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2001 Jaguar S type DSC System Fault, Won’t go out of Park
I put a new shifter box in
The only way I can take the vehicle out of park is by hitting the silver button, I don’t know what it’s called but I have pictures for reference
Then when I first took the console apart I realized that a sensor was unplugged which I believe could be the initial problem to why I can’t go into other gears without the silver button, is this supposed to hook up anywhere?
I tried basic things like unplugging and plugging the battery, unplugging the dsc fuse and plugging it back in to maybe reset it after putting the new shifter in. All I know is I got back in my car and as I noticed the DSC system fault, ever since it wouldn’t let me shift gears.
It's long ago that I dismantled this area of the S-Type, and I actually cannot recognise much on your pictures and I cannot see a silver button.
But if you swapped the shifter box, I would imagine that you did something wrong.
If I remember correctly, there is a mechanical blocking mechanism, which stops you from moving the shifter out of P, if you do not turn the ignition key to "on".
This, if for some reason the electrical signal does not reach the blocking mechanism, your cannot move out of P.
Something else, which comes to mind: I once had it, that a bit of plastic inside of the J-track broke off and blocked normal movement of the shifter.
It's long ago that I dismantled this area of the S-Type, and I actually cannot recognise much on your pictures and I cannot see a silver button.
But if you swapped the shifter box, I would imagine that you did something wrong.
If I remember correctly, there is a mechanical blocking mechanism, which stops you from moving the shifter out of P, if you do not turn the ignition key to "on".
This, if for some reason the electrical signal does not reach the blocking mechanism, your cannot move out of P.
Something else, which comes to mind: I once had it, that a bit of plastic inside of the J-track broke off and blocked normal movement of the shifter.
this here is what I press that makes me able to put the car in park
How can I locate that part of the j-track and any answers for the sensor that is unplugged?
Do you think I would have to swap the cable itself that goes to the shifter or the rod that goes to the transmission that attaches to the side
Referring to this
My first thought: Why did you replace the shift lever assembly? Was there some mechanical or electrical issue? Or simply due to cosmetic damage? I’m wondering if there was some pre-existing fault, perhaps compounded by a defective replacement part.
A little history of the car will help. Is this a reliable daily driver with new faults out of the blue? A derelict dragged out of a field, started for the first time in years? Something in between?
I wonder if the new module is defective. I think that silver canister is the interlock solenoid. Could be it is receiving the proper command to release the lever, but is not responding.
Are the brake lights working properly? IIRC, the same switch for the brake lights is also part of the circuit to operate the shift lever release solenoid.
No idea on that mystery connector. Is it part of the factory harness in that area, or does it run separately? Most factory connectors are square, so I wonder if it could be something aftermarket, but I can’t think of anything to be added to that area.
For the DSC message, make sure the battery is fully charged. If the car sat for a while when the shifter was replaced, the charge may be low. May still seem to start the engine just fine, but these cars are VERY persnickety about prestart voltage. Charge the battery to be sure.
Please see this thread for a similar issue, resolved by replacing the switch at the brake pedal. When he said the shift lever wouldn't go into R, that was another way of saying it was stuck in P:
Specifically, see post #12 for details of how to test the interlock solenoid. If you don't hear anything, we would still have to determine if the solenoid is bad or it is not receiving the command signal.
My first thought: Why did you replace the shift lever assembly? Was there some mechanical or electrical issue? Or simply due to cosmetic damage? I’m wondering if there was some pre-existing fault, perhaps compounded by a defective replacement part.
A little history of the car will help. Is this a reliable daily driver with new faults out of the blue? A derelict dragged out of a field, started for the first time in years? Something in between?
I wonder if the new module is defective. I think that silver canister is the interlock solenoid. Could be it is receiving the proper command to release the lever, but is not responding.
Are the brake lights working properly? IIRC, the same switch for the brake lights is also part of the circuit to operate the shift lever release solenoid.
No idea on that mystery connector. Is it part of the factory harness in that area, or does it run separately? Most factory connectors are square, so I wonder if it could be something aftermarket, but I can’t think of anything to be added to that area.
For the DSC message, make sure the battery is fully charged. If the car sat for a while when the shifter was replaced, the charge may be low. May still seem to start the engine just fine, but these cars are VERY persnickety about prestart voltage. Charge the battery to be sure.
I got the car of Facebook Marketplace, about a week after driving it I noticed the shifter kind of struggled to go thru gears smoothly but it wasn’t bad, It was my daily work and back car. I stepped in the car after work started it up and saw the error code. After my second attempt to put into reverse the stick snapped off.
Not sure how long the owner had it sitting but I believe he drove it daily to work as he didn’t have another vehicle his friend picked him up after the transaction, the car came with receipts of everything that’s was worked on it within the past 5 years.
