Q: Difficulty shifting out of park. 2005 Lincoln Zephyr
Several weeks ago, my car developed a transmission problem. It has difficulty shifting out of park. It ocassionally works with no issues. However, sometimes I have to press the break pedal numerous times so that it would become responsive. Then I would be able to shift to drive or reverse. What is causing this?
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Hi there. This issue can be caused by a misadjusted brake light safety switch, or a misadjusted (or failing) shiftlock interlock switch. Both of these are safety mechanisms which require the brake pedal to be pressed firmly before moving the gear selector out of Park. Misadjustment or a failed switch prevents this. If you want to have this looked at, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your location to inspect this shifting issue and determine what fix will resolve this.
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