Young lady has a 2002 Escape and she calls for help. The car is running as in it is started but it will not shift out of PARK, the guages are not working and the THEFT light is flashing. She says the THEFT light flashes all the time until the car is started and the light goes out. All the lights work but its like the dash is dead and it won't shift from PARK.
If it is not working due to someone monkeying with it or trying to break into it, thus the flashing THEFT light, is there a way to reset it so it without towing it to a dealer?
I would hate to see her have to shell out 2-300 bucks for someone to push a button and frankly I don't trust our closest Ford dealer, they have a bad reputation.

 

She needs to check the fuses under the dash. 1 fuse controls the "Brake shift interlock/relay".
I also could be the relay, Brake pedal position switch or the brake shift interlock diode.
The fuse should be a 15 amp.

Rod

 

Thanks for the response, I pulled the fuses from under the dash and metered them and found none blown, of course that doesn't mean there isn't a bad relay. I guess that her insurance is going to pay for it to be towed and worked on so she will probably get a loaner.
Thanks again, 5_labsownus.

 

Just a little update, this was towed into a nearby Ford Stealer who wrote it up for three hours of labor and called her to come get it. They said they fixed the problem and billed her for $268 and the only part was a 15 amp fuse that they put in place of a ten amp fuse and used a paint stick to cover the amp marking. They picked it up 5/4/11 and on 5/14/11 she picked it up and on 5/20/11 it is doing it again and yesterday it blew a 25 amp fuse she put in it to get her home.
It now seems that when a new fuse is put in, it will run just fine but as soon as she puts it into "PARK" the fuse blows.

Anyone with any ideas besides take it back to the Stealer?

 

If you post the exact F-number of the fuse position that is blowing the fuse, maybe someone with an older Escape wiring diagram could look it up and tell for certain what circuit that is, what it powers. Then you would know for sure where to start looking for a problem.

Otherwise, it seems like just guessing, as there really isn't enough info for someone to work with. In my opinion.

 

OK Torky2, I will check for sure ASAP but I think the fuse is number 11 or 16. I will check for sure.

 

I would take it back to the dealership and ask for a refund. The "technician" who "diagnosed" the problem just diagnosed the symptom of a burned up fuse. Replacing it with a fuse of larger capacity is just asking to burn up the wiring in the car. A burned up wiring harnesses is expensive to replace. The problem has not been fixed.
Any technician who billed for that much labor, and listed the part replaced as only a fuse is not very bright. A blown fuse would have been among the first things to check for in diagnosis, and spending that much time, and then replacing with a fuse of the wrong size is not very encouraging. As an opinion, she is lucky her vehicle did not burn up, or melt the harness, and so is the dealership, as they are on paper as having replaced the fuse...
When the transmission is placed in Park, the MLP switch enables the solenoid that locks the transmission from being shifted unless the brake pedal is depressed. If a fuse were blown, the solenoid wouldn't operate and release the shift lever. There is a manual over-ride on the console for future reference. I would be looking at the solenoid and the MLP[Manual Lever Position] switch and associated wiring.
To know which fuse would surely be good information....
tom

 

Tsk. Tsk. Never install a larger fuse than specified. A fuse is a safety device. By installing a larger fuse, they (and she) removed a certain amount of safety from the electrical system. Melted or shorted wires are a possibility, as is an electrical fire. And ruined expensive components. Take the car back. Better yet, take it elsewhere.

Good luck getting a refund, because that's what you should get.

 

Well I asked what fuse it was and she told me it was #8, she also got it back from the dealer that she originally bought it at. She tells me that this mechanic done more investigating and found a shorted wire in the stearing column that goes to the Over Drive button. That makes sense if the button is at the end of the shift lever.
She says it works fine so far and I appreciate the replies from you guys, by the way this is the dealer where bought it and they worked on it for a day and a half and only charged her twenty bucks.
I asked her if she learned a lesson on who to take her car to for service, I think if she wasn't leaving on Sunday for the Marines she would be driving over to the other stealer for some cain raising.

Thanks again guys.