Won't Shift out of Park

CDsDontBurn

CDsDontBurn

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Vehicle Details
97 Thunderbird Sport
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On my shifter, what could cause the button to not release the shifter out of Park in the morning?

Like, I have to fidget with the button for a little bit before I am able to press the button to get it out of Park.
 
Brake-shift interlock.

If the brake light switch is flaky it won't light up the brake lights or trigger the solenoid to release the lock cable that keeps the shifter in park.

If the brake lights work then it could be a sticky solenoid or cable.

Test the brake switch first. If all else fails you can pop the end of the cable out of the plastic fork that actuates the locking mechanism; it's at the front of the shifter mechanism on the right side - easy to spot with the trim bezel removed.
 
CDsDontBurn said:
On my shifter, what could cause the button to not release the shifter out of Park in the morning?

Like, I have to fidget with the button for a little bit before I am able to press the button to get it out of Park.
Click to expand...

What exactly is hard? To push in the button, or to move the shifter out of P?

If pushing in the button is hard, it could just be sticky due to lack of grease on the mechanism below, which is a small metal latch that latches into detents on a metal arch.

If shifting out of P is difficult, that's usually because you're parked at a slight incline without parking brake.
Do you fasten your parking brake and then release the foot brake  before shifting into P? If not, the weight of the car sits on the transmission, more specifically on a small metal device called parking pawl. That's what makes shifting out of P hard.
 
theterminator93 said:
Brake-shift interlock.
Click to expand...

@CDsDontBurn , if this is the issue, as a stopgap measure, you can do things in this order:
  1. Key into ignition
  2. Turn key to first detent (detents being Acc, Lock, Off, Ignition, Start); turn to Off; this releases brake-shift interlock mechanically, regardless of brake light switch functionality
  3. Shift into N
  4. Turn key to start engine
  5. Shift into drive gear
 
CDsDontBurn said:
On my shifter, what could cause the button to not release the shifter out of Park in the morning?

Like, I have to fidget with the button for a little bit before I am able to press the button to get it out of Park.
Click to expand...

My 96 Thunderbird did the same thing. It was worse on cold mornings, when the temperature went below 0 the car had to warm up for a few minutes to get out of park. But after the car was warmed up the issue would completely go away. I read on some old posts at TSTSNBN it was the cable on the brake interlock getting sticky.
 
Kenz said:
My 96 Thunderbird did the same thing. It was worse on cold mornings, when the temperature went below 0 the car had to warm up for a few minutes to get out of park. But after the car was warmed up the issue would completely go away. I read on some old posts at TSTSNBN it was the cable on the brake interlock getting sticky.
Click to expand...
Mine was the plastic pushrod inside the shift handle was bent at the lower end preventing correct operation when pressed.
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
@CDsDontBurn , if this is the issue, as a stopgap measure, you can do things in this order:
  1. Key into ignition
  2. Turn key to first detent (detents being Acc, Lock, Off, Ignition, Start); turn to Off; this releases brake-shift interlock mechanically, regardless of brake light switch functionality
  3. Shift into N
  4. Turn key to start engine
  5. Shift into drive gear
Click to expand...

Thanks! I'll have to give this a try!

I know you're the shift knob master with your swapping of various shifters, how do I remove the shifter out? It's something I've never done but I will need to do sooner rather than later to fix this issue and inspect the OD wires.
 
CDsDontBurn said:
, how do I remove the shifter out? It's something I've never done but I will need to do sooner rather than later to fix this issue and inspect the OD wires.
Click to expand...

There's a U-clip on the front of the shifter that you can pry out with a small flathead. The whole process:

- fasten parking brake
- turn key to Off
- shift to neutral
- remove U-clip from front of shift knob using small flathead
- open armrest compartment
- remove two screws from back of console top trim
- close armrest compartment
- raise console top trim starting from the back
- disconnect cigar lighter wiring harness (pre-97); place console top trim aside
- remove three bolts from shift indicator
- disconnect O/D OFF connector
- disconnect shift indicator illumination connector
Note: on 97, the above two connectors are one single connector.
- slowly lift shift knob and shift indicator upward; the shift knob may need some convincing (do not try to turn it or internal damage may occur); lift slowly as the O/D wire may be attached to the structure below
- once removed, you can separate shift knob from shift indicator; insert new shift knob into indicator; start by feeding O/D wire through the hole in the slider
- inspect the plastic rod inside the metal post
- reinstall in reverse order
- ensure the O/D wire is attached as before
- ensure the shift indicator sliding mechanism fork is on the driver pin
- when pushing the shift knob down, hold in the release button so that it catches onto the plastic rod
- reinstall the U-clip

That's all I can think of.
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
What exactly is hard? To push in the button, or to move the shifter out of P?
Click to expand...

Looks like I missed this.

It's pressing the button in that's hard to do. But seems that the brake-interlock is the issue.

And reading others' posts here, it looks like pulling the shifter still a part of that procedure?
 
CDsDontBurn said:
It's pressing the button in that's hard to do. But seems that the brake-interlock is the issue.
Click to expand...

You can easily confirm that. Next time you feel any resistance in that button, turn the engine back off and follow the procedure I posted above (key from Lock to Off, shift to N, key to Start, etc.). If the button works easily then, it means that yes, shift interlock is indeed the issue.

