I love/hate my Exploder (heh), need help!

[Desibean]

I'm sure I don't have to relay to anyone the myriad of issues I have had to fix in the few years I've had this truck. But I'll start with the most recent because it just occurred for the third time in as many years, yesterday. The truck would not shift out of park. After a few minutes I'm trying it eventually did and I drove to my local gas station because that's where I was going. Same issue when I get ready to leave. I knew from prior instances to check the brake lights, by myself so did this w/ an umbrella. It was intermittent, about every one out of three times I pressed on the pedal the brake lights would come on. When it finally did it two or three times in a row I figured that was my chance to hop in and get home. We have snow on my street so I'm able to see the lights much better from the driver's seat. So I press on the brake pedal and the brake light comes on but then immediately goes off. So this time I depress the pedal all the way down and it stayed on for several seconds and then went off. Next time a little less pressure but still pressing the pedal and it stayed on for longer. So I know it could be a solenoid issue or brake switch issue but if that were the case would it be intermittent like this? Again, it's only happened a handful of times over a span of a few years so what would make it work for several months on end and then all of a sudden start this up again? Is this normal behavior prior to something going completely on the fritz? Any insight is helpful because I'm not sure where to start...

 

[abcducati]

I'm sure I don't have to relay to anyone the myriad of issues I have had to fix in the few years I've had this truck. But I'll start with the most recent because it just occurred for the third time in as many years, yesterday. The truck would not shift out of park. After a few minutes I'm trying it eventually did and I drove to my local gas station because that's where I was going. Same issue when I get ready to leave. I knew from prior instances to check the brake lights, by myself so did this w/ an umbrella. It was intermittent, about every one out of three times I pressed on the pedal the brake lights would come on. When it finally did it two or three times in a row I figured that was my chance to hop in and get home. We have snow on my street so I'm able to see the lights much better from the driver's seat. So I press on the brake pedal and the brake light comes on but then immediately goes off. So this time I depress the pedal all the way down and it stayed on for several seconds and then went off. Next time a little less pressure but still pressing the pedal and it stayed on for longer. So I know it could be a solenoid issue or brake switch issue but if that were the case would it be intermittent like this? Again, it's only happened a handful of times over a span of a few years so what would make it work for several months on end and then all of a sudden start this up again? Is this normal behavior prior to something going completely on the fritz? Any insight is helpful because I'm not sure where to start...

I'm in a similar boat. My '04 XLS has had so much done in the last year. Not sure if it's related to your brake light issue (and would like to know if it is), but mine was having a similar issue with the shifting a few times intermittently and then up and wouldn't shift out of park one day no matter how hard I tried. I found out that it's the nuetral safety switch that is the issue, and as I don't have the money or tools to fix /replace it, I did the next best thing and use a flat-head screwdriver to bypass it whenever I shift out of park. Look for a small round disk under the steering column near the ignition switch. It will have a small slot on one side of it. Use the screwdriver or your key to turn the slot (a quarter turn IIRC), and you should be able to put the screwdriver up inside slightly while you shift it out of park. I've been doing this for several months now, mainly because the NSS requires taking the steering wheel off. It may or may not be related to the brake light, as until yesterday mine were working just fine. I noticed they weren't when my wife was backing out of our driveway (They were confirmed to have been working as recently as last friday when I had the oil changed), and have spent the last two days replacing the fuse and brake light switch and checking the bulbs to no avail. Good luck on tracking down the issue.

 

[X-LION]

I'm sure I don't have to relay to anyone the myriad of issues I have had to fix in the few years I've had this truck. But I'll start with the most recent because it just occurred for the third time in as many years, yesterday. The truck would not shift out of park. After a few minutes I'm trying it eventually did and I drove to my local gas station because that's where I was going. Same issue when I get ready to leave. I knew from prior instances to check the brake lights, by myself so did this w/ an umbrella. It was intermittent, about every one out of three times I pressed on the pedal the brake lights would come on. When it finally did it two or three times in a row I figured that was my chance to hop in and get home. We have snow on my street so I'm able to see the lights much better from the driver's seat. So I press on the brake pedal and the brake light comes on but then immediately goes off. So this time I depress the pedal all the way down and it stayed on for several seconds and then went off. Next time a little less pressure but still pressing the pedal and it stayed on for longer. So I know it could be a solenoid issue or brake switch issue but if that were the case would it be intermittent like this? Again, it's only happened a handful of times over a span of a few years so what would make it work for several months on end and then all of a sudden start this up again? Is this normal behavior prior to something going completely on the fritz? Any insight is helpful because I'm not sure where to start...

My 2004 Ford Ex. Turn signal would blink once or twice and it would go out. I changed the turn signal switch and it still goes out after a couple of blinks. I figure that a relay was bad. I bought a ten dollar relay at Autozone and that fixed the problem. The relay was under the dash but that was pita job. It took around an hour to fix.