Stuck in Park

Hi all, I have a '95 Escort wagon with automatic transmission that will start up but the gear shift won't move out of park. I press the brake and the brake lights do come on, but it feels like the safety doohickey won't release to let me shift out of park. I have tried pushing the car back and forth to jostle it out, I have used brute force... nothing seems to work.

I NEED this car to run because I just sold my other escort this evening. Any ideas out there? Thanks

Take a look at your wiring diagram and see if you can by pass the safety switch. If it works with the switch by passed, then the switch is at fault.

I've got ya fixed up! My '95 LX hatchback had that happen once... either that or I needed to shift it while the car wasn't running or something... eh anyway, you should see a little flap that is made of plastic just to the right of the gearshift. Pry the cap up with a small flathead screwdriver or something, and there will be a button directly inside the hole. Stick something (e.g. a very thin screwdriver) into the hole and depress the button... then shift. Maybe you have to press the button AS you're shifting, I can't really remember, but that is the park safety switch bypass and is therefore the easiest way to get around it.

Hope this helps!

Thank you SO MUCH!!! You guys are awesome. That worked like a charm, Fantastimo. If there were no replies this morning I was going to have it towed to the mechanic. You just saved me a ton of money and stress. The universe just added karma points next to your names.

Thank you.

I've got ya fixed up! My '95 LX hatchback had that happen once... either that or I needed to shift it while the car wasn't running or something... eh anyway, you should see a little flap that is made of plastic just to the right of the gearshift. Pry the cap up with a small flathead screwdriver or something, and there will be a button directly inside the hole. Stick something (e.g. a very thin screwdriver) into the hole and depress the button... then shift. Maybe you have to press the button AS you're shifting, I can't really remember, but that is the park safety switch bypass and is therefore the easiest way to get around it.

Hope this helps!


Well you're certainly welcome. I'm glad I found this message board and can now share my random facts that I've found through owning an escort with other people :)

(I found that safety release button purely by chance one day)

Not to be a jerk, but the "safety release button" as you call it is actually a transmission over ride. These are used there for many reasons, mainly for situations like the one above. Another reason is for towing and shipping. When cars are built there usally shipped my train. This is not easy on the tranny and drive shafts if the car is in park so the cars need to be left in nutral, hence the button.

Just thought you might want to know.

Escort_Service,

Thanks, no offense taken. I always like to learn new things and the proper names for parts. I wouldn't know anything about cars if it weren't for my dad, he has run his own shop or worked in one since he was my age (20)... So I was kinda forced to learn how things work as a kid. Now I like to learn on my own :)

Thanks!

P.S. that's good to know about shipping and towing too, I never would have thought about it being hard on the driveshaft but it makes perfect sense.