I have a 97 explorer that wont come out of park it won't shift...anyone know what the problem is ?

Question

please help

Answer 1

If your parked on a hill, there may be a lot of pressure on the parking pawl. You may need to have the vehicle pushed, or pulled to relieve the pressure on the drive train to get it out of park. Set your parking brake.

If this isn't the case, I bet your brake lights aren't working... Check the fuse for the brake lights. It also powers the solenoid for the shift linkage so that you can get the vehicle out of Park.

Good luck

Answer 2

The Park selection inserts a small steel rod into a hole in the output shaft of the transmission. This 'locks it up' so that the shaft can't rotate. If there is pressure on it because you're parked on a hill (or etc), it can be mighty difficult to pull out. Try getting your shift lever out of Park while someone tries to push the Explorer back and forth.

Answer 3

Ok, so does the stick move or is it stuck? If the stick moves and the car doesnt, check the transmission fluid level. If it has fluid, the trans is gone. If not, add and recheck. If the gear shift stick won't move, there is an assembly that locks it and unlocks it when you press the brakes to shift from park. That assembly is dead if it won't move at all.