CDsDontBurn said:
And reading others' posts here, it looks like pulling the shifter still a part of that procedure?
Click to expand...

The interlock solenoid is on top of the steering column, about halfway down. The only thing at the shifter is the end of the cable.
 
CDsDontBurn said:
On my shifter, what could cause the button to not release the shifter out of Park in the morning?
Click to expand...
I get that sometimes. Either I'm in a hurry or the stuff is getting old... the shifter as well as the thumb. I expect that I also will have to at some point pull it all apart and make it work better... the shifter, not the thumb.
 
1997ThunderbirdLXV6 said:
You can easily confirm that. Next time you feel any resistance in that button, turn the engine back off and follow the procedure I posted above (key from Lock to Off, shift to N, key to Start, etc.). If the button works easily then, it means that yes, shift interlock is indeed the issue.



The interlock solenoid is on top of the steering column, about halfway down. The only thing at the shifter is the end of the cable.
Click to expand...

The method you posted earlier to get the car out of Park worked like a champ. So yeah, the shift interlock cable is the issue.
 
CDsDontBurn said:
The method you posted earlier to get the car out of Park worked like a champ. So yeah, the shift interlock cable is the issue.
Click to expand...

Or, to be precise, the solenoid (and/or related circuit) is the issue. That method (post #4 above) still uses the same cable, but you unlatch it mechanically with your key as opposed to electrically with the brake light switch.

So that's where diagnosis should start, beginning with what you hear. Ignition on, transmission in P, anytime you put your foot on the brake, you should hear that solenoid unlatch the shifter. It's just a click sound. If it's weak or intermittent, that's another confirmation that the problem is with the interlock.
 
Last edited:
Just pulled up to work and tested the method you just posted. I didn't hear anything, but even the slightest pressure on the brake pedal and the shifter button unlocked. I just tried it like 6 times and it worked every time.

However, when I left my driveway ~30min ago, I had to put the ignition on position I to be able to unlock the shifter button.

So, I guess I will have to tear the steering column apart then to get to the shift interlock cable and / or solenoid?

Also, this is separate, but possibly related, would this be an opportunity to also clean up the contacts on my blinker / wiper stalk? If you go back toy thread about my Gold Bird, when I posted about it after my test drive, I stated that there were issues with the hazard lights not working. Could this all be related to some sort of extent?
 
CDsDontBurn said:
Just pulled up to work and tested the method you just posted. I didn't hear anything,
Click to expand...

Ok, you know what, I can't hear it either! I must have been thinking of another car I owned. Sorry for that. Most important is whether or not it functions.

CDsDontBurn said:
So, I guess I will have to tear the steering column apart then to get to the shift interlock cable and / or solenoid?
Click to expand...

I guess, but since the issue is intermittent, the failure point may not be obvious upon inspection.

CDsDontBurn said:
Also, this is separate, but possibly related, would this be an opportunity to also clean up the contacts on my blinker / wiper stalk? If you go back toy thread about my Gold Bird, when I posted about it after my test drive, I stated that there were issues with the hazard lights not working. Could this all be related to some sort of extent?
Click to expand...

Not sure how it would be related. I'd have to see the diagrams to check if the two items share any common circuitry (grounds?). It's possible. But yes, you should investigate both items as they both require, or at least it helps, to lower the steering column.
 
Zep5.0 said:
Is it on an incline at home, but flat at work?
Click to expand...

No, flat at both locations.

The difference is that it's a cold start at home vs it's already warmed up at work.

At the end of the day, when I leave work to go home, I haven't had this issue happen to me. The button just presses in when it's supposed to.
 
CDsDontBurn said:
Delete what, and how?
Click to expand...

He means the brake/shift interlock. Disconnect the cable, and the shifter moves regardless of key position and foot brake application. I'd advise against it.

Before the brake/shift interlock requirement, Audi of America came close to shutting down because of unintended acceleration. Also, it may be a (minor) anti-theft device.
 
theterminator93 said:
. If you're worried about moving the shifter unintentionally with your foot not on the brake, then, maybe you should reconsider renewing your license? ;)
Click to expand...

I appreciate that approach, but...

What if I lend my car to a friend who is unfamiliar with it? An extra layer of safety doesn't hurt.

What if an overzealous mechanic conducts my annual inspection and fails me for lack of brake/shift interlock?

It's a simple mechanism. It can't be hard to fix.

I also like that it works both ways: if your shifter isn't latched in P, you can't remove your key from the ignition.
 
Non existant on manual transmission equipped vehicles; why should it be an inspection issue for automatics ?
 
CA doesn’t have safety inspections so CDs won’t have any issue not having it. I doubt inspectors would even bother to scrutinize it anyway.

I don’t think it was Audi’s unintended acceleration “issue”(that 60 minutes fabricated btw) that led to shift interlock, I think it was actually spurred on by faulty column shifters in 1970s fords popping out of park into reverse. That’s the scenario shift interlock would theoretically prevent, it wouldn’t prevent unintended acceleration.

For me it’s an overcomplicated solution to a problem that doesn’t really exist and when it becomes faulty it ends up bricking the car. Luckily unlike modern cars chock full of such features interlock is super easy to disable.
 
My old subaru had a bad ignition switch, I bypassed the bad switch contacts with switches. You could move it with the starter switch.
 
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