My Ford 250 is currently stuck in park, it starts but I can't move the shifter. It sounds like it is a fuse issue from what I have read, but I bought the truck at an auction and I don't have a book. Does anyone know if it is the brake or parking brake fuse? And where is it located? I know there is a panel under the hood and under the dash, I have no idea which fuse to look for. It's a 2008 extended cab gas model.

thanks, Janet

 

here is the online download for the 08 owners manual.
http://www.motorcraftservice.com/pubs/content/~WO8F23/~MUS~LEN/36/08f23og1e.pdf
looks like it should be the 10 amp fuse in slot 5 of the under dash fuse panel. that is the Keypad illumination, Brake-Shift Interlock fuse.
in the download manual on page #271 there is a diagram of that panel, and on page 274 is the under hood panel diagram

 

thanks, I will try that,
Janet

 

Usually this is caused by a bad brake light switch. Do the brake lights work?

You can get it out of park by turning the key off. Turn it towards on only to the first click. That doesn't turn on any lights. Then move the shifter to N and start the truck in N.

 

thanks for that tip Mark.

i forgot about taking it out of gear with the key on but engine off.

 

the brake lights don't work, and I will try the key trick, thanks

 

I still can't shift, even with the key turned to the first position, that's not working.

 

What year is your truck? On my 2012 I had to remove the boot surrounding the shift lever. On the bottom side of the lever assembly, there is a little metal button that you can pull out to dis-engage the shift-lock interface and shift the truck to neutral to get the vehicle started. I was in the middle of nowhere when my fuze blew so I had to get back on the road somehow. You can find the applicable instructions in your owners manual for further clairification.

 

I've pulled a whole bunch of fuses and can't see any that are blown. grrr.

 

Justin, I will try that, thanks.

 

Try turning the steering wheel one way or the other while you step on the brake to shift out of park with key on or engine running.
Sometimes the wheel is tight against the "lock" button and causes this too.

 

not the fuse the BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH there might be two of them one for the lights and one for the crews

 

go to the owners manual linked above and use the manual over-ride method to bypass the shift solenoid for now.

sounds like your brake switch is dead. that switch turns on the brake-lights, and it signals the park lock solenoid. if it's dead, it won't tell the park lock solenoid to allow the trans out of park.

 

This thread saved me at a campground this summer! I got a new to me 97 f 350 and our first trip out something blew out in the electric. but I did not know about it until I was blocking the only way in and out of the campground.. luckily we found this and figured out how to bypass the lockout because of it... It took a couple tries to figure the combo out in practice...