Auto Trans linkage

[polarsusd81]

So my car, 1995 Taurus has pretty sloppy shifter linkage and has been giving me some issues lately. The major issue is the reverse safety switch and park. Shift into park and turn the car off, get back in and try to start the car and the linkage being sloopy is still on the edge of reverse or kinda inbetween so the car wont start. Finding neutral without the car running is a bear too, but occasionally can be done. Five times now in the last three days it has given me issues and I am just affraid that one of these times I am going to jam something a bit too hard out of frustration and be screwed. Is there a way I can tighten up the linkage, or maybe a shop, or do I just have to deal with it and hope for the best?

[Scott K]

I would first check under the hood on top of the tranny. The linkage cable should be sitting in a slot and secured tightly, the cable itself should be bolted to the trans lever with a nut. This linkage is easily seen from the area where the dipstick is. The next place to check would be under the drivers side dash, assuming this is a column shift, the cable should be snapped onto the shifter linkage, the fastened onto a bracket.

[Big Buck Buster]

The two screws at the base of the shift tube might be coming loose. This is attaching the bracket for the shift cable. This is if it has column shift.