Gear Selector unable to "Find" Park or Neutral
06-29-2016, 07:03 PM
#1
Gear Selector unable to "Find" Park or Neutral
Drove home today from work and made a couple stops along the way, everything completely fine.
- When I get into the driveway, I put it in park and take my foot off the brake
- I immediately noticed the truck was still moving, as if it was still in drive
- I shift it down into Reverse and it reverses.
- Shift it back to Park and it is still trying to reverse
- I drop it to Neutral and turn it off
- Immediately shift it back to park and it cranks up fine
- Now it will not "find" Neutral, but will go to Drive completely fine
- I try and shift it back to Park, but its like the column is just completely missing Neutral and Park and still thinks it's in Drive
- I fiddled around with it for about 10 minutes, and then turned it off.
- Now since it wont "find" Park or Neutral, I can't start it
I am thinking it has to do with something with the gear selector or something in the steering column because when I am moving the shifter, it really feels like it just isn't finding the teeth it is searching for. I am completely uneducated on what sort of linkage and such are connected from the column to the transmission.
Also, I had to replace my engine a few months back due to the wonderful phaser issue that destroyed my previous engine. After the engine was replaced, the neutral safety switch had to be out of alignment or something as I was unable to start it in Park. Never got around to fixing it, so I'm wondering if they are related?
2006 5.4L XLT 4x4
- When I get into the driveway, I put it in park and take my foot off the brake
- I immediately noticed the truck was still moving, as if it was still in drive
- I shift it down into Reverse and it reverses.
- Shift it back to Park and it is still trying to reverse
- I drop it to Neutral and turn it off
- Immediately shift it back to park and it cranks up fine
- Now it will not "find" Neutral, but will go to Drive completely fine
- I try and shift it back to Park, but its like the column is just completely missing Neutral and Park and still thinks it's in Drive
- I fiddled around with it for about 10 minutes, and then turned it off.
- Now since it wont "find" Park or Neutral, I can't start it
I am thinking it has to do with something with the gear selector or something in the steering column because when I am moving the shifter, it really feels like it just isn't finding the teeth it is searching for. I am completely uneducated on what sort of linkage and such are connected from the column to the transmission.
Also, I had to replace my engine a few months back due to the wonderful phaser issue that destroyed my previous engine. After the engine was replaced, the neutral safety switch had to be out of alignment or something as I was unable to start it in Park. Never got around to fixing it, so I'm wondering if they are related?
2006 5.4L XLT 4x4
Last edited by AU 06; 06-29-2016 at 07:21 PM.
06-30-2016, 11:55 AM
#2
You need to go under the truck and check the cable that goes from the transmission shift linkage to the firewall. Confirm its not melted/damaged from contact with the manifold as it's a common issue. Replace if necessary...
To adjust the shifting, you need to have a helper put the gear selector into drive and hold it down. Then go under the truck at the transmission and and pop the white clip up so you can slide the linkage back and forth. Manually put the transmission into drive, center the clip and pop it back into lock position.
That should align everything for proper shifting, good luck.
To adjust the shifting, you need to have a helper put the gear selector into drive and hold it down. Then go under the truck at the transmission and and pop the white clip up so you can slide the linkage back and forth. Manually put the transmission into drive, center the clip and pop it back into lock position.
That should align everything for proper shifting, good luck.
06-30-2016, 08:26 PM
#3
Senior Member
^This.