Just broke the gear shifter on my 05 fx4. Trying to back a trailer and thought it was in park and tried to step out. It was in reverse and I tried to throw it into park before it rolled over me. Broke the top part of the shifter off before I fell out.
I can't get the keys out and it won't stay in gear. Anybody dealt with anything like this before? Any words of wisdom?

Thanks,
Matt

 

make shure its in park before getting out
hope ya didn't get hurt

brice

 

Is there any kind of electric or mechanical override located under the center console's trim piece? It seems there would have to be some way to take it in/out of gear manually. (if your battery died and needed towed, for instance).

 

Click my tan CV below & look in the Steering Column album. Yours is virtually identical.

 

I went to put my truck in gear and i heard something give. I can not put my truck in gear and there is no more spring action on the shifter handle. I pulled the dash and can not figure out what came loose. Please help.
it is a 97 f150 4.6L auto trans

 

Why did you pull the dash? Everything is on the column. Have you looked thru those photos/diagrams & read the captions?

 

Yes, i did, but i can not see where the spring action comes from or what came loose just from the photos and captions.

 

This is what broke "Transmission Column Shift Selector Tube 7212 (Automatic Only)". I can not see a way to get that out without pulling the whole dash out. Any suggestions?

 

That's a common problem, and Ford offers an upgraded set of parts (7212 & 7361). Contact your local dealership for price & availability, or shop your local junkyards.

.

To remove the shifter assy, remove the knee bolster from below the column, pop the cable (#32) off the lever (33), disconnect the shift indicator cable from the column & shifter, then remove the 2 nuts (50) & 2 nuts (52) and lower the column onto the seat. Now remove the 4 Torx screws (26) and the shifter comes right off.

 

That helps, but just to be sure that i am looking at the correct one. 52 on my truck also holds a black frame which looks like it also connectes to 50 as well. Am i looking in the correct place? That looks like it will drop the entire steering column.

 

Nothing should be "connected to" the nuts (50), but the nuts might retain other parts to the dash. Yes, pulling those 4 nuts (I fixed it above) should drop the whole column. That's the whole point - so you can get to the TOP of the column. You want it on the seat, like this:

 

Thanks, i got it fixed. that was easier than i though.

 

Remember that future users may find this thread when searching for a similar problem, so post up some details about what you found, what it cost, how long it took, any tips you learned...

 

The gear selector tube broke. I had to pull the stearing column to access the parts. Total cost of the Selector Tube and the rod that goes down the center of it was $50 from the Ford dealership. It took me about 1hr. total to pull the stearing column, replace the parts and mount the column again. I will take some detailed pictures and mark the location of the 8 nuts that had to be pulled to drop the stearing column, the 4 Trox screws that had to be pulled to remove the selector tube, and the parts themselves. Will also include detailed instructions with pics on which dash panels had to be pulled, along with the location of the screws that have to be pulled in order to get to it. While I had it all apart, I studied how and what needed to be pulled for future reference and will add that detail as well, so that somone that has to do the same work does not end up pulling un-necessary items, like I did. I should have the instructions and picts posted in the next few days. Again, thanks for the help and keep up the good work.

 

I am thinking this might be my problem. but im a lowly woman.lol mine is a 98 expy. ( my baby) The steering column slipped off the wood I had holding it up, while installing a new heater core, which by the way was a total headache but finally got it done. I can see this little casing or sheave type thing on the cable itself. it is in two parts still wrapped around the cable but clearly broken. when the column fell, the truck rolled backwards. I caught it of course and put a big log behind it *sigh* but it didnt occur to me that I broke something. Im thinking that term 'gear selector tube' sounds pretty good... Ive looked at the pics and I'm just not sure mine is the same. any suggestions? I now know exactly how to get the column off again so thats not a big deal at all, just really don't know where to go from there, the dealer here is zero help. maybe try to add a pic of what I see up there would help? prease.