Stuck Shifter on 1994 Mustang

Brake pedal depressed and ignition ON. The system consists of a shift lock actuator assembly at the key interlock assembly. When the ignition is turned to the ON position, the solenoid is energized, locking the shift lever in the Park position. When the brake pedal is depressed, the brake light switch is activated, which deactivates the shift solenoid, allowing the shift lever to be moved out of Park

I tried exactly what you recommended, I put the ignition into the ON position, depressed the brake pedal but the shifter wouldn't move and the shifter button wouldn't decend as far as it used to. So I'm still in the same predicament. Any Ideas?

Thanks

John G.

I also tried rocking the car back and forth to see if that would help, but no result. Any Ideas?

Thanks

John G.

Automatic transaxle vehicles are equipped with a safety feature that prevents the gearshift from being moved out of Park without the brake pedal depressed. If you cannot move the gearshift out of Park with the brake pedal depressed:

1. Continue depressing the brake pedal, and remove the shift lock override cap with a 2.5 cm (1 inch) or longer screwdriver
2. Insert the screwdriver into the shift lock override opening and push down
3. Push and hold the thumb button
4. Move the gearshift If it is necessary to use the above procedure to move the gearshift, it is possible that a fuse has blown and the vehicle's brake lamps may not be operating properly

Go to it!

Dave

Well, I know what *I* would do. I would start taking stuff apart and see why the release button doesn't move like it did. But that's just me, it may not be for you. When something broke years ago in the transmission of my Toyota truck, I ripped it out and took it apart. Several people told me I was nuts and would never get it back togethr. I pulled out the counter gear with a broken tooth, replaced it and put it back in the truck. Drove it until I traded it. You just have to decide how far you think you can go without getting to a point where you can't put it back. Either something in the knob is stuck where the button is or the mechanism that releases when you hit the brack is not releasing. Also, isn't there a place to poke your key to releas the shifter to work on the car with the key off?

I took Dave's advice and checked the taillights, sure enough they weren't working. So I checked all the fuses, none were burnt out. So then I looked for the shift lock override, then I saw that one of the wires leading to the brake light actuator was broken, I repaired the wire and now the taillights turn on and the shifter is no longer stuck.

Thank you guys for all your advice.

John G.

snipped-for-privacy@yahoo.com wrote in news:1124310914.821456.258560 @o13g2000cwo.googlegroups.com:

Nothing personal.. but if you had asked that question on alt.autos.ford, that is what you would have been told to do in the first place.

For some reason that doesnt happen much on mustangs, or maybe it does and people just find it on their own.. but it's (relatively) rampant on Taurii, Tbirds and CV's