2000 Ford Taurus Shifter??

[Just a Six??]

A friend has the 2000 Ford Taurus & the floor shifter jammed? He cant push the button in to change gears so he is stuck in park? Anyone know how to take this thing apart? Does it just unscrew or maybe an allen key or something? I have not seen it but there must be a way to open it up & fix it?
Many Thanks!!!

[ULYCYC]

Make sure it's not the interlock system. Release the emergency brake and step on the brake before you shift it.

[Just a Six??]

Ed from what he said its not that but thanks! I think it just jammed or something. He rarely uses the car (he's 66 & it has very low miles) so it somehow locked up? If I can take it apart I'm sure we can get it to work.

[Just a Six??]

Originally Posted by ULYCYC

Make sure it's not the interlock system. Release the emergency brake and step on the brake before you shift it.

Well it works?? He has never used the E-Brake so I told go put it on & off a few times & hit the brake pedal a few times & it works??
Thanks Ed!!

[pacecarta]

its probably a similar system to the lincoln

in fords infinite wisdom to protect us they devised a system where by if you depress the pedal and dont have brake pressure at the MC rod the switch doesnt have enough pressure to activate you are prevented from operating the vehicle by not releasing the lockout solenoid of the shifter (column cars too) which keeps you locked in park ,

the switch on the pedal requires pressure to activate , this switch activates not just the the shift release soleniod but the tail lights too , problem is and has been with the 2000s is the switch harness burns up because of a faulty brake conrtol module and once the switch harness connections burn up you can start the car just fine ...even though you have brakes and everything else seems to work unknown to you you don't have brake lights (which you cant see from the drivers seat). doesn't matter though because you can't get it out of gear

he might want to have that switch and its contacts at the harness checked out before he gets stranded somewhere or finds hes driving without brake lights because as well engineered as ford was if it does start and goe into gear if the switch fails during a trip.. brake lights go out without giving you any warning at the dash that they are not functional and all seems normal until you park it and cant get it out of gear , or get rear ended

[Just a Six??]

Originally Posted by pacecarta

its probably a similar system to the lincoln

in fords infinite wisdom to protect us they devised a system where by if you depress the pedal and dont have brake pressure at the MC rod the switch doesnt have enough pressure to activate you are prevented from operating the vehicle by not releasing the lockout solenoid of the shifter (column cars too) which keeps you locked in park ,

the switch on the pedal requires pressure to activate , this switch activates not just the the shift release soleniod but the tail lights too , problem is and has been with the 2000s is the switch harness burns up because of a faulty brake conrtol module and once the switch harness connections burn up you can start the car just fine ...even though you have brakes and everything else seems to work unknown to you you don't have brake lights (which you cant see from the drivers seat). doesn't matter though because you can't get it out of gear

he might want to have that switch and its contacts at the harness checked out before he gets stranded somewhere or finds hes driving without brake lights because as well engineered as ford was if it does start and goe into gear if the switch fails during a trip.. brake lights go out without giving you any warning at the dash that they are not functional and all seems normal until you park it and cant get it out of gear , or get rear ended

So the switch is under the brake pedal? Thanks for the Info!!

[pacecarta]

its on the MC rod end where it goes on the pedal

[Just a Six??]

Originally Posted by pacecarta

its on the MC rod end where it goes on the pedal

Its gotta be the switch as its acting up again today. Any chance you know the part Number so I can order it in for the garage so its in & out kinda deal? Any idea how long it takes to replace? The old guy is "frugal" if ya know what I mean? THANKS for all your Help!!

[pacecarta]

do th brake lights work
if the brake lights are on and it wont disengage from park then the solenoid is the problem ,

the switch may work just fine , check the wire harness and contact ends of the harness for melting deteriorated wire or terminals , the terminals are spade female so easy to replace.
as for switch replace its a clip on the pedal master cylinder rod rod end , slide the MC rod off the pedal arm and pull the switch off but on the lincoln and other fords its really the brake control unit that is the problem causing too much current draw across the switch harness which isnt designed for it and the harness burns up

[pacecarta]

i found this searching around (wont shift out of park ford)

yo,
bnkrtstk has it...
here is more from another forum:
"Posted by: No1Truck
I had the same problem in my '97 2wd ex. cab. If you encounter this problem and need to get somewhere NOW, look in your owner's manual under "fuses" and pull the fuse that controls the "brake-shift interlock". I believe it is #6. It also controls air suspension and affects the interior lights when getting in and out while truck is running. You will be able to get it in gear and go where you want to go. However, the root of the problem in my truck was the wires leading to the brake switch. Get on the floor on the drivers' side and look carefully at the wiring leading to the brake switch(on the brake pedal). The wires were fatigued and broke right at the switch. I had brake lights intermittently, when the broken wire happened to touch inside the insulation. Whatever you do, make sure you have brake lights before you drive - the cruise control will not disengage without the signal from the brake switch. You can rewire the harness and give yourself a couple more inches of slack in the wires so that they won't fatigue from bending right behind the switch."
....
And as bnkrtstk also wrote:
from Ford:
"Moving a locked gearshift
Automatic transaxle vehicles are equipped with a shift-lock safety feature that prevents the gearshift from being moved out of Park without the brake pedal depressed. If you cannot move the gearshift out of Park with the brake pedal depressed:
1. Continue depressing the brake pedal, and remove the shift-lock override cap with a 2.5 cm (1 inch) or longer screwdriver
2. Insert the screwdriver into the shift-lock override opening and push down
3. Push and hold the thumb button
4. Move the gearshift
If it is necessary to use the above procedure to move the gearshift, it is possible that a fuse has blown and the vehicle’s brake lamps may not be operating properly
For Ford trucks, if the vehicle will not shift from Park with the brake pedal depressed:

Apply parking brake
Remove key
Insert key and rotate one position clockwise (ignition OFF)
Depress the brake pedal and shift to Neutral. (If the vehicle is shifted to Park, repeat the previous steps)
Start the vehicle."
..
and:
"The BOO switch (brake on/off) is the cause for concern. An easy way to check that is to remove the connector from the switch and put a jumper wire across the connector pins. If the brake lights come on then you have a bad BOO. One can be purchased from your local Ford dealer or from most parts stores. They are relatively inexpensive, about 10-15 bucks last time I checked. The reason the vehicle will not come out of park is a safety issue. The brake light circut runs through the shift interlock switch. If the shift interlock doesn't receive power from the brake circut, it wont function thus keeping the driver from shifting into any gear. Hope this helps.

[pacecarta]

btw the name for the brake switch if you go looking is stoplight switch
and it should only cost 10-15 bucks

[Just a Six??]

Thanks Paul!!
You are a BIG Help for this. I Appreciatte all the work you did to get me this info! IOU a few Beers at the BPG Nats in Columbus if you are there?
Thanks Again!!
Cheers! David

[Bobs rare 6]

There is a updated switch. It comes with a new wire pigtail. Was a recall at one time. Bob.

[Just a Six??]

Originally Posted by Bobs rare 6

There is a updated switch. It comes with a new wire pigtail. Was a recall at one time. Bob.

Do you know if the 2000 Taurus was part of the recall? I will snoop around the Ford site for any recall that went out about it? Thanks!!