Can't get my 2003 F150 out of park. All the posts I've seen seem to deal with non-working brake lights/bad connections, and the override procedure that allows the vehicle to be put in neutral while the ignition switch is in the off position. This override doesn't work in my case. The brake lights work and it's obvious the "park pin" is not disengaging--any suggestions? Thanks.

 

Do you happen to be parked on an incline? I've had the same problem in the past when parking on a hill without putting on the emergency brake.

 

Yes you need to make sure you never park the truck without using the parking brake. What happens is if you put the truck in park and then let your foot off the brake the truck will roll forward or backwards and the entire weight of the truck will be resting on the little parking pawl inside the transmission. If you are on any type of incline push your truck up the hill somehow maybe with another car or truck then see if it can be taken out of park. The procedure for parking should go as follows to prevent this from ever happeing again.

1.) Stop Truck with brake and keep foot on brake
2.) Shift truck to neutral
3.) Apply Parking brake all the way then remove foot from brake pedal so the truck is being held in place by the parking brake only
4.) Put truck into Park and shut off.

If you do it this way and just make it a habit you should not have the problem ever again assuming that this was the problem to begin with.

Richard D.

WHILE YOUR HERE CHECK OUT MY GALLERY:
https://www.f150online.com/galleries....cfm?gnum=2479

 

Thanks, guys...that was the problem. I feel pretty foolish, but I guess it was one of those times that I expected the worst and looked for a complex answer to a simple problem. I normally set my emergency brake before taking my foot off the brake pedal, but I was in a hurry and didn't set the brake until I was on my way out of the truck.

 

Good to know that's all it was. Like I said try to make a habit of the steps I posted above when you are in a "Hurry" and you will save yourself some future problems. If you are in a hurry try this instead of leaving the truck in drive while you are pulling inot you parking spot put the truck in nuetral cost in set parking brake then put in park once truck has stopped and your off and running. Don't feel to bad it has more than likely happen to everyone at some point.

Richard D.