Very possible that it could be defective but if the old shifter is doing the same as the new one it brings me to think that it could be an electrical issue.
Have no idea about the mystery connector it seems to be connected to rod that goes to the transmission but again can’t find nothing in sight that it could plug to.
I’ll review the brake lights and have the battery charged to see if that could help anything. I swapped my front right headlight about 3 weeks ago if that could of had anything to do with it
Please see this thread for a similar issue, resolved by replacing the switch at the brake pedal. When he said the shift lever wouldn't go into R, that was another way of saying it was stuck in P:
Specifically, see post #12 for details of how to test the interlock solenoid. If you don't hear anything, we would still have to determine if the solenoid is bad or it is not receiving the command signal.
Ill try this and see if it helps troubleshooting anything, will also try to drop and change the transmission fluid in the car and will come back with any updates, Thank you for all the help and I’ll leave a reply if anything further changes.
Is there a forum link on how to swap and change the transmission fluid?
Here's my DIY guide about the transmission Fluid (ATF) change...:
Peter, he has a 2001 model. It has the Ford 5R55N 5-speed, not the ZF 6-speed.
There is a how-to guide in the section near the top of the forum. It's a link to a separate document, so I can't link directly to it.
Other than the shifter not automatically releasing from P, does the car run okay otherwise? If so, I'd suggest holding off on the transmission service until this first issue is resolved. I've seen far too many nightmare scenarios (and created a few myself) where a new fault is unknowingly created while trying to clear up something else. Whenever possible, it's best to take care of the original fault by itself versus doing everything all at once.
When it is time to service the transmission, here are a few considerations:
Make sure you can loosen the fill plug before draining the old fluid. If the fill plug is seized, and you've already drained the fluid, the car is now immobile.
What is your workshop situation? One huge challenge is lifting the car high enough to work underneath, while keeping it level for the refill procedure. Jack points under the car are very limited, with barely any room to install a jack stand where the jack is located. And your jack stands must be very tall, too. A transmission service is a piece of cake for any shop with a 4-point lift. At the opposite extreme, its not something you'd want to tackle in an apartment parking lot.
Could it be stretched shift cable? A known fault with that era car.
I don't think a stretched cable would cause this issue. Might cause difficulty selecting a gear, or slop in the lever, but shouldn't keep the lever from moving out of P.
Very possible that it could be defective but if the old shifter is doing the same as the new one it brings me to think that it could be an electrical issue...
If behaving exactly as before, it's not very likely to have two shifters with the identical fault. You may be able to play around with the old one and see what happens with battery power applied to the interlock solenoid. I bet you will see it respond properly.
Are you positive the interlock is what's holding the lever?
When the shift lever is stuck in P, how far can you move it? The interlock mechanism prevents moving the lever until you press on the brake pedal. In that case, the lever will barely move aft, maybe an 1/8" at most. You'll also feel a hard stop as the lever hits the mechanism.
On the other hand, if you can move the lever about halfway to.R, and it feels spongy when it stops, you'd be looking at something at the far end of the cable, such as the pawls not releasing inside the transmission. In that situation, you can move the lever maybe half an inch, with no hard stop. This transmission family is infamous for the pawls not releasing if shifted into P without setting the parking brake first.
Just want to make sure we are chasing the correct problem. Once you manually release the interlock solenoid, does the lever move easily with minimal resistance? Or does it still take some force? If the latter, we need to reconsider our approach.
If behaving exactly as before, it's not very likely to have two shifters with the identical fault. You may be able to play around with the old one and see what happens with battery power applied to the interlock solenoid. I bet you will see it respond properly.
Are you positive the interlock is what's holding the lever?
When the shift lever is stuck in P, how far can you move it? The interlock mechanism prevents moving the lever until you press on the brake pedal. In that case, the lever will barely move aft, maybe an 1/8" at most. You'll also feel a hard stop as the lever hits the mechanism.
On the other hand, if you can move the lever about halfway to.R, and it feels spongy when it stops, you'd be looking at something at the far end of the cable, such as the pawls not releasing inside the transmission. In that situation, you can move the lever maybe half an inch, with no hard stop. This transmission family is infamous for the pawls not releasing if shifted into P without setting the parking brake first.
Just want to make sure we are chasing the correct problem. Once you manually release the interlock solenoid, does the lever move easily with minimal resistance? Or does it still take some force? If the latter, we need to reconsider our approach.
i attached a video without hitting the manual interlock vs. with. Could it be battery related or the break petal not getting connection to the interlock? Once that button is hit I can shift thru gears relatively smooth but still a little struggle
Peter, he has a 2001 model. It has the Ford 5R55N 5-speed, not the ZF 6-speed.
