Shifting out of Park Problem

[Big-Al]

'97 F-150 5.4L First problem I noticed was that the truck would not cancel cruise with a tap of the brake. Then it started being hard to get out of park. It required a very hard press of the brake to get it to shift out. Now I really have to stand on it and it still hardly wants to shift out. I realize that the brake switch must be faulty. How hard is it to replace? I've heard that the wiring can also go. The symptoms tell me switch and not wiring. Any thoughts anyone? Airjer?

[Macgyver55]

Sounds like the brake light switch to me. I havent run into any with a wiring problem but that doesnt meant it isnt that. The switch isnt too bad to do if you are "flexible".

[Scott K]

Do the brake lights work? If not, check the brake light fuse first, then check for power to the brake light switch, then step on the brake and see if you have power out of the brake light switch. If there is power into it, but not out of it, you have a bad brake light switch.

On some of the trucks with adjustable pedals, I have ran into a few with broken wires by the brake switch. I have seen some cruise deactivation switches leaking brake fluid into the brake pressure switch on the master cylinder. I have also ran into a couple with a bad shift interlock solenoid, but the majority of them have had a blown brake light fuse.

With the symptoms you give though, it sounds like a bad switch!

[Jeremy airjer W]

Yup broken wires, Bad switches, and blown fuses. There pretty easy to check power in and power out. If its missing one of the two there's a problem!

[Scott K]

Oh ya, if it stops working before you get it fixed, you can still shift it out of park by placing the ignition switch in between off and run, so that the lights on the dash dont light up. then just shift it to neutral and start the truck.

[Big-Al]

Broken wire it is! Thanks for the help folks.

[Big-Al]

Quote:

if you are "flexible".

I'm 6'1" 280 and not "flexible". I also have arthritis. It was not fun at all, but I managed to get the wire spliced. If there is a next time for this job I think I will hire it out.