not a proper fix it might just be a mild short that is a little bit more than the current fuse can handle and might not be a major concern. I had a similar issue on a previous vehicle and I never could trace the problem because it was so random. I opted for a 20 amp fuse instead of the factory 15 amp and it never had another issue. Best of luck.

 

Thank you - I will wait and see what Crystal says but I believe warranty ended at 35K so paying by the hour could get VERY expensive. This happened twice after I parked and once on a road trip cruising at 65. If I can not locate this I will try the 20 amp fuse. Rob

 

Hey Rob,

Let's get you escalated up to the customer service manager for your region. Send a PM my way with your full name, best daytime phone number, VIN, current mileage, and servicing dealership; I'll push this up the chain.

Thanks for the kind words, Brandon!

Crystal

 

Hi Crystal,
I am a newbie so don't think I can PM you. Or at least can not figure it out :-(
Rob

 

need 10 topic posts and a few days..

so post away... u have 5 already

 

Crystal can send you a PM that you can reply to, but I don't think she's here on the weekends.

I agree with Joel, this is most likely a wiring issue. And in your shoes I'd be more concerned about the lack of brake lights than getting it out of park, that puts yourself and whoever is behind you in danger.

 

Hi Rob,

I just sent you a PM; check out your inbox for my message.

Crystal

 

Hi Crystal,
Apparently I need at least 5 more days as a member before I can reply to your PM. This is OK as I am hitting the road and heading back to my service area so will be driving. I will reply when I get there and my time has accumulated.

By the way it happened again!

Thanks,
Rob