'96 Discovery won't shift out of park

Hi, do you mean the selector lever won't move, or the transmission itself is staying in park when you move the selector? Badger.

Badger,

The selector itself won't move. I was getting a click when I pushed in the knob on the selector, but the selector wouldn't move. That's when I started checking the brake interlock switches.

After pushiing and pulling on the selector for about an hour, I'm now no longer getting the click when I push in on the selector knob.

Both switch assemblies on the pedal seem to be functioning. I took them off and tested them. There is a total of three switches in the two assemblies on the pedel shaft.

One assembly contains 2 electrical switches. The other contains 1 electrical switch and 1 vacuum switch.

I realize one of these switches is the brake light. That leaves 2 electrical switches and vacuum switch with their function unknown.

FOUR switches open/closing every time the brake pedal is pushed? I'm surprised it lasted this long.

Any insight into the funtion of the remaining switches, or how they work with the selector knob is appreciated.

Thanks!

That would have been my next move also.

Could be you've fecked it???

One set will be for cruise control inhibit, to cancel cruise if you brake, one set will be for the brake lights, one possibly for the shift interlock, god knows about the others! next move wouild be to remove the trim around the selector to gain access to the interlock plunger solenoid and try applying 12v across it and see if it physically operates, if it does, you have 2 choices....

1. remove it completely to do away with the electrical interlock, or
2. trace the wiring and fix it. Badger.

According to the parts manual, there are no electrical switches associated with the gear shift on the auto. The button on the side of the stick lifts a catch down in the housing below the lever. Maybe more water than you thought got in and the thing has seized.

Peter.

Possible. When it was working you could hear a relay-like click when you pushed in on the selector.

Any tips on removing the center console panels? I've never had them apart before. Does the shift selector come apart? Looks like it may be glued or the screws hidden.

My next step is to try and determine where the vacuum line goes and re-intall the functioning pedal switches.

After that, opening up the center console and trying to determine any interlocks that may have failed in there.

The comment from Peter suggests there is no electrical interlock on the automatic tranny. It sure sounded like a relay click when it was functioning.

Thanks for your help so far!

-Darin

I was assuming (maybe wrongly?) a non-Uk spec vehicle, it is a mandatory requirement in some countrys that you cannot move the gear selector on an auto unless your foot is on the brake. Badger.

Sorry, never dismantled those bots myself, not recently enough to remember how, anyway! get hold of a manual and it ought to tell you.

Badger.

Vehicle is in the US. I do not have an assembly manual. I was not sure which one to get. Does anyone have a name/source for the best one? I see CDs on Ebay, but was always skeptical.

Thanks again.

-Darin

PRC9677 & PRC9859 micro switches for interlock, but perhaps more significantly from the later comment about the "relay" sounding noise there is gear change lock solenoid FTC3283.

Richard

In message , beamendsltd writes

If there is a locking solenoid then there will probably be a mechanical override - to enable the vehicle to be moved in the event of electrical failure. There is on all my other (non-LR) automatics.

My 1998 Defender 90 auto doesn't have any lock on it - either that or it doesn't work!!

Neither does my Disco2, or a friends D1, or the P38 in the workshop - because they are all UK spec vehicles. My BMW 330 had it, and there was NO mech. override. As I said, it's only mandatory in certain markets and the UK isn't one of them, but some manufacturers will make one spec (the higher, obviously) for all markets. Badger.

The saga continues.

I re-intalled the functioning brake pedal switches and turned my attention to the shifter itself. After spending a considerable amount of time removing various levels of trim / center console parts. I was able to access the shifter mechanism. The shifter mechanism sits inside an aluminum box that had about 1/2 inch of standing water in it.

I suprised a vehicle with a sunroof would not have some type of drain mechanism in a critical location. My guess is they were protecting it from water from below.

Richard,

You were dead on. Two micro-switches and a gear change lock solenoid. The solenoid was under water and stuck blocking the selector. I am drying it out now to see if it will function again.

Initially, when trying to get it to shift out of park I also bent the hollow selector rod itself and caused the shift selector button to bind inside the rod.

Can the individual sub-components be ordered, like the shifter tube itself or should I just replace the entire shifter mechanism.

Richard, any part numbers would be again appreciated.

Thanks all for the help so far.

By pushing the solenoid aside manually, I was at least able to move the vehicle.

Thanks again.

Unfortunately you've managed to bend about the only bit not avaiable seperately - so it's FTC3908 I'm affraid - there's a Wabco part, or Genuine available.

Richard

Try removing the whole assembly and getting it on the bench (undo cable at gearbox end and remove with unit) and dismantle it. If you are very careful, you may, with the aid of a decent bench vise, be able to straighten it by using 3 blocks of wood and the vice jaws to provide the force, 2 blocks on one side of the rod equidistant from the bend and the third block central on the point of bend and apply gentle force. Got to be worth a try, in my opinion. Badger.

To close out the post.

The shifter is now working. It was not any of the 3 foot pedal switches, but the interlock plunger solenoid in the shifter itself. The sunroof was leaking and flooded the shifter mechanism. The interlock plunger solenoid was under about 1/2 inch of water. The interlock is buried inside the shifter console and after removing all the trim and bezels, etc. I could see it was not moving out of the way when the brake was applied.

I could have just replaced the interlock plunger solenoid, but I had bend the shifter itself slightly, and the shifter button itself was sticking as well.

I replaced the entire shifter mechanism with a replacement from a used Rover parts supplier. It runs like a champ now.

Thanks again for all the help.

-D