There is a how-to guide in the section near the top of the forum. It's a link to a separate document, so I can't link directly to it.
Other than the shifter not automatically releasing from P, does the car run okay otherwise? If so, I'd suggest holding off on the transmission service until this first issue is resolved. I've seen far too many nightmare scenarios (and created a few myself) where a new fault is unknowingly created while trying to clear up something else. Whenever possible, it's best to take care of the original fault by itself versus doing everything all at once.
When it is time to service the transmission, here are a few considerations:
Make sure you can loosen the fill plug before draining the old fluid. If the fill plug is seized, and you've already drained the fluid, the car is now immobile.
What is your workshop situation? One huge challenge is lifting the car high enough to work underneath, while keeping it level for the refill procedure. Jack points under the car are very limited, with barely any room to install a jack stand where the jack is located. And your jack stands must be very tall, too. A transmission service is a piece of cake for any shop with a 4-point lift. At the opposite extreme, it’s not something you'd want to tackle in an apartment parking lot.
In my I’m capable of driving the vehicle just not as convienient. Don’t want to be in a situation where I’m stuck unless I’m taking it straight to a shop which is probably the solution when it comes to the transmission fluid but otherwise the car runs very smooth I had no signs of transmission issues alone but only with the shifter itself
It lists some fuses and a relay to check. Note some of the fuses are inside the cabin, in a small panel hidden near the hinges for the forward right door.
Take a look at the backside of the cigarette lighter. Here’s a purloined image from eBay:
The large brown connector would be for the lighter element. The small black connector is for the light bulb. Looks like it might be round. Could that be it?
It lists some fuses and a relay to check. Note some of the fuses are inside the cabin, in a small panel hidden near the hinges for the forward right door.
|UPDATE|
I went thru and checked the fuses and relay listed in that forum, it isn’t the brake switch. I checked the battery and the battery is fine, all brake lights are on and fine.
Took it to a shop and had them read my error fault
Hmm, that is a fairly rare code. You can search a bit yourself (not just the forum) and see there isn't much out there. BTW, the second digit is the number 0, not the letter O. Still not much, but you'll get more hits searching for P0814.
Do the indicator lights work at the base of the shift lever? I'm talking the letters P, N, D, etc. An individual legend will turn red to show feedback from the transmission. If all is good, the corresponding light will illuminate as each lever position is selected, but it's an indirect indication based on the transmission innards, versus a direct indication based on only the lever position.
I wonder if that code was inadvertently set while replacing the shift module. Even thought it may seem to be related, it may not be a current fault.
Let's regroup a little bit and look at the circuit controlling the Park release solenoid. Do you have a multimeter available? I have some simple wiring checks you can do, all from the rear power distribution box in the trunk.
Wiring diagrams are here, near the top of the page:
Everything we need to check is at the bottom of the page, to the right. In the trunk, remove relay #6.
This is the same relay where I previously had you do the click test. Please confirm you did get a click when a helper stepped on the brake pedal. This confirms the control circuit to the relay (via the brake pedal switch) is good. If you didn't get a click, there are some more tests we can run to determine why, but for now I'm going on your statement that the relay was good.
If the click test was good, did you try swapping this relay with a known good relay from another position? The click test only confirms the control circuit is energizing the relay. It does not confirm the relay is actually sending power to the solenoid, though.
One thing I forgot to mention earlier. Look at the relay which was installed at position #6. Do you see any discoloration or signs of overheating on the prongs? When these relays fail, they can get hot and transfer heat to the sockets in the panel. This affects the spring temper and reduces their grip. Heat can also cause oxidation, a double whammy affecting the circuit.
If all good so far, check for battery voltage at relay socket #3. The sockets may not be labeled, but the prongs on the relay usually are. With the key to the Run position (no need to start the engine), you should see battery voltage at socket #3. If not, check fuse F5 at the Primary Junction Box. This is the small fuse panel inside the cabin, outboard of the US front passenger's feet.
If good, set your meter to continuity and connect the black lead to a good ground. Touch the red lead to relay socket #5. This is checking resistance through the electromagnet coil of the interlock solenoid. It also checks the internal switch shown just to the right of the solenoid. I don't have an expected value for you, but would guess maybe 10 ohms or so.
If this resistance checks good, turn off the ignition for the next step. Connect a jumper lead between relay sockets #3 and #5. You could use a paper clip or similar piece of wire. This simulates stepping on the brake pedal to energize the relay to send power to the interlock solenoid. Hop in the driver's seat and turn the key to Run. Once again, no need to start the engine. The solenoid should be powered and you can move the lever out of Park.
Please try these simple tests and report back with specific details for each step. We can then walk you through further steps as needed.
2001 Jaguar S type DSC System Fault, Won’t go out of Park
