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Brake/Shift INTERLOCK issues?? How to bypass???

T

tonyankyfan1

CEG'er
Joined
Sep 22, 2015
Messages
105
Location
NYC
Greetings everyone,

I am having major issues with my Brake/Shift Interlock feature, is there a way to temporarily BYPASS the thing? Its a struggle to get it out of PARK, everytime i park the damn thing, I have to do the whole screwdriver thing under the shifter to get it out of park. By the way, my brake lights work, no issue there. I was reading someplace online and lost the damn link that a contour guy had placed a tie-back on the screwdriver bypass under the shifter to keep it unlocked. Does anyone know of this trick???

Thanks Anthony
 
hmm no trick that I know of, When mine did it it kept blowing it out over faulty tail light wiring. To this day all has been well, Try also using your heat when the brake lock doesn't work.

It should be located just under the steering wheel mounted to the brake pedal arm further up inside the dash it has a big round "button" looking object on it.

I haven't had mine apart for awhile but I remember vaguely being able to just unscrew the shift lock from the shift base itself.
 
"I haven't had mine apart for awhile but I remember vaguely being able to just unscrew the shift lock from the shift base itself." [/QUOTE]

So the solenoid just unscrews from the shiftlock/shift base itself??? Once that is disconnected there shouldnt be any more issues w getting car out of park??

Thanks Anthony
 
To be honest I don't think I have ever heard about this issue before. But then again all of my cars have 5-spd so I might have skipped over it.

I would think that just removing the solenoid but leaving it functional could be problematic in itself.
 
BrApple said:
To be honest I don't think I have ever heard about this issue before. But then again all of my cars have 5-spd so I might have skipped over it.

I would think that just removing the solenoid but leaving it functional could be problematic in itself.
Click to expand...
Hey thanks for reply. 5 spds don't have this issue, just automatics. Its a major PITA, eberytime you want to get in car and go, the damn shifter wont come out of park. The button shifter is hard and cannot be depressed in, shifter is like jammed. You try and try, then out of the blue it releases. The damn solenoid, works, doesnt work, works. Id rather just disconnect it and call it a day. Im not going to spend $130 on a new solenoid, w the cable blah, blah. There has to be a way around this mess. These cars seem to be proned to issues and problems, too damn sesnitive and super expensive to fix. I have an older stang foxbody 91, car always starts, never an issue, cheap to fix and is RELIABLE, unlike this damn mystique
 
I think you missed what I am saying.
Ok basically take out your center console. There is a little arm the IS the shift lock-out.. remove said arm... no more problem.

I would advice you to have someone sit in the car and you stand behind it to ensure all your lights work while the shift lock won't engage.. they are all wired on the same circuit...

For some reason they are also on the circuit for the tail lights, blower mototr, def, and wipers.. I found out all this going through my own b.s. with these stupid things

So esentially if the shift lock doesn't work chances are your brakes, heat, defrost won't either.. Best way... press the brake pedal.. click on your 4-ways..if the lights work bu the shift lock doesn't dis-engage you have a back shift lock selonoid.. your better grabbing one from a junkyard.

In the other direction if u remove said shift-lockout arm... the car can be taken out of park even with the key out...ask me how I know..

I only reiterate about your lights and such as something is grounded out and cause the switch to not work.
 
tonyankyfan1 said:
Hey thanks for reply. 5 spds don't have this issue, just automatics. Its a major PITA, eberytime you want to get in car and go, the damn shifter wont come out of park. The button shifter is hard and cannot be depressed in, shifter is like jammed. You try and try, then out of the blue it releases. The damn solenoid, works, doesnt work, works. Id rather just disconnect it and call it a day. Im not going to spend $130 on a new solenoid, w the cable blah, blah. There has to be a way around this mess. These cars seem to be proned to issues and problems, too damn sesnitive and super expensive to fix. I have an older stang foxbody 91, car always starts, never an issue, cheap to fix and is RELIABLE, unlike this damn mystique
Click to expand...

To be honest the repairs for these cars are generally not to expensive. Yes they do require a lot of maintenance to keep them running well. If you purchased a vehicle that wasn't taken care of then its going to need a lot of work.

Have you done any troubleshooting? I can not advocate bypassing any piece of safety equipment.
 
FrancisPennysac said:
I think you missed what I am saying.
Ok basically take out your center console. There is a little arm the IS the shift lock-out.. remove said arm... no more problem.

I would advice you to have someone sit in the car and you stand behind it to ensure all your lights work while the shift lock won't engage.. they are all wired on the same circuit...

For some reason they are also on the circuit for the tail lights, blower mototr, def, and wipers.. I found out all this going through my own b.s. with these stupid things

So esentially if the shift lock doesn't work chances are your brakes, heat, defrost won't either.. Best way... press the brake pedal.. click on your 4-ways..if the lights work bu the shift lock doesn't dis-engage you have a back shift lock selonoid.. your better grabbing one from a junkyard.

