Can't get shifter out of park 2000 Focus

[litefrozen]

Anyone have this prob. or repair info for it.

My mother has a 2000 ford focus se. Every now and then she can't shift
the gear out of park. When you push the button in about half way. it
feels as though it's catching or hitting something on something.

The only way I've got it to work has been to hit the button in hard
several times till it pops pass it. and it starts working then, till it
decides to do it again.

Had it in the dealership but they don't know what is going on. First
time they said they found some sticky liquid was causing it (nobody
spilled nothing in it). next time they said they lubed the linkage.

All I can find about it is this TSB.But nothing that says what the
problem is. I showed it to the service dept. they just blew it off.

Technical Service Bulletins for the FORD FOCUS 2000 - 103000 POWER TRAIN
- AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Make : FORD Model : FOCUS Year : 2000
Service Bulletin Number: 15064
Replacement Service Bulletin Number:
NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 621065
Date of Bulletin: 07/01/2001 Date Added to Database: 09/06/2001
Component: 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Summary: EXHIBITING A SHIFTER DIFFICULT TO SHIFT OUT OF PARK. *TT

[Tony Wesley]

On Nov 10, 7:24 pm, litefrozen <litefrozen@mothership> wrote:
> Anyone have this prob. or repair info for it.
>
> My mother has a 2000 ford focus se. Every now and then she can't shift

> the gear out ofpark. When you push the button in about half way. it

> feels as though it's catching or hitting something on something.
>
> The only way I've got it to work has been to hit the button in hard
> several times till it pops pass it. and it starts working then, till it
> decides to do it again.
>
> Had it in the dealership but they don't know what is going on. First
> time they said they found some sticky liquid was causing it (nobody
> spilled nothing in it). next time they said they lubed the linkage.
>
> All I can find about it is this TSB.But nothing that says what the
> problem is. I showed it to the service dept. they just blew it off.
>
> Technical Service Bulletins for the FORD FOCUS 2000 - 103000 POWER TRAIN
> - AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
> Make : FORD Model : FOCUS Year : 2000
> Service Bulletin Number: 15064
> Replacement Service Bulletin Number:
> NHTSA Campaign ID Number : 621065
> Date of Bulletin: 07/01/2001 Date Added to Database: 09/06/2001
> Component: 103000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
> Summary: EXHIBITING ASHIFTERDIFFICULT TO SHIFT OUT OFPARK. *TT

I had the opposite problem. I couldn't get it into park with my 2001
Wagon. They ended up replacing the shifter.

If you search this group, you'll find a number of related problems:
http://groups.google.com/group/alt.autos.ford.focus/search?q=park+shifter

[IB]

"litefrozen" <litefrozen@mothership> wrote in message
news:vcqdnT0UnKwoTYXU...@earthlink.com...

> Anyone have this prob. or repair info for it.
>
> My mother has a 2000 ford focus se. Every now and then she can't shift the
> gear out of park. When you push the button in about half way. it feels as
> though it's catching or hitting something on something.
>
> The only way I've got it to work has been to hit the button in hard
> several times till it pops pass it. and it starts working then, till it
> decides to do it again.
>
> Had it in the dealership but they don't know what is going on. First time
> they said they found some sticky liquid was causing it (nobody spilled
> nothing in it). next time they said they lubed the linkage.
>
> All I can find about it is this TSB.But nothing that says what the problem
> is. I showed it to the service dept. they just blew it off.

Had the same problem on my Galaxy. Turned out to be a faulty brake light
switch - there's an interlock on the shift lever to prevent changing into
gear without having your foot on the brake pedal

[MRS. CLEAN]

Read your Owners Manual.

Your foot must be on the brake to start and change gears.

It automatically locks for safety if you start the car with your foot
on the gas pedal and IT WON'T GO INTO ANY GEAR WHATSOEVER FOR YOUR OWN
GOOD.

I have owned my little Focus since 2002 but I hadn't really read my
OM. Now, I read a few pages every week and learn something new about
my car.

[litefrozen]

Thanks for the reply, I know you have to have your foot on the brake.

When you press on the brake pedal, it activates a switch that disengages
the Brake/Shift interlock on the gear shift.

The current thinking is that the brake pedal switch maybe going bad and
is not releasing the interlock. Or the interlock is not fully
disengaging when activated.