I got home from Louisiana last thursday nite, was gone for three weeks serving for the National Guard down there, I went to drive my truck and the shifter wouldn't ger out of Park. It finally went, I thought it was maybe a freak thing, but now it gets stuck all the time, but once it's out of Park it shifts through ever gear smoothly. It feels like something in the column. Does anyone have any idea what it may be and it's a pretty simple fix?

If anyone has any ideas I would really appreciate it, thanks.

 

Sometimes it is the column lock mechanism that puts everything in a bind. Try turning the steering wheel slightly.

 

I tried that, but sometimes that doesn't work...actually most of the time it doesn't work, I just keep playing with the shifter until it does. I'm just wondering if it may be a part that I can get and replace in the column.

Thanks anyway Torque

 

There's a safety switch on the brake pedal that might be bad or loose connection.

 

Yeah, I was thinking about that too....does anyone know where the safety switch is located, and if there is a way of testing it? If I can locate it, I just might buy a new one and replace it.

 

there should be two switchs on the brake one for the lights and one for the shifter check them both it may be very simple and be a wire come off or a miss adjusted switch. they are easy to check with a multimeter put it on ohms and psuh the switch in manually then check both ends for continuity if there is continuity then the switch is good if not then the switch is bad. I bet it is either unpluged or not making a good connection ore a broken wir though.

Lance

 

My 96 did this & it was the trailor light fuse blown. It also controls the safty switch on the shifter. I blew the fuse backing my boat in the lake without unhooking the lights. Its in the underhood fusebox.

 

Thanks guys, I'll check the fuses and make sure it's nothing simple like that. It's just weird, I'll put in Park, then it just takes some fiddling with the shifter, it will finally go, it just seems like something is catching on the steering column itself, then after playing with it for a while it'll finally shift out of Park. For now, I just basically put in Nuetral, shut the truck off, then slide it into Reverse and put the E brake on and luckily because my key is worn out a bit, it comes out of the ignition, and the shifter only gets stuck on Park, not anywhere else...

 

Scorpion:

First verify that the brake lights are working, as sometimes their failure and the problem you're experiencing are related. Now, to get the truck out of Park:

With the key in the ignition, turn the key forward enough to release the mechanical shift lever/steering wheel lock, but not so far as to light up the dashboard, which will energize the electric shift lever/brake pedal interlock. Shift into neutral, start engine. You will have to repeat this drill everytime you need to shift out of Park, even if the engine is running. Again, check the brake lights before you drive the truck again.

 

Your BOO (brake on/off) switch is either bad or one of the wires to the connector to it is broken.Mine did the same thing.It was a broken wire. It is located on your brake pedal lever under the dash.

 

The cruise control deactivation switch can also cause this problem. This is the same switch that is causing the latest recall. Ford is not replacing the switch though, they are putting a different harness in.