In the other direction if u remove said shift-lockout arm... the car can be taken out of park even with the key out...ask me how I know..

I only reiterate about your lights and such as something is grounded out and cause the switch to not work.
Click to expand...


HEY, THANKS FOR THE REPLY.. ITS FIXED, TEMPORARILY UNITL I GET A NEW SHIFTER ASSEMBLY. I BROKE THE LITTLE WHITE PLASTIC ARM OFF AND NOW SHIFTS FREELY IN ALL POSITIONS. THAT ARM WAS JAMMING THE SHIFTER HANDLE BUTTON AND THE PIN THAT IS PUSHED DOWN INTO THE ****ER ASSEMBLY. ALL IS WELL IN MYSTIQUE LAND FOR NOW. EVERYTHING WORKS, BRAKE LIGHTS, HAZARDS, BLOWER, WIPERS AND DEFROST, JUST SAYING.... =)
Question though --> "WHAT IS A BACK SHIFT LOCK SOLENOID"??? I know there are 2 solenoids, one near the ignition, one at the shifter and the brake switch. They all work together to make the car shift out of park.
Thanks again, Anthony
 
BrApple said:
To be honest the repairs for these cars are generally not to expensive. Yes they do require a lot of maintenance to keep them running well. If you purchased a vehicle that wasn't taken care of then its going to need a lot of work.

Have you done any troubleshooting? I can not advocate bypassing any piece of safety equipment.
Click to expand...


HEY THANKS FOR YOUR REPLY AS WELL. I FIXED IT, TEMPORARILY, SEE ABOVE POST. I INHERITED THIS CAR, IT WAS MY DAD'S. HE WAS THE ORIGINAL OWNER. SO THE CAR IS A CREAMPUFF, IN MINT SHAPE. JUST HAS SOME STUPID AILMENTS, ONLY HAS 98,000 ORIGINAL MILES, GARAGE KEPT ETC.
THESE CARS COMPARED TO MUSTANGS ARE EXPENSIVE, TRUST ME LOL (suspension parts for stang $500 vs Msytique $1200) hugeeeee diff. And all and any parts you need for stang, are available for purchase, not discontinued) EVERYTHING IS COMPLICATED ON THESE CARS, NO SPACE TO WORK, THEY ARE ELECTRICAL NIGHTMARES, PARTS ARE DISCONTINUED, I HONESTLY DONT KNOW WTF FORD WAS THINKING WHEN THE ENGINEERS DESIGNED CERTAIN FEATURES ON THESE CARS. MY OPINION IS, GREAT LOOKING CARS, NICE DESIGN, SOLID ENGINE & SUSPENSION, BUT EVERYTHING AROUND IT IS INCONSISTENT. IT REMINDS ME OF AN 80S LINCOLN I HAD, ELECTRICAL GREMLINS AND AIR SUSPENSION = PREMATURE LOSS OF HAIR. LOL

P.S. i agree with you regarding safety equip, this is why it is temporary fix, until it the junkyard. This is what i think was really the issue after taking it a part. The shifter solenoid located in the shifter area was crapping out, (ELECTRICAL GREMLIN) so it would work sporadically, jamming up the little plastic swingarm into the shifter button pin assembly when trying to get out of gear. So once i get the entire shifter assembly & solenoid, im back in business. =) For now, this will have to do, at least i wont have to worry about getting stuck after parking because of some stupid nonsense
 
I meant to say BAD "brake pedal switch" or "Shift Lock Solenoid"

I believe its the one attached to the brake pedal itself. it tells the car when you are pressing the brake and then disengages the shifter lock out, If working correctly you will hear a rather loud "CLICK" coming from the center console when you depress the brake in a ATX "Cont-ique" this is the sound of the shift-lock out being disengage.

If you don't hear this sound well.. you will scream unless you know how to override it. My car ran fine, but when it would blow corresponding fuse i couldn't EVER put the car in gear without manually overriding the stupid thing..to the point where I left off my center console and would just reach down with my finger and over-ride it :p very annoying to say the least.

When I was doing my own research I got as far as the brake pedal switch in the wiring of the car. I then found my problem and fixed it, had I not, the brake pedal switch was my next effort, as all other attempts had failed and locating said problem. I traced it all the way to the back of the car and again before i found a problematic taillight wiring on both sides..:(
 
Defeating the park solenoid is not a safety issue unless you have young children around the car. Why they put them on there, dumb parent gets out with car idling and child puts trans in gear.

I removed mine many years ago, they SUCK. Same on my two Focus cars, garbage to make you cuss.
 
amc49 said:
Defeating the park solenoid is not a safety issue unless you have young children around the car. Why they put them on there, dumb parent gets out with car idling and child puts trans in gear.

I removed mine many years ago, they SUCK. Same on my two Focus cars, garbage to make you cuss.
Click to expand...


TOTALLY AGREE 100%. SINCE I RIPPED IT OUT, PROBLEM SOLVED, AND NO MORE AGGRAVATION. =)
Thanks for your reply
Anthony
 
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