Make your explorer unlock when shifting into park WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING.

[Duane Hanson]

I just spent 4 hours MAKING a "unlock in PARK" switch in my 2017 Explorer. For those of you that will say I can change this in the driver info center, you're wrong. Ford does not have an Unlock when shifted into park function when the engine is running. I had to put a wire on the inside of part of the shift lever & hook it to ground since the inside shift hardware is all plastic. Then I put another wire on the hardware on the side where the first wire slides across & hooked that to the negative trigger door unlock wire. It works perfectly. This is extremely appreciated when it's -20 or -30 degrees outside here in South Dakota, & I'm just getting out to grab something out of the back & jumping right back in. Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.

 

[Toddman41]

Yup my 14 chevy equinox does it, love the feature. Smh at ford.

 

[Barry Trobaugh]

We need pics or vid and complete instructions please

 

[Duane Hanson]

 

[peterk9]

I just spent 4 hours MAKING a "unlock in PARK" switch in my 2017 Explorer. For those of you that will say I can change this in the driver info center, you're wrong. Ford does not have an Unlock when shifted into park function when the engine is running. I had to put a wire on the inside of part of the shift lever & hook it to ground since the inside shift hardware is all plastic. Then I put another wire on the hardware on the side where the first wire slides across & hooked that to the negative trigger door unlock wire. It works perfectly. This is extremely appreciated when it's -20 or -30 degrees outside here in South Dakota, & I'm just getting out to grab something out of the back & jumping right back in. Sometimes it’s the little things that make the biggest difference.

I don't know about the 6th gen Explorer but with my Aviator, the doors will unlock when you put it in Park with the engine running and open the driver's door. So Ford does have the technology, it appears they just didn't use it in the 5th gen.

Peter

 

[bogieb]

Maybe I'm not understanding your post correctly, Are you saying you have to manually unlock the driver's door to get out?

I just traded my 2014 XLT in on a 2018 XLT, and they both unlock when put into park with the engine running. I do this at least once a week at the town transfer station as I'm unloading trash and recyclables - doesn't make sense to turn off the engin for 15 seconds of being out of the vehicle.

Now, I will admit that it irritated me on the 2014 that if it was running and in park, the 2nd row doors would stay locked - even with the tailgate open. Heck, for all I know child locks were on. However, I never did that enough to really hunt for an answer (and my memory is very short, so I would forget about it on the way home ). I don't have that issue with the 2018 - but again, I have no clue if child locks are engaged or not.

If I totally misunderstood the post, I apologize.

 

[Duane Hanson]

Maybe I'm not understanding your post correctly, Are you saying you have to manually unlock the driver's door to get out?

I just traded my 2014 XLT in on a 2018 XLT, and they both unlock when put into park with the engine running. I do this at least once a week at the town transfer station as I'm unloading trash and recyclables - doesn't make sense to turn off the engin for 15 seconds of being out of the vehicle.

Now, I will admit that it irritated me on the 2014 that if it was running and in park, the 2nd row doors would stay locked - even with the tailgate open. Heck, for all I know child locks were on. However, I never did that enough to really hunt for an answer (and my memory is very short, so I would forget about it on the way home ). I don't have that issue with the 2018 - but again, I have no clue if child locks are engaged or not.

If I totally misunderstood the post, I apologize.

My door locks do not unlock automatically until you shut the car OFF & open the drivers door. I went in and made a switch on the column shifter so that when the car is shifted into park, 2 wires touch across each other & unlock the doors. Ford has no option to do this automatically WITHOUT shutting off the car on the 2017's & older.

 

[bogieb]

My door locks do not unlock automatically until you shut the car OFF & open the drivers door. I went in and made a switch on the column shifter so that when the car is shifted into park, 2 wires touch across each other & unlock the doors. Ford has no option to do this automatically WITHOUT shutting off the car on the 2017's & older.

My 2018 is defective then . Since I'm working from home, I rarely drive. I leave it running when I go to the dump and when I'm unloading groceries (eveything is 2 miles away, so it needs time to keep the battery charged). Of course I always open the driver's side door to get out, but the rest of the doors open from the outside without unlocking. Maybe it is because I have push button start so it knows the fob is right there?

 

[peterk9]

Are you able to open any door from the outside without first unlocking the vehicle? My Aviator allows that.

Peter

 

[bogieb]

Are you able to open any door from the outside without first unlocking the vehicle? My Aviator allows that.

Peter

Not sure if you are asking me or the OP - yes, I can open any of the doors without unlocking the vehicle.

 

[peterk9]

Not sure if you are asking me or the OP - yes, I can open any of the doors without unlocking the vehicle.

Yes, it was directed at you. It seems then that they are working as intended. I believe the OP's issue is a little different.

Peter

 

[bogieb]

Not sure if you are asking me or the OP - yes, I can open any of the doors without unlocking the vehicle.

Guess I should have noted, if a door is locked, I have to give the handle a double-pull to unlock it. So I would notice if my other doors don't unlock when I get to my destination, put it in park but leave it running, get out and try to open any other door.

 

[Mbrooks420]

I hope it’s done better than that hack job showed in that crappy video. You could have done it nicely, and without janky wires clapping together, by using the shift lock relay, and have no ridiculous loops of wires that have to touch each other.

That’s not a reliable method, and those wires will absolutely break, given enough shifts.