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97 Escort won't shift out of Park?!?

11K views 8 replies 6 participants last post by  R.S.LOGAN 
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#1 ·
I was out doing some Christmas shopping tonight and when I went to leave the parking lot, the car wouldn't shift out of park. I called the CAA for help, and the driver showed me how to override it with a screwdriver to get me home for the night and to the shop tomorrow when things open up again, but what could this problem be?
Everything else seems to be working fine.
The only thing I noticed tonight after it worked again was that when I was reversing and turning out of the parking spot, it was noisy - almost the sound you would hear when you turn the wheel too hard, but noisier.

Someone please tell me this is some stupid little problem somewhere along the line and it doesn't need a whole new transmission... I've put nearly $1000 into it already this past week in routine maintenance (tires, brakes, and a stupid emissions control problem that had the service engine light on) I really don't want to spend much more :fraz:
 
#2 ·
How did you overide it with a screwdriver?

That would be called the shift interlock feature. It operates on the same circuit as the brake lights so the first thing you want to do is to make sure the brake lights are working when this problem is present. If the brake lights are working, that proves the circuit is good up to that point, then you'll have to get to the solenoid in the console. Disassemble as much as you have to to access the solenoid near the shifting mechanism. Us a 12v test light to test for power coming and going at the solenoid when the brake is applied. If power is arriving and switching and the solenoid is not triggering, the solenoid is bad and will have to be replaced.

Read more: My 2000 ford escort will not shift from park ple... - JustAnswer
 
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