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RVDisney's avatar
RVDisney
Explorer
May 19, 2015

2003 E450 Class C Gear selctor stuck in park

My 2003 class c E450 dutchmen has the gear selected stuck in park.

I replaced the brake switch the is located on the brake pedal after doing some reading online but the gear selector still won't move and the brake lights are still not coming on. I also checked all fusses under the hood and the are good. I did not check the fuses under the steering column though. I don't think I need to?

Anyway, what else is causing this problem.

Any help I would appreciate. Thanks!!

10 Replies

  • It is a fuse located under the hood simple look for the one blown it is not under the dash but under the hood you do have both
  • Make sure the 4 way flasher is not activated and there is a blue 15 amp fuse blown in your fuse block. We had this same problem for years on a 95 Ford F 350. We finally got it resolved when we replaced the multifunction signal lever switch.
  • May not help, but our Ford Van locks up when on a hill. Just having one or two people lift and lean against the downhill side to ease the tension, allows another person to unlock the steering wheel.
  • Yeah i replaced the brake switch attached to the brake pedal and checked all fuses but the gear wont move and I do not have brake lights still. Also, I am able to move it into gear by finding on the internet to set the parking brake and move the gear selector with the ignition off. Is there another solenoid under the dash?
  • May not help, but our Ford Van locks up when on a hill. Just having one or two people lift and lean against the downhill side to ease the tension, allows another person to unlock the steering wheel.
  • I think the problem lies with the stop light switch. Take it off and run a continuity test on it. If the wheel were locked or pinched against the parking pall because of a hill the brake lights would work. No brake lights no moving the lever. Happened on my 09.
  • Sometimes on cars the trans will lock in park if the steering wheel is stuck, just twist the steering wheel and see if that loosens the shift lever.
  • If the brake lights are not coming on, you have some sort of a wiring problem to your brake switch (or possibly the new switch you bought is defective—it's not super common, but it is not unheard of for brand new parts to be defective). Checking the appropriate fuse seems like a reasonable place to start investigating. If it's OK, you're probably down to tracing wires in the bowels of your dash...oh such fun. Could be chafing or rodent damage to a wire somewhere, or a bad ground connection, or....
  • j-d's avatar
    j-d
    Explorer II
    This Page indicates you could be on the right track looking at electrical.

    But look at the third post in that thread, indicating that unlocking the column could unlock the shift.
  • Are you parked on a slight hill? Sometimes the weight of the vehicle makes it difficult to get it out of park if the wheels are turned.