I bought this truck used; owner's manual was long gone. Thanks for the info though.

Jim

 

...why, oh why, do so many owners "lose" the owners manual, tire changing tools & jack, extra key/fob, and sometimes spare tire?

 

So there's an important distinction here: if the gear shift just won't move down AT ALL, that's interlock because it's a pin in the steering column.

If it moves a little but feels like you're stretching a cable, that's park pawl, internal to the tx or maybe something in the linkage on side of transmission.

Basically, the question is do you have ZERO give or A LITTLE give?

To feel the difference, when it's working (because OP reports it only works sometimes), try coming out of P with no brake pedal. THAT is what the interlock feels lock. To simulate the other possibility, park on the steepest hill possible and shift out of P with as little brake pedal as possible. This usually preloads the park pawl and will create what is known as torque lock.

 

I'll never understand why people keep the owner's manuals of vehicles they sell. they should leave them in the vehicles for the new owners. However, most of the vehicles I have bought in my lifetime had them missing.

Currently, it is very hard to move it out of park. Last week a friend help move the truck forward and backward while I tried to start the truck. it did not work at first but did the second time. He did the same thing while I tried to change gears, it was hard to move but it did go into neutral. I let the engine warm up and put it in park and shut it off. Again, it would not start in park.
It feels like I am trying to come out of park with no brake pedal. The carport is at a slight angle, when I park head in, the front of the truck is higher than the back. Opposite is true when I back in. So, either way it will cause a slight preload on the transmission pawl. I have tried shutting the engine off in neutral and then putting it in park but it just rolls forward or backward a slight amount depending on whether or not I park head in in tail in.

Jim

 

Before I bought my '07, I looked at, tested, and almost bought another one at a used car lot, except it was white '08 Flare side, was a FX4 though. It had higher miles, and no manual, and the used car lot manager was not inclined to get one for it. He did ask me to call the next afternoon after I mentioned the brake pedal pulsing and that it needed rotors and pads for sure. Next afternoon while working, I called him, he said "Mr. W....., we have your truck all ready with brakes." I said "It is a pretty truck, and it needed those brakes too, but it's not my truck". I never had agreed to buy it. Was only an hours drive to his lot, I bought mine further away, and they only had one key and one fob. I told them to call me when they got the rest of them. They sent a guy to fetch them from the previous owner and then they called me.

Every vehicle I've owned since my first '57 had a manual.

 

Most my vehicle purchases come from Craigslist. No manuals. Except one. When I purchased my 2017 Dodge Charger, I did it from a dealer. Not only did they give me a paperback manual, they also gave me a DVD with the manual on it.
If finances permit, I will buy only from dealers in the future. Mainly because they have to get it passed smog, and they handle the registration paperwork. In California, seller pays for the smog, but I have never had anyone do that except the same person who had a manual for it.

Jim

 

"The Deal" is whatever you agree to. If you don't like the conditions, don't buy. If someone selling a truck can't get it smogged and have all the paperwork in order, then don't buy it.


You are the buyer. You have control over the transaction. Dealers don't want you to know that. They will use aggressive sales tactics to bully and manipulate. As the buyer, you can walk away. Take your money somewhere else.

 

I was referring to sellers on Craigslist. When dealing with dealers they have always had the vehicle smog tested, and the registration paperwork taken care of.

Jim

 

By not using the parking brake, you may have damaged the parking pawl and/or transmission shifting linkage, which has affected the contact positions in the Neutral Safety Switch. This would happen if you didn't use the parking brake and had to yank it out of Park every time you got in the truck. Start using the parking brake and at least get under the truck and check the alignment of the shift linkage - repair manuals will have the procedure for your truck but it might involve using a punch or nail to line up indexing holes. If that's not it, and the truck has a mechanical Neutral Safety Switch, that may be worn out and need overhauling or replacing.
I fixed the NSS in my '96 Cherokee once when it would no longer start in Park - I took it loose, cleaned it with electronics spray to remove the old grease and put it back together with fresh Dielectric Grease. The contacts are spring-loaded and they were simply stuck down and needed servicing. It worked fine from then-on.

 

The neutral safety switch was one of the parts replaced by the first shop I took it to. They also replaced the gear selector cable for the first time because they stated the original one would not connect to the NSS. I took it back to them twice after the initial visit to have them fix the issue, but all they did was adjust the cable. I took it to the second shop, and they replaced the cable for a second time. They did refund my money when it happened again two days later. It is now at the third shop, (technically the fourth shop as it was originally sent to a transmission repair shop, who deemed the transmission was not at fault) and it is having the cable replaced for a third time. The third shop told me there was supposed to be a bracket that keeps the cable from resting on the exhaust manifold. Mine doesn't have this bracket. So, one was ordered along with another cable, and it should be ready tomorrow. Why the first two shops didn't know this I have no idea, but it should be fixed for good tomorrow. As for crawling under my truck. I am disabled and crawling under my truck (or anything else for that matter) is not an option anymore. The bill is going to be $350 which is doable. I'm glad it was not a transmission issue as I doubt, I would have been able to afford it. LOL

Jim

 

Hope it works!

 

I replaced the cable on our '08 once. There's more of a flexible piece of flat bar on the body that retains it away from the exhaust. Kinda like a heavy duty twist tie. It's certainly possible this could rust away or fatigue and break off if opened and closed too many times.

I used an OEM cable and it's been great for years. I'm not sure if there are aftermarket alternatives but I'd avoid like the plague if so.

 

Got it back from the shop on Wednesday. It works great! The shifter is as smooth as shifting in butter. And it starts in Park, and when I park on the slightest incline it doesn't roll backward with the transmission pawl making noise. Three problems fixed with a new cable and bracket. I am a happy camper.

Jim