Stuck in park!

[donalds]

Ok ladies and gentlemen I have a problem .
Stuck in park Only while engine running!
If I put it in natural it will start then go into drive
I can't seem to find a thread on this for a 2nd gen close to my year
I went ahead and ordered a shift lock solenoid and brake switch .....hope to not need it ..

I checked the fuses ... I think...
Is there anything I'm missing ? Fuse ...relay ...

1999 FORD EXPLORER 4.0L V6 SOHC Shift Interlock Solenoid | RockAuto

RockAuto ships auto parts and body parts from over 300 manufacturers to customers' doors worldwide, all at warehouse prices. Easy to use parts catalog.

www.rockauto.com

 

[EB4X]

The world becomes an unstable place when the experts are asking for assistance....

 

[CDW6212R]

Is that on flat ground too, not on inclines?

Have you checked the brake lights, be sure they come on every time and with very little touching of the pedal? The BOO switch is the trigger for that interlock to let go of the shifter, that's the brake light switch.

 

[Mbrooks420]

Agreed. Check the BOO for taillights, and then for power at the shift lock.

 

[donalds]

Is that on flat ground too, not on inclines?

Yes flat ground
BOO ??
Edit Blake light switch.

 

[donalds]

Brake lights work every time
While its acting up

 

[CDW6212R]

The parking brake interlock is a reliable device, I've never heard of a problem with that. I'd see where the wiring for it goes, and if you can access it near the interlock. A broken wire/circuit would make more sense, I don't have any idea how the device works(motor etc).

 

[Josh P]

My friends excursion does the exact same thing, in his case it is the shift lock solenoid.

 

[imp]

Ok ladies and gentlemen I have a problem .
Stuck in park Only while engine running!
If I put it in natural it will start then go into drive
I can't seem to find a thread on this for a 2nd gen close to my year
I went ahead and ordered a shift lock solenoid .....hope to not need it ..

I checked the fuses ... I think...
Is there anything I'm missing ? Fuse ...relay ...

1999 FORD EXPLORER 4.0L V6 SOHC Shift Interlock Solenoid | RockAuto

RockAuto ships auto parts and body parts from over 300 manufacturers to customers' doors worldwide, all at warehouse prices. Easy to use parts catalog.

www.rockauto.com

I can tell you about 3rd. gen, which is likely similar/same. Shift lock solenoid is mounted under the steering column shroud and is very flimsy. It operates it's plunger vertically, against a small spring, which forces the plunger UPWARDS to block the shift lever from moving out of PARK. I used 3-M Trim Cement to glue the plunger in it's DOWN position, thereby allowing shifter to be moved OUT of PARK at will, anytime. Safety issue? Well, neutral start is still in effect, so, not really. That damned solenoid left my wife stranded, wound up getting Explorer transported to my home.

 

[imp]

The parking brake interlock is a reliable device, I've never heard of a problem with that. I'd see where the wiring for it goes, and if you can access it near the interlock. A broken wire/circuit would make more sense, I don't have any idea how the device works(motor etc).

Not truly reliable on mine! Movement of solenoid plunger became sticky enough to refuse to disengage from shifter notch.

 

[CDW6212R]

Not truly reliable on mine! Movement of solenoid plunger became sticky enough to refuse to disengage from shifter notch.

That's good to hear more feedback, I can't remember seeing another thread about that thing.

I have that still attached on a Marauder column I bought ages ago, I better be careful with it. I was planning to take some of it apart to merge with my 92 Lincoln's column, to adapt it to gain the clock spring(and those wheels). I wonder if the design changed any from the early versions in the 80's and 90's. My 91 spare column has a cable that goes between it and the floor shifter, that should be different and interesting.

 

[donalds]

I am going to test all the wiring tomorrow
If the solenoid is bad ill replace it
It may be the brake petal switch which I can't get for three days
I'm only using motorcraft parts

 

[94Eddie]

I am going to test all the wiring tomorrow
If the solenoid is bad ill replace it
It may be the brake petal switch which I can't get for three days
I'm only using motorcraft parts

I have replaced the brake light switch on ever Explorer/Mountaineer I have owned for any length of time. IIRC, the '94, '02 and the '10 all had theirs replaced and the '94 might have been replaced twice. I didn't own the '92 or '03 long enough to have them go out on me.

