Followup on 97 T-Bird stuck in Park

Just like the nice folks in alt.autos.ford said, the shift-lever-stuck-in-Park problem was caused by a bad brake light switch. (Ford calls it the "stop switch".)

My Thunderbird reliably comes out of Park now, without the "turn the key partway towards Run and shift into Neutral before starting" trick.

The old switch tested good with an ohmmeter. But replacing the switch definitely fixed it. The switch only cost $5.99 at the local auto parts store.

Four suggestions for anyone with the same problem:

  1. Ask for a "stop switch" not a "brake switch" when you go to the auto parts store.

  1. Slide the black plastic bushing into the linkage for the brake cylinder before you try to slide on the switch. That will save you an hour of cursing.

  2. Remove the old switch and put it somewhere far away before removing the new switch from its box. You will drop the new switch at least once while installing it, and the new switch looks a lot like the old switch.

  1. Use a headlamp. It's impossible to hold a flashlight while installing the switch. Get a headlamp with the batteries in the front. If the batteries are in back then they will poke you when you rest your head against the floormat. The Eveready LED headlamp is only at Walmart and works well for this job. There is a review of it at
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Reply to
Rex Tincher
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Filed away for future use. Thank you. This forum has saved me some serious $$.

Reply to
F.H.

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