i'm wondering if anybody else has had this problem or might know what it is. i have an 04 scab FX4. no mods other than a toolbox, nerf bars and autospring leveling kit. i left work tonight, got in my truck, started it up, but i couldn't put it in gear. the brake-shift interlock wasn't releasing. i checked the fuse as indicated in the manual and it appeared good. i put in a known good fuse to no avail. i tried the trick with the manual override (how i had to get it home) by putting it in neutral then starting the truck and shifting it into park, but the interlock still won't release. other than the interlock everything appears normal. once i have shifted out of park, i have no problems using the release button to shift between gears or back into park. but once it's in park, you have to use the override to get it out. i have noticed very slight difficulty with the interlock in the month i've owned the truck, but i attributed it to me being too quick on the shifter and not giving it time to register the brake depression. one other time, and then again tonight, the interior lights failed to light when i opened the doors. shutting the door and reopening the door made it activate. maybe these things might all be indications. i'm just wondering if there is something simple i should try before i take it back to the dealer, or what to watch out for when i try to take it in under dealership warrenty (3mo/3k, it's been a month exactly and about 1k).

 

Not sure about that one. I guess the original warranty is expired if you have a 3mo/3000k warranty. It sounds like you need to make the dealer pay for the repair. Did you get a carfax history report? Maybe it was wrecked before you got it. Check underneath for previous damage, or repaired sections with fresh paint, or welds. I would also check under the dash for any signs of water damage. Rust or anything like that. Was it a local trade in or out of state? Did the truck come from Louisiana? Just good questions to ask. I would definitely get a carfax report, though. Let us know what happens.

 

it was a local trade in. i'm going to get my own copy, but they showed me a carfax report showing it as a clean truck... i have had it up on the lift and it doesn't appear to have been repaired anywhere..

 

i spoke with a technician at a ford dealership. the tech is pretty certain it's a bad brake switch, which is a $30 part. hopefully that will be the fix for this issue..

 

Did you get this fixed yet? I ask because I had my manual out earlier today and, for me, on the same page that discusses how to bypass the shift lock, it also says that one cause could be a fault in the brake lights.