 

[sehaare]

Ok ladies and gentlemen I have a problem .
Stuck in park Only while engine running!
If I put it in natural it will start then go into drive
I can't seem to find a thread on this for a 2nd gen close to my year
I went ahead and ordered a shift lock solenoid .....hope to not need it ..

I checked the fuses ... I think...
Is there anything I'm missing ? Fuse ...relay ...

1999 FORD EXPLORER 4.0L V6 SOHC Shift Interlock Solenoid | RockAuto

RockAuto ships auto parts and body parts from over 300 manufacturers to customers' doors worldwide, all at warehouse prices. Easy to use parts catalog.

www.rockauto.com

Brake Pedal Position switch? From the ford factory electrical, vacuum and troubleshooting manual for a 1998 explorer - "With ignition switch in run, driver is unable to shift the automatic transmission out of PARK , unless the brake pedal is depressed".

Looks like the brake pedal switch applies ground to it's pin 2 output when NOT depressed and 12V when it is depressed. For the 98 the fuse for the brake pedal switch is fuse 9 in the fuse panel (which is hot all the time) .

So, I'd check fuse 9, then check for 12V at pin 3 on the brake pedal position switch, and that you get 12V on pin 2 when the pedal is pushed. Pin 1 is supplying ground to the switch. If you try and jumper across pin 3 to 2, you'd have to disconnect pin 1 or you would be shorting pin 3 to ground and blowing that fuse.

Hopefully this info returns a favor.

 

[sehaare]

Brake Pedal Position switch? From the ford factory electrical, vacuum and troubleshooting manual for a 1998 explorer - "With ignition switch in run, driver is unable to shift the automatic transmission out of PARK , unless the brake pedal is depressed".

Looks like the brake pedal switch applies ground to it's pin 2 output when NOT depressed and 12V when it is depressed. For the 98 the fuse for the brake pedal switch is fuse 9 in the fuse panel (which is hot all the time) .

So, I'd check fuse 9, then check for 12V at pin 3 on the brake pedal position switch, and that you get 12V on pin 2 when the pedal is pushed. Pin 1 is supplying ground to the switch. If you try and jumper across pin 3 to 2, you'd have to disconnect pin 1 or you would be shorting pin 3 to ground and blowing that fuse.

Hopefully this info returns a favor.

 

[fast_dave]

@donalds

Just throwing this out there for you, since you will more than likely have another person in the drivers seat as you're testing the electrical system.

My Ex's factory original brake light switch died with a weird symptom when it went out about 6 years ago.

When you initially put your foot on the brake pedal, all 3 brake lights lit up as they should.

BUT, as your foot pressed down further on the brake pedal to bring the vehicle to a complete stop, somewhere along that downward brake pedal stroke, all 3 brake lights went out...

Found out about this condition from a city cop that was behind me minding his own business, when he saw this occur at a stop light an uphill grade. He was cool about it, more concerned about me getting rear ended in a traffic situation, so it was all good - no ticket.

After our encounter I went right to the auto parts store up the street, bought a Standard Products brake light switch, installed it that afternoon, and the problem was solved.

This is the long way to say that while testing, make sure the person in the driver's seat is holding down the brake pedal to the floor, and that all 3 lights stay illuminated, before telling them to "release".

HTH and good luck!

 

[sehaare]

View attachment 340815

And I just checked the brake light circuit and the output from the brake switch that is used for the brake lights is different from the ouput that goes to lockout the tranny. So your brake lights could still work, but the part of the switch unlocking the tranny could still be broke.

 

[donalds]

So after lots of testing wiring was fine
The solenoid tested good
At some point someone installed a cheap switch and it took a crap

 

[Josh P]

Chinesium. That reminds me of the news lady saying the names of the 4 pilots on the plane that crash landed in San Francisco years ago.

 

[donalds]

Chinesium. That reminds me of the news lady saying the names of the 4 pilots on the plane that crash landed in San Francisco years ago.

Its a joke from ave YouTube

https://m.youtube.com/c/arduinoversusevil2025