Emercengy help - tranny stuck in Park!
 

I need some help quick guys. My 89 truck is stuck in Park position and I cannot get it to shift out. I just drove it for work about 2 hours ago no problems, parked it, and just now went back out to it. It starts up, but I can't move the shifter out of Park. Is there anything I can check quick that might be the problem? :shocked:

Thanks.

Bryan

Check for obvious obstructions of the linkage. Then see if it makes any difference if you are standing on the brake. Then take off the ebrake and "bounce" it by rocking it forward and back against "Park".

If all else fails, use the release mounted near the shifter to pop it out of park.

I got it home using the Shift Lock Override button. I noticed a few things though:

1) Brake Lights aren't working.
2) Steering wheel doesn't lock when in park.
3) I am not able to shift into Neutral w/key in Accs position.

My parking brake has been disconnected for a long time so I don't think that is the issue.

I'm thinking there's some safety solinoid or something causing the problem?

I don't know if this is relevant but a few years ago I was helping a friend with a car problem (car belonged to roommate). The car would shift out of park erratically. We finally realized that when you first stepped on the brake pedal the brake lights would activate but shut off as soon as you applied downward pressure. During that time of activation was the only time that the shifter would move out of park. Turns out that the safety feature wasn't relying on whether or not the brakes were applied but whether or not the brake lights were on.

This car was a Ford though, I'm not sure if it'll help but possibly something to consider?

I don't know if this is the same on yours or not but on 3rd gens, if you blow the brake light fuse or if the wiring is shorting out, the shift lock solenoid won't work.....just something to look at.

Your brake light fuse is blown. I have a post about this exact same thing that happened to me after unhooking a trailer. The fuse in down by your driver's side kick panel. It's a 15 amp fuse.

How's that for diagnosis?

:D

I just checked. Neither of the 15amp (tail or stop) fuses are blown :)

I am beginning to think it's the solenoid. Any idea how much that part is or how easy to replace it is? Dealer only item?

Well, from the sounds of it - looks like the problem to find now is why the brake lights aren't functioning. If everyone here is correct then you probably don't need to worry about the shifting difficulty.

Since the fuses aren't blown, a wiring shorting out is probably out of the question. I guess when I get home it's time to see if the brake wires are getting power.

Any other ideas on things to check?

I'd go ahead and put new fuses in anyways, just to be absolutely sure it isn't that, can't hurt right? Fuses are cheap.....

Also check to make sure the brake light switch - which activates the brake lights - is working & connected. A failed or disconnected switch will cause the brake lights not to work and give you these problems.

Where is this switch located? I didnt see any switch behind the brake pedal.

Don't know if this applies to ya or not...but check this out. this is the electronics end of the tranny...http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...34electron.pdf
and I don't know if thats your tranny or not...so here is the list of them...http://personal.utulsa.edu/~nathan-b...autotrans.html
I'm thinking stop light switch? :think:

blown brake light fuse thus when you mash the brake you get no signal to let the tranny shift out of park, replace the fuse

:guitar:

:lol:
Plain and simple...

He said they werent blown.

It's not the fuse, I checked it multiple times.

Oddly enough, when I got it home I went inside for a few hours since it was too hot to work outside. When I went out a few hours later, it shifted right out of park. I tested it a few times and it had no problems. My brake lights were working once again as well. Even this morning it is acting like nothing happened.

That completely rules it out being a fuse or a short. I wonder if something got really wet in the heavy rain we've had recently that caused this to happen.

sounds like a loose connection...I would check that stop light switch and take the plug off and see if its wet inside or loose.

Thanks, I bought a Haynes manual last night so at least I know roughly where to look for this now :)

Did ya look on the FSm I sent ya? Its gotta good diagram on there that is specific to